Bihu Dace Of The Plains

The artistic Bihu is a dance of the plains performed throughout the length and the breath of Assam by both boys and girls on three occasions during the year.  Every ceremony is ritualistic and backed by some form or other of the mythological themes. Art and religion in rural life cannot be separated from each other. The word Bishu takes its birth from the famous historic king Bishwa Singha.

The Gods enjoy intelligible delights, landscapes, music, dancing, offering of flowers and fruits, those incredibly beautiful offerings made out of the simplest elements into the utmost elaboration. One will see them moving smoothly on the heads of women, winding over invisible paths above the tall green rice, and later forming high walled narrow streets in the temple, a festival of brilliant colour, the walls a mosaic of patterned offerings of great ingenuity and variety of designs; golden –flowered aureoles towering above. There will be rice cakes on various shapes and colours, thin round wafers, white and brown, dried snow white, compressed grains; sweetmeats, bananas green and yellow, oranges and innumerable kinds of fruits.

On the “Bihu” day the Assamias does the Cow’s Bath ceremony. The cattle are tied with new ropes, and are garlanded with brinjals and pumpkins. While doing it the cow is blessed with the following words like:

Lau Kha, (Eat Pumpkin)

Bengena Kha, (Eat Brinjals)

Basare Basare Barhi Ja, (Be Big Year After Year)

Mar Saru, (Your Mother Is Thin)

Baper Saru, (So Is Your Father)

Tui Hobi Bara Bara Goru. (Thou wouldst be a sturdy cow)

According to the custom Til Pithas must be cooked in every home. One kind of sweets is prepared by a mixture of Bara Chaul (a kind of special rice), Til and Gur. Another kind of sweets is Ghila Pitha.

The day previous to the one on which Bihu is falls is called Uruka. The Baisakhi Bihu is a much singing and dancing ad exchanging gifts among friends. Songs in chorus are being sung in praise of Krishna and Hari. 

The famous song is: “Sri Krishner murate Bahul phul apahi nior pai mukali hayane oi Govindaye  Ram” (which means Om Ram and Govinda, the “Vakula” bud on the head of Sri Krishna blossomed with the falling of dew drops.) 

During the Baisakhi and Magh Bihu the boys and girls organize dance parties in the fields, Bihu Tali ad experience the usual freedom of being allowed to dace together. The most remarkable ad rhythmic element in their performances is their clappings which is very pulsating and throbbing. Even Mahatma Gandhi was moved by their clappings and said a few words in appreciation when he visited the Sarania Hills at Gauhati.
In the night to watch these dances from a distance seems to e an unforgettable treat being the soothed by the rows of lighted torches. On this spot, “Bihu Tali” thousands of people coverage from far outlying districts, treading their ways over tortuous mountain passes weaving the paths of the dense forest, and sometimes hilly separation ways amidst the tea-plantations.

Reference;
The Folk Dance Of India - Projesh Banerji