KATI BIHU
WHY IN NEWS ?
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi extended best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Kati Bihu to the people of Assam.
Kati Bihu 2023
The festival begins with the washing and placement of a sacred plant, usually Tulsi, on an earthen platform known as “Tulsi Bheti.” Families offer prayers and make offerings to Goddess Tulsi for the well-being of their family and a successful harvest.
Significance and Celebration
- Agricultural Significance: Kongali Bihu is primarily an agrarian festival that symbolizes the completion of the sowing of crops and the commencement of their growth.
- Prayers and Offerings: People light earthen lamps in front of the tulsi plant, the granary, and the paddy fields to seek blessings for a bountiful harvest.
Traditions and Rituals of Bihu Kati Festival
- The Meal Feat: Northern Assam favors duck meat, while pigeon meat is enjoyed in the southern regions on gloomy days.
- The Gamosa Gift: Visitors to Assamese homes are presented with a “gamosa,” a hand-made towel.
- The Tri-Holiday Celebration: Rongali Bihu, Bhogali Bihu and Kati Bihu together make up the trio of Bihu festivals in Assam.
Source – The Hindu
