Kati Bihu Celebrated Across Assam Amid Tradition, Prayers and Farmers’ Hardships
Kati Bihu, one of Assam’s three major Bihu festivals, was celebrated across the state with traditional rituals, prayers for a good harvest and the lighting of earthen lamps beneath Tulsi plants. From villages and towns to historic satras and namghars, people observed the festival while praying for the well-being of their families and the prosperity of their crops.
At the historic Sri Sri Auniati Satra in Majuli, Kati Bihu was observed in keeping with a 373-year-old tradition. The Satradhikar and Vaishnav devotees lit 21 pairs of Akash Banti (traditional sky lamps) in the courtyard of the satra’s Namghar. Meanwhile, public naam-prasanga began at Rakhal Than in Barpeta, a religious site associated with Mahapurush Madhavdev. The devotional programme is scheduled to continue uninterrupted for 30 hours.
However, the festive occasion also brought a sense of distress to several flood-affected areas of Upper Assam. In Khanikar village in Nazira, Sivasagar district, farmers are observing Kati Bihu amid uncertainty after floods damaged agricultural fields and destroyed crops. Farmers in Tezpur and other areas also followed the tradition of lighting lamps in their fields, praying for the well-being of their crops.
In Palengi, Demow, the Sivasagar District Agriculture Department organised an awareness meeting in connection with Kati Bihu. The programme began with a Borgeet performance by local women. Sivasagar District Agriculture Officer Amrit Saikia and Assistant Director of Agriculture Rumi Bora offered agricultural advice to farmers and discussed the potential benefits of oil palm cultivation.
Kati Bihu was also celebrated at Baraiting in Sivasagar and Panbari in Chandrapur, where various initiatives marked the occasion.
In Jaluk village of Amguri, a grandmother and her granddaughter came together to prepare a Tulsi altar and plant a Tulsi sapling, upholding a tradition passed down through generations. The ritual reflected the continuing efforts of Assamese families to preserve their cultural heritage and traditional beliefs amid changing times.
Celebrated with prayers, rituals and hopes for a prosperous harvest, Kati Bihu remains deeply connected to Assam’s agrarian way of life. Yet, for farmers whose fields have been devastated by floods, this year’s festival has also underscored the hardships and uncertainties surrounding their livelihoods.
