Music from Assam:The land of Tea & Music

The Creation on the First Assamese Gramophone Record

by Prafulla Chandra Borooah

[The article was broadcast by the All India Radio, Guwahati, in 1962. It was written in Assamese by the Late Prafulla Chandra Borooah, who has established a mark in the history of Assamese music by having recorded the first Assamese song on the Gramophone for the very first time. The article has been translated into English by his grand daughter Rukmini Borooah and is published in The Sentinel on the occasion of the commemoration of his birth centenary that concludes on March 7, 2001.] The year was 1914, I was a 14-year-old boy. My father, the Late Lakhshmi Ram Borooah was all set to go to Calcutta in order to record Assamese songs for the very first time on the Gramophone, appear in the music exams of Trinity College of Music in Calcutta and, publish a self composed book on comparative studies on Western, Indian and Assamee music. It was at this time that he fell ill. And gradually the illness took his life. Just before his death my father fervently hoped that I would complete all his unfinished works and dreams. Though my father's last word, always rang in my ears, I could not fulfil his wishes immediately, because I had to battle financial crunch. On 1922, I was released from Tezpur jail. I had no home, no shelter, I had no inkling as to where to go. In the end, I went to Baan theatre. On the way, I met the Late Radhika Mohan Das, the long standing Chief Secretary of Baan Theatre. I stayed with Jyoti Prashad Agarwala, who was like a brother to me. I composed music for the play Sonit Kunwari .It was then that the idea of printing these new compositions of Assamese tunes on a Gramophone Record struck me. Towards that, I worked tirelessly but in vain. I had to face a lot of obstacles. These new Assamese melodies could reach out to only a few people. Some ridiculed, some despised and others were indifferent. In the year 1924, I set out for Calcutta in search of something new, with deep desire and determination to record Assamese songs on the gramophone and to learn music. I started out as mechanical apprentice in a factory in Beliaghata in the then Eastern Bengal Railways. My monthly salary was Rs 30. I used to work in the factory from eight in the morning to four in the evening. Sometimes I felt like leaving my job. But that was not possible. For that would never serve my purpose of staying back in Calcutta and fulfilling my dreams The road that I used to take to walk from Sealdah station to the Belighata rail factory, where I worked, also had a factory of a Gramophone company situated there. Everyday, this H.M.V. factory, reminded me of my own dream of recording songs on the Gramophone. One morning like always, I was on my way to work. I replied to the watchman that I wanted to meet the head, the Burra Saheb of the factory.The watchman forwarded the packet of visitors forms. After filling in my name and the information that I wanted to meet the general manager, I was stuck halfway when I had to write the purpose of my visit. I wrote that I want to record Assamese songs. The watchman asked me to sit in the waiting room and sent my form to the Burra Saheb. I was dressed in a Khaki half pant and an untidy shirt. That was my factory uniform. This attire definitely did not suit an musician on his way to record a song. I thought it was better not to meet the Burra Saheb now and was about to leave when the Saheb called me. When I entered the room the Saheb asked me, "Assamsese people like to sing Bengali songs." Don't they? "Will Assamese record sell? Is the Assamese population large enough?" I replied. "Please try and make a record of Assamese songs. Nowadays, there is an increasing popularity of Assamese songs". In the end the Saheb asked, "Where is the singer? If the singer is ready to pay for his airfare to Calcutta, I will consider the case." I replied, "Saheb, I am the singer, I want to make a record." The Saheb looked at me and said, "Your voice needs to be tested. You will be informed by mail" When I reached my place, the entrance to the rail factory was closed. So I went back to the hotel and wrote a sick report. Two days later I received a letter from the gramophone company. I was asked to report for an audition at the company's 106 Upper Chitpur, Road rehearsal room. A certain day in the month of August on September in 1924 I arrived at the three storeyed building where the HMV gramophone company's rehearsal room was situated. I was asked to sit in a room on the second floor. There were many smaller rooms nearby. Some time later, a middle aged man walked in. He asked me my name. He wanted to know where I had learnt music, for how long and from whom under did I receive traing. Just then, one by one, men and women from the other rooms entered the room. Most of them were singers who sang for gramophone records. Because I was new they had come to see how I sang. The middle aged man who had been asking me questions requested me to sing. I was nervous. At that moment, I was reminded of my cherished determination of making an Assamese gramphone record. I sat down and played my tune on the harmonium. With great courage, I began to sign the song Oxoma Nirupama Jononi Oi Olonghya Giri Durgarani. The man who had been asking me questions accompanied me on the tabla. I came to know later that the famous singer was Monta Ghosh, the instructor of the gramophone company. When I completed my song every one clapped. I could not gauge whether my song was liked or not. After a moment silence Monta Ghosh asked me to sing another song. This time I sang the Bengali song Arnai Shokol Rokome Kangal Korecho Garbo Korite Chur. This time I got a louder applause than before. I understood that this time my song was better in comparison to the first. Monta Ghosh gave me a cup of tea and poured one for himself as well. In the meantime the other singers, both men and women slowly left the room. I felt relieved. While drinking tea I forced myself to ask Mr Ghosh what was the result of my test. After four to five days I received a letter in which it was stated that they decided to record four Assamese songs with me. I was really excited. I went to the Gramophone Company's Upper Chitpur Road rehearsal room and began to select and rehearse the songs that I would record. Monta Ghosh, the man who trained me did not approve of the songs that had duo puro and authonlo song of Assamese melody. He told me that these would not be commercially viable. In the end, the songs that we considered in line with modern tunes were approved for my record. In those days there were no means to record a song in microphonic or in electronic way. Songs were recorded through mechanical means. The recording took place in Beliaghata factory's three storied building. The person who was working on the gadgets was an Englishman. Others were not allowed to enter that room. Perhaps that was the trade secret of the company. I brought the harmonium in front of me and Monta Ghosh sat down near me with the tabla. I was asked to sing each song for a duration of three minutes. I had rehearsed the songs before hand. But we rehearsed it there once again The moment the red light was flashed, I began my song and completed it within three minutes. After a pause, I started the second song. All the four songs were recorded in an approximate time of one hour. I then returned to my boarding house. It was indeed a historical moment. My dreams had turned to reality. But I had no idea how the recording had been. I spent the following days in anxiety. One day I got news that I had to go to the factory to fetch four complimentary records. These complimentary records had songs recorded only on one side. I could not imagine that I was hearing my own voice.

