Assamese people celebrate Kati Bihu on the first day of the ‘Kati’ month, which usually falls in the middle of October. Kati Bihu 2023 falls on October 18 this year. The celebration heralds the shifting of the rice crop and the start of the season of new harvest. An observation of service, penance, and the desire for a better future, Kati Bihu. While the holiday is observed throughout the state of Assam, each Assamese tribe has its own customs and interpretations of the day.
Kati Bihu 2023
The plant is washed and set on a “Tulsi Bheti,” an earthen platform, for Kati Bihu 2023. For the family’s welfare and a successful harvest, offerings and prayers are presented to the goddess Tulsi. Throughout the entire month of Kati, this formal process continues.Various portions of the home are lit up with lights or saaki (candles) to commemorate this Bihu. In the courtyard, close to the revered Tulsi plant, the main lamp is lit.
Farmers ‘Akaxh Banti’ (Sky candle), a particular kind of lamp, on the paddy fields. The tips of these tall bamboo poles are where these mustard oil lamps are positioned. The granaries are typically empty and there isn’t much to eat at this time of year, earning Kati Bihu 2023 the nickname “Poor” or “Kongali.” Although they have a practical purpose by luring insects to the flame and their demise, which helps maintain the crops healthy, it is believed that these lamps are lighted to lead ancestors to heaven.
History Of Kati Bihu
In the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, there is a special event known as Kati Bihu, often referred to as Kongali Bihu. It usually occurs in the middle of October and is marked by a solemn atmosphere. Since the festival is all about the month’s restrictions, there is little celebration among those who are just watching. Despite being one of the most significant national holidays, the holiday’s spirit is not festive. Instead, the event remembers the previous year. In Assam, October marks the start of the sowing season. The empty granaries and newly growing paddy fields serve as symbols of the “Kangal,” which means “broke” in Hindi.
One of the three most important festivals for the Assamese people, together with Bhogali Bihu and Rongali Bihu, is Kati Bihu. People light clay lamps outside of their homes, and the holy basil plant is decorated with lights and garlands. The practice of lighting the lights stems back to ancient festivals when the lanterns on the paddy field served as a natural pesticide by luring insects and attracting their attention. Saaki, a type of traditional lantern, is set atop baboon sticks to light the way to the ancestor’s house.
How To Observe Kati Bihu 2023?
Light a lamp
Traditional Assamese lamps are clay. We pray to Goddess Tulsi for a fruitful crop and family health while placing it on the plant. The lamp symbolizes the enduring flame of hope and the power of manifestation, and the ceremony is performed throughout the month of Kati.
Learn Bihu dance
Bihu is Assam’s traditional dance and part of its culture. This group dance is easy to learn and fantastic for exercise. Enhance your Kati Bihu experience by learning a few YouTube steps.
Say a prayer before your meal
Say grace before eating to celebrate the event. Thank the land and farmer who grows your food. Kati Bihu revolves around rice harvesting. The tribes bless the ground and pray for spring blooming.
Beautiful Traditions And Rituals of the Kati Bihu Festival
The meat feast
The northern Assamese favor duck meat, but on gloomy days, pigeon meat is enjoyed in the southern towns.
The gamosa gift
Assamese homes have a number of visitors throughout the day, and each of them is given a “gamosa,” or hand-made towel created in the area.
The tri-holiday celebration
Rongali Bihu, Bhogali Bihu, and Kati Bihu are the other two of the three Bihu festivals that are observed in Assam.
The touch of Tulsi
Saaki, or earthen lamps, are lit all around the revered Tulsi plant to highlight its importance to the home.
The dance of persistence
The day ends with Assamese traditional dance known as Bihu as a sign of community solidarity even though it is not a celebration.
Why Kati Bihu Is Important?
It honors the nature
The perfect natural law ode is Kati Bihu. We get healthy food and healing sunlight from nature. Kati Bihu celebrates fall, when we may plant seeds and start the harvest cycle. to harvest the fruits in April.
It reminds us to be grateful
Having many granaries and lush fields is quick. We only realize the importance of our basic needs during times of scarcity and crop shortages. Planting season is a time to appreciate nature and anticipate future crops.
It connects us to our roots
Kati Bihu is a solemn celebration of our roots and our dependence on the earth for food. Assam residents use vacations to visit family and eat together. The day links us to our ancestors as we prepare the route from our fields to our house to bring them home.
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