Bihu 2026 is celebrated three times in Assam, with Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) on January 15, 2026, Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) from April 14 to 20, 2026, and Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu) in mid-October. The Bihu festival Assam is a tri-annual agricultural celebration that marks the most important cultural rhythm of the state, blending agrarian rituals, Tantric and animistic traditions, and the legendary Bihu dance with dhol, pepa and gogona. The 2026 edition of Bohag Bihu is the most expansive, spanning seven days known as Xaat Bihu and the longest public holiday of the Assam government calendar. For homes that want to bring the Bihu spirit into a brass puja room, a brass Ganesh idol, brass toran and brass kalash are perfect additions. Explore our curated brass idol range at aagambrass.com/catalog.php.
The Bihu festival is a uniquely Assamese phenomenon, and the name itself is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word Bishu, meaning "to ask the gods for prosperity during the season of harvests". The festival predates the arrival of the Aryans and is influenced by Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic and Indo-Aryan cultural streams. For related harvest festival content, browse the Deshna Wholesale blog.
Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu 2026: The Harvest Bonfire
Magh Bihu 2026 falls on Thursday, January 15, 2026, the day after Makar Sankranti (January 14). Magh Bihu is the harvest festival of Assam, celebrating the freshly harvested rice in the granaries. The most distinctive ritual is the construction of the meji (bonfire made of bamboo, hay and thatch) and the bhela ghar (a temporary thatched cottage) in the fields or in the courtyard. The meji is lit on the eve of Magh Bihu (called Uruka), and the community gathers to feast, perform the Bihu dance and play traditional games.
On the morning of Magh Bihu, devotees take a holy dip in a river or pond, offer prayers to the household fire (called Jol Bihu in some regions) and eat traditional pithas (rice cakes). The most popular Magh Bihu pithas are:
- Chira Pitha – flattened rice cake
- Til Pitha – sesame-stuffed rice cake
- Laru – coconut and sesame ball
- Akhuni – fermented soybean
- Jolpan – flattened rice with curd and jaggery
After the meji fire dies out, the ashes are spread on the fields as fertiliser, and the day ends with community games like tekeli bhonga (pot-smashing) and buffalo fights in some rural areas.
Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu 2026: The Assamese New Year
Bohag Bihu 2026 begins on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and continues for seven days until April 20. Bohag Bihu is the most important of the three Bihus, marking the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. The festival begins with Goru Bihu (cow Bihu) on the last day of the Chot month, when cattle are bathed in the river, smeared with turmeric, garlanded with kopou phul (foxtail orchid) and worshipped as the source of the household's prosperity.
The seven days of Bohag Bihu are called Xaat Bihu and each has a unique name and ritual:
- Raati Bihu – night-time Bihu under torchlight (held in Chowdang villages)
- Chot Bihu – the first day of the Bohag month, dedicated to seeking blessings
- Goru Bihu – cow worship on April 14
- Manuh Bihu – human Bihu, the Assamese New Year, on April 15
- Gosai Bihu – worship of household gods on April 16
- Taator Bihu – day of the loom, when weavers offer prayers on April 17
- Chera Bihu – cleaning and washing the granary on April 18
- Kati Bihu – final farewell and gift-giving on April 19-20
On Manuh Bihu, Assamese families wear new clothes, visit neighbours and relatives, and exchange gamosa (the red-and-white Assamese towel) and sweets. Children carry brass or copper pots strung on poles, and women wear the traditional mekhela sador made of muga silk or pat silk, with their hair tied in a bun and decorated with kopou phul. The Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani at Latasil Playground, now in its 75th year, will be held from April 14 to 17, 2026, and is the cultural heart of the festival.
How Bihu Dance Unites the State
The Bihu dance dhol pepa gogona traditions are the cultural thread that runs through all three Bihus. The Bihu dance is a courtship dance that starts slow and builds to a vibrant tempo, with men playing the dhol (double-headed drum), the pepa (buffalo hornpipe) and the gogona (a jaw's harp made of bamboo), and women dancing in pairs in their mekhela sadors. The Bihugeet are folk songs sung during the dance, with romantic and agricultural themes, and are considered the soul of Assamese folk music.
Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu: The Somber Festival of Lights
Kati Bihu 2026 falls in mid-October 2026 (Kati Krishna Chaturdashe, around October 18-19), and is the most austere of the three Bihus. Celebrated when the granaries are empty and the rice saplings have just been transplanted, Kati Bihu is a festival of prayer, restraint and hope for a good harvest. The rituals include lighting of akash banti (sky lamps) on tall bamboo poles in the fields, lighting of jaki (earthen lamps) near the tulsi plant, and the offering of pithas to the household deity.