Wow...another interesting article.Thank you B'di.I have just roughly perused it now.Shall read in detail later.

One thing is there.All these people struggled a lot to reach name and fame.

Hats off to all of them, who relentlessly persued their goal and have made their mark.It is thanks to all of them that today we have such a rich musical heritage.👏👏👏

G E N R E S

Bargeets | Bharigaan | Huchori

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Bargeets

Songs of Devotion
by Birendranath Datta
Ask any culture-conscious Assamese to draw up a list of items that should be considered as representing the best in Assamese culture. You can almost be sure that high among the priorities in the list will be coming the Bargeets — the devotional song-compositions created about four hundred years ago by the rare guru-shishya duo of the astonishingly versatile master Sankaradeva and his almost equally gifted disciple Madhavadeva. To them goes the credit of spearheading the neo-Vaishnava bhakti movement in Assam and of ushering in a remarkable cultural renaissance of the Assamese society. Literally meaning great songs, the bargeets are composed in a pleasantly artificial language called Brajavali or Brajabuli. They are truly great not only for the lofty heights of the contents centring on devotion to Krishna and the exquisite literary craftsmanship of the texts but also for the excellence of the musical moulds in which they are cast. In fact, the bargeets represent a distinctive school of music which boasts of its own system of ragas and talas and a style of presentation peculiar to itself so much so that many knowledgeable bargeet enthusiasts see in them an independent system of Indian raga music which they would like to call the Kamarupi system as distinct from both the Hindustani and Karanataka systems. Ahir, asowari, dhanashri, kalyan, kamad, basanta, mahur, suhai shri, etc. are the names of some of a few of the large number of ragas to which bargeets are set. True, these are familiar raga names in the field of Hindustani classical music. But except in a very few cases— dhanashri and kalyan for instance — the raga forms in the bargeet system are substantially different from those in the Hindustani system. Similar is the case with the talas. There are in the bargeet system of music talas like ektal rupak, yati, pari, kharman and so on. Of these, ektal and rupak have their Hindustani counterparts. But apart from having identical names, the respective talas in the two system share little else in common. The ektal or etali of the bargeet system as found in some satras has 24 matras while in some others it has 12 matras. But the movement in either case is substantially different from that of the Hindustani ektal. Similarly, the rupak tal of bargeets, which has 12 matras, is structurally very different from the Hindustani rupak tal which has seven matras. It has rather some affinity with the Karnataka rupaka tala. Usually the singing of a bargeet starts with rag diya or rag tana which a kind of delineation of the raga in which the song is to be sung — something akin to alap. There are also rules regarding the appropriate times for the singing of particular ragas. Thus ahir, kou, shyam, lalit, etc are morning ragas, asowari, belowar, sareng, suhai, sindhura, etc are evening ragas while bhupale, kamod madhyavali etc, are late-night ragas. These rules are, however, not equally strict in all cases. There are also rag-malitas which are a class of lyrics describing the origins of different ragas — something akin to raga dhyanas. It is a technique by which the structure of a raga is sought to be outlined. Satras or Vaishnava monasteries have close association with Vaishnava devotional music. In fact, the music heritage associated with the bargeets has been preserved and nourished in the satras which have served through centuries as the citadels of a highly refined and enriched indigenous artistic tradition. Generation after generation of gayans (vocal specialists) and bayans (instrumental specialists) have been trained up in the Satras since the days of the great saint artists. Strange as it may seem, the traditional exponents have no knowledge of musical notation, they do not even use the names of the swaras in their system : the raga structures are just got by heart by the learner through years of constant listening and practising. This method of preserving the raga structure is obviously not fool-proof and vulnerable to various kinds of deviations. Yet it is remarkable that with this rather loose method the bargeet heritage has not only been saved from being lost but has been kept vigorously alive through these four hundred years or so. It is a measure of the devotion and dedication of those connected with satra institutions and also, perhaps, of the quality of the music itself. Although the satra based