Festivals & Events

1. বিহু

   Bihu

   Bihu (festival of Assam)

   Usage

   Assam's best-known festival, held three times a year: Bohag in spring, Kati in autumn and Magh in winter

   Grammar Note

   The three Bihus mark stages of the farming year; বিহু alone names the festival in general

2. ব'হাগ বিহু

   Bohag bihu

   Bohag Bihu (spring Bihu)

   Usage

   The festival of the Assamese new year, starting in mid-April and lasting several days with songs, dance and feasts

   Grammar Note

   The apostrophe in ব'হাগ stands for the vowel o; the form বহাগ also occurs

3. ৰঙালী বিহু

   Rongali bihu

   Rongali Bihu

   Usage

   Another name for Bohag Bihu, the Bihu of joy; people exchange new-year greetings

   Grammar Note

   ৰঙালী comes from ৰং, joy or colour, and describes a cheerful festival

4. গৰু বিহু

   Goru bihu

   Goru Bihu (cattle Bihu)

   Usage

   The first day of Bohag Bihu, when cattle are washed in the river and given new ropes in prayer for health and harvest

   Grammar Note

   গৰু is cow or cattle; here it means the Bihu of the cattle

5. সাত বিহু

   Xat bihu

   Sat Bihu (the seven days of Bihu)

   Usage

   The seven days of Bohag Bihu, each with its own customs, such as the day of the cattle

   Grammar Note

   সাত is seven; the number and the name together give the period

6. হুঁচৰি বিহু

   Hũsori bihu

   Husori (Bihu house-to-house singing)

   Usage

   Groups of men go from house to house singing and dancing to bless the household, who offer gifts and refreshments in return

   Grammar Note

   The sign ঁ in হুঁচৰি marks a nasal vowel, and ৰ is r

7. কাতি বিহু

   Kati bihu

   Kati Bihu

   Usage

   The autumn Bihu of October, with lamps lit in fields and gardens for the growing rice; a quiet festival

   Grammar Note

   কাতি is the name of a month of the Assamese calendar, mid-October to mid-November

8. কঙালী বিহু

   Kongali bihu

   Kongali Bihu

   Usage

   Another name for Kati Bihu, the Bihu of the poor, as the granaries are low in this season

   Grammar Note

   কঙালী means poor and pairs with ৰঙালী of Bohag Bihu

9. মাঘ বিহু

   Magh bihu

   Magh Bihu

   Usage

   The harvest festival of mid-January, with a feast in straw huts the night before and a fire lit and prayed over next morning

   Grammar Note

   মাঘ is a month of the calendar; ভোগালী, of feasting, is another name

10. ভোগালী বিহু

    Bhogali bihu

    Bhogali Bihu

    Usage

    Another name for Magh Bihu, the Bihu of feasting, with rice sweets, pitha, fish and meat

    Grammar Note

    ভোগালী comes from ভোগ, enjoyment or a meal

11. বিহু নৃত্য

    Bihu nrityo

    Bihu dance

    Usage

    A fast dance of Bohag Bihu in which men and women move hands and hips to drums and pipes

    Grammar Note

    নৃত্য is a formal word for dance

12. বিহু গীত

    Bihu git

    Bihu songs

    Usage

    Folk songs sung at Bohag Bihu about spring, love and farm life, sung together with dance

    Grammar Note

    গীত means song

13. বিহুৰ বাদ্যযন্ত্ৰ

    Bihur badyojontro

    Bihu instruments

    Usage

    The dhol drum, the buffalo-horn pipe pepa and the bamboo jaw harp gogona are among them

    Grammar Note

    বিহুৰ is of Bihu with the genitive -ৰ, and বাদ্যযন্ত্ৰ is musical instrument

14. বিহুৰ খাদ্য

    Bihur khadyo

    Bihu food

    Usage

    Food made for the festival, such as pitha, ladoo, chira with curd, and fish and meat dishes

