Asom gears up for harvest festival

Guwahati, Apr 13: The gay spirit of spring is in the air in Asom as people gears up to celebrate the Bihaag Bihu, the biggest festival of the state marking the sowing time and advent of the new agricultural year, beginning on April 15.

Basically non-religious, the festival, which is rooted in agricultural activities and the changing moods of nature, continues for several days with joy and enthusiasm.

People across the state went on a shopping spree, buying clothes, sweets and gifts since the last couple of days.

During the celebrations, young girls in the villages don their traditional attires and sing Bihugeets - traditional folk songs - at gatherings known as Mukoli Bihus.

Special shops of the festive food of the occasion, known as the 'pitha', are being put up, even as most households prefer to bake it themselves.

The government has declared April 14 and 15 as state holidays.

People have already started visiting each other houses, distributing sweets to the neighbours and holding grand feasts.

Bihu fairs are being organized at various places where people participate in the games and the general revelry.

April 14 will be the first day of the festival week, which is called Garu Bihu and is dedicated to the cattle and livestock.

The rest of the month-long celebrations are known as Manuh Bihu.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh have wished the people on the occasion of Bihu.

In separate messages, Mr Gogoi and Mr Singh prayed for the peace and prosperity of the state.

Meanwhile, the outlawed ULFA, in an e-mail sent to press, had asked the people to exercise restraint in the celebrations to express solidarity to the 'missing' ULFA cadres' wives who have been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the whereabouts of their husbands.

UNI