Because the granaries are nearly empty, no community feast is held, and the festival is sometimes called Kongali Bihu (the poor Bihu). However, the lighting of the akash banti symbolises the aspiration that the new crops will grow strong, and the rituals are deeply tied to the animistic agricultural traditions of pre-Aryan Assam. Many tribal communities of Assam celebrate Kati Bihu with their own distinctive songs, drums and folk dances.
Bihu Foods, Brass Pots and Assamese Home Puja
Bihu cuisine is a celebration of rice, fish, meat and indigenous herbs. The Bohag Bihu feast includes:
- Pitha – rice cakes in many shapes (chira, til, narikol, kholasapori)
- Laru – coconut-jaggery balls
- Masor Tenga – sour fish curry with tomatoes and elephant apple
- Polo Bilahi-r Aloo – potato and tomato curry
- Ou Tenga – elephant apple sour curry
- Jolpan – flattened rice with curd and jaggery
Assamese homes during Bihu also display a row of brass, copper or silver pots hung on poles in front of the house, and the kitchen is cleaned and a new brass kahi (ladle) and tal (brass plate) are placed in the puja room. The brass Ganesh idol is the most common deity in the Bihu home altar, and brass lotas and brass diyas are used in daily puja. Deshna Wholesale supplies hand-cast brass idols, brass kalash, brass diyas and brass torans from the Khatauli brass belt of Uttar Pradesh for the global Bihu community. Browse the catalog at aagambrass.com/catalog.php or contact the team at Deshna Wholesale for wholesale orders.
Why Bihu Is More Than a Festival
The Bihu festival is the cultural heart of Assamese identity, and is celebrated regardless of caste, religion or creed. The festival's emphasis on community feasting, the universal appeal of the Bihu dance, and the agricultural symbolism of the meji make it an event that binds the state of Assam together across its many tribal, linguistic and religious lines. The Assamese diaspora in cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, London and Toronto gathers at community halls to perform the Bihu dance and share pithas, often with the help of Assamese cultural organisations.
The Bihu festival has also received national recognition, with the President of India and the Prime Minister extending greetings each year. The Bihu trophies and the Tiwa, Mishing, Bodo and Karbi communities of Assam celebrate their own distinct versions of the festival, making it a living example of India's composite cultural heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many Bihu festivals are celebrated in Assam?
A: Three Bihu festivals are celebrated in Assam — Bohag Bihu (Rongali Bihu) in mid-April marking the Assamese New Year, Kati Bihu (Kongali Bihu) in mid-October marking the transplanting of rice saplings, and Magh Bihu (Bhogali Bihu) in mid-January marking the harvest of rice and Makar Sankranti.
Q: When is Magh Bihu 2026 and what is the significance of meji?
A: Magh Bihu 2026 falls on Thursday, January 15, 2026. The meji is a bonfire made of bamboo, hay and thatch lit on the eve of Magh Bihu (called Uruka). The ashes of the meji are spread on the fields as natural fertiliser, and the festival symbolises the completion of the rice harvest.
Q: When does Bohag Bihu 2026 start?
A: Bohag Bihu 2026 starts on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and continues for seven days until April 20. The longest public holiday in the Assam government calendar, it includes Goru Bihu (cow worship), Manuh Bihu (New Year), Gosai Bihu, Taator Bihu and Chera Bihu.
Q: What are the traditional instruments used in Bihu dance?
A: The traditional Bihu dance uses three main instruments: the dhol (a double-headed drum), the pepa (a buffalo hornpipe) and the gogona (a jaw's harp made of bamboo). The songs sung during the dance are called Bihugeet and form the heart of Assamese folk music.
Q: Which brass items are commonly used in Bihu home puja?
A: Brass items commonly used in Bihu puja include a brass Ganesh idol for the home altar, a brass kalash for storing gangajal, brass diyas for the aarti, a brass lota for the daily ishnan, and decorative brass or copper pots hung at the entrance as per Assamese tradition.
Conclusion: Bihu 2026 brings three celebrations across the year — Magh Bihu on January 15, Bohag Bihu from April 14 to 20, and Kati Bihu in mid-October. Each Bihu marks a different stage of the rice cycle, from sowing to transplanting to harvest, and the festival's Bihu dance, dhol-pepa-gogona music, pithas and brass puja items make it the cultural signature of Assam. Embrace the Bihu spirit in your home with brass idols, a brass toran and a brass Ganesh for the altar.
For a brass Ganesh idol, brass toran, brass kalash or any custom Bihu puja item, visit aagambrass.com/catalog.php or place your order on WhatsApp +91 93586 85800. Wishing you a joyful Bohag Bihu, happy Magh Bihu and a peaceful Kati Bihu from the Deshna Wholesale team.