What Is The Importance Of Kati Bihu 2022 Festival In Assam?

The people of Assam are celebrating Kati Bihu 2022 festival today. Do you know why they celebrate every year & what is its importance, especially for farmers?

Every year, on the first day of the Assamese calendar’s Kati month, the state of Assam celebrates Kati Bihu. It usually occurs in the middle of October and officially kicks off the state’s harvest season.

On October 18, this year, Kati Bihu, also referred to as Kongali Bihu, will be observed. It ranks among the Assamese people’s three most important festivals, along with Bhogali Bihu & Rongali Bihu. 

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On this auspicious day, they light clay lamps outside their houses and decorate the holy basil plant with lights and garlands.

Kati Bihu, also known as Kongali Bihu, is observed on the first day of the month of Kati throughout Assam.

Kongali, which means “poor,” refers to the period when there is little to eat and farmers’ barns are frequently empty. During the month of October, when the rice saplings are rearranged, Kati Bihu is observed.

On this Bihu, the Assamese people pray for a successful harvest while illuminating earthen lights in front of the tulsi plant, the garden, the storage area, and the paddy fields. 

A “Tulsi Bheti” is an earthen platform on which the Tulsi plant is positioned. For the family’s welfare and a successful harvest, prayers and tributes are presented to the Goddess Tulsi. 

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The entire month of Kati is spent with this practice. In rice fields, a unique type of lamp called an Akash Bati is lit and fastened to poles. 

These lamps are said to be lighted to guide ancestors to heaven, but they also have a practical use in keeping crops healthy by luring insects to the flame to their demise.

Since Assam is primarily an agricultural state where rice is grown as a primary crop, Bihu has a unique position in the state and among the locals. ‘Kati Bihu’ is one of the 3 Bihu that people celebrate together.