When you think of Bihu, the festival of Assam, you must be thinking of a celebration with people performing the cultural dance and feasting. However, Bihu is more than just that and it celebrates the different aspects of agriculture and harvest. The first Bihu, called Bohag Bihu or Rangoli Bihu, is celebrated in April in Chaitra or Baisakh. This is the main festival of Assam followed by Kati Bihu or Kangali Bihu, celebrated in the month of Kartik (October), after which Maghbihu is observed, on Makar Sankranti, 14 January.

While Bihu is another name for fun but the three Bihus celebrated in Assam and all three have such a deep connection with agriculture and nature. People in Assam are nature lovers, aka the guardians of Mother Earth. In the way, the Assamese people continue to cherish farming is what their ancestors did. People from Assam are connected to their culture and heritage and it is perhaps this is the reason why even today, the people of Assam embrace and take pride in their beliefs and traditions. The name of a festival of the same traditions and cultural heritage is Kati Bihu. It is not really a celebration but a festival of prayer. Kati Bihu 2020 Wishes & HD Images: WhatsApp Stickers, Facebook Greetings, Instagram Stories, Messages And SMS to Send on the Assamese Festival.

Kati Bihu 2020 Date & Significance

Agriculture forms the most important part of Assam and people here live their life surrounding agriculture with the main crop being paddy. Therefore most festivals are also related to farming. Kati Bihu, which is called Kangali Bihu, generally celebrated in October this year falls on Sunday, 18 October.  Assamese cultivate paddy in Ashadh-Shravan month. At the end of Ashwin on the day of Bihu, the threshing floor of the farmer is empty, hence it is a day of prayer and meditation rather than a festival of gaiety. Since it is not the time for harvesting, the farmer does not have the money, but the time is used to meditate and that is why the day is also called "Kangali-Bihu".

Young people learn about frugality through this festival. Lamps are lit every night for a month near the idol of Maa Lakshmi in paddy fields. The holy plant of Tulsi is planted in the courtyard of the house and prayers are offered to God that the upcoming harvest turns out great.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 17, 2020 04:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).