    Grammar Note

    বিহুৰ is of Bihu and খাদ্য is food

15. দুৰ্গা পূজা

    Durga puja

    Durga Puja

    Usage

    The autumn festival of the goddess Durga, with temporary pandals in each neighbourhood visited by crowds into the night

    Grammar Note

    পূজা is worship and follows a deity's name to name a festival

16. কালী পূজা

    Kali puja

    Kali Puja

    Usage

    The worship of the goddess Kali on the new-moon night of autumn, around the same time as Diwali

    Grammar Note

    কালী is the goddess's name, followed by পূজা

17. সৰস্বতী পূজা

    Xoroxwoti puja

    Saraswati Puja

    Usage

    A winter festival of the goddess of learning, held in schools and colleges, where students offer their books

    Grammar Note

    In সৰস্বতী the letter স is close to x in the Latin form

18. লক্ষ্মী পূজা

    Lokhmi puja

    Lakshmi Puja

    Usage

    The worship of the goddess of wealth, with lamps and offerings in homes and shops

    Grammar Note

    The conjunct ক্ষ্ম in লক্ষ্মী is a joined letter group

19. দীপাৱলী

    Dipawoli

    Diwali

    Usage

    The festival of lights, with small lamps in homes and gardens and sweets exchanged

    Grammar Note

    ৱ is the /w/ sound; দীপ is lamp and the ending suggests a row

20. মহাশিৱৰাত্ৰি

    Mohaxiworatri

    Mahashivratri

    Usage

    A night festival of Shiva held between February and March, with all-night prayers in temples

    Grammar Note

    মহা is great, শিৱ is Shiva and ৰাত্ৰি is night

21. জন্মাষ্টমী

    Jonmastomi

    Janmashtami

    Usage

    The festival of Krishna's birthday, with devotional songs and plays in temples and sattras

    Grammar Note

    জন্ম is birth and অষ্টমী is the eighth day

22. ৰথযাত্ৰা

    Rothojatra

    Rath Yatra (chariot festival)

    Usage

    A June-July festival in which an image of the deity is drawn on a chariot and people join in pulling the rope

    Grammar Note

    ৰথ is chariot and যাত্ৰা is procession or journey

23. ছট পূজা

    Sot puja

    Chhath Puja

    Usage

    A festival to the sun god with offerings at sunrise and sunset by rivers and ponds, a few days after Diwali

    Grammar Note

    The ছ in ছট is the sound s

24. অম্বুবাচী মেলা

    Omwubasi mela

    Ambubachi Mela

    Usage

    A large June fair at Kamakhya Temple; access is limited for a few days and pilgrims gather from afar

    Grammar Note

    মেলা means fair or gathering and often ends festival names

25. জোনবিল মেলা

    Jonobil mela

    Jonbeel Mela

    Usage

    A fair held around Magh Bihu in January where hill and plains people still barter goods

    Grammar Note

    জোন is moon and বিল is a wetland lake; the name refers to a moon-shaped lake

26. কাজিৰঙা হস্তী মহোৎসৱ

    Kajironga hoxti mohotoxow

    Kaziranga Elephant Festival

    Usage

    An event at Kaziranga celebrating elephants, with parades, contests and folk dance; check the dates beforehand

    Grammar Note

    হস্তী is elephant and মহোৎসৱ is great festival

27. অসম চাহ উৎসৱ

    Oxom sah utoxow

    Assam Tea Festival

    Usage

    An event celebrating Assam tea, with tastings and cultural shows; check the venue and dates beforehand

    Grammar Note

    উৎসৱ is a formal word for festival

28. আন্তৰ্জাতিক চাহ দিৱস

    Antorjatik sah diwox

    International Tea Day

    Usage

    Held every year on 21 May to honour tea workers and the tea trade, with events in Assam as well

    Grammar Note

    আন্তৰ্জাতিক is international and দিৱস is day

29. উৎসৱ

    Utoxow

    Festival

    Usage

    The basic word to ask when a festival is on; ask a local for the dates

    Grammar Note

    উৎসৱ is a formal word for festival; in daily speech people name the festival itself

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