exponents are the true representatives of the bargeet system of music, it must be admitted that their mode of presentation often betrays a lack of finish and as such might not be agreeable to the ear initiated to the system. One big factor responsible for this apparent lack of finish is the fact that no string or wind instrument, not even anything like the tanpura to keep the scale is used by the traditional singers. References to some string instruments being used for accompaniment in the past are to be found in the old texts. But since quite a long time past, the only instruments that have used to accompany the singing of bargeets have been the khol (a kind of drum and the tal (cymbals)). However, the modern singers of bargeet do take the help of such instruments as the tanpura, the flute, the violin and so on, and their rendering being musically more presentable are becoming increasingly popular with all sections of people except the most orthodox who see in such 'unconventional' renderings a deviation from tradition. Not only do modern renderings of bargeet constitute important elements of the programmes of the Gauhati and Dibrugarh stations of Akashvani, they have also made their impact on music lovers at large through other mass media like the cinema, the gramophone records, the cassettes, the television and so on. It may he mentioned here that although the bargeet tradition as a whole represents one single music system, there are considerable variations in style within the system. Centering round some important Satras in which the bargeet tradition has been zealously maintained, such variations in style are not always confined to the modes of rendering the songs but occasionally extend to the raga structures as well. And of course there are the distinctive styles of individual exponents who have been accepted as authorities. Some well recognized stalwarts of the recent past have been the late Maniram Gayan Muktiyar of the Kamalabari Satra, the late Dayal Chandra Sutradhar of Barpeta Satra the late Gahan Chandra Goswami of Nikamul Satra, the late Girikanta Mahanta of Sravani Satra, the late Jadab Chandra Pathak of Sundaridiya Satra and the late Gandhoram Bayan of Sualkuchi. Each of them had an unmistakable distinctive style that was inimitable in its own way but that was at the same time truly faithful to and representative of the time-honoured tradition. Unfortunately such musical giants are getting rarer and rarer with the passage of time. It is perhaps an index of the attachment of the Assamese people to the bargeets that many of them have been cast in easier and more popular music modes in place of the orthodox ones. Sometimes this has been done simply from a zeal for innovation and sometimes with the purpose of bringing bargeets to the easy reach of lay enthusiasts for whom the intricacies of the orthodox raga and tala systems often prove too elusive. Needless to say, such attempts at innovation and popularization have been frowned upon by the traditionalists. The bhaonas which are traditional dramatic performances of the model set up by Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva constitute one of the most popular entertainment media of rural Assam. In these there is a fine blending of acting, dancing and singing. Bargeet-like songs come every now and then throughout the performance of a bhaona. It is often through these bhaonas that the villagers have a nodding acquaintance with the bargeet system of music. In fact the bargeet system incorporates within itself the songs of the dramas composed by Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva. Usually referred to as natar git or ankar git, these songs of the dramas are also sung in the same manner as bargeet proper. The only difference is that while in a bargeet the ragas alone is fixed — the singer being free to sing it in any tala or combination of talas, both the raga and tala are fixed for a natar git or ankar git. Interestingly, there is a convention prevalent in some satras according to which an accomplished bargeet singer is expected to sing a bargeet in all the better-known talas. Now according to the convention associated with the traditional Vaishnava dramas of Assam, the last song of a drama is almost invariably a composition that is in the kalyan raga and set to kharman tala. In fact, in the world of Vaishnava music and drama of Assam, the expression Kalyankharman carries the sense of a finale. Reference:
Mahapurusha Sri Sri Madhavadeva, edited by Akshay Kumar Misra & Tilak Das.

Bharigaan

by Pramod Kakati

Assam has a rich cultural heritate. Geographically this state is covered by hills and plains. There are numerous rural ethnic groups which have their own unique customs and traditions. The original inhabitants of the state are the various groups of tribals belonging to different categories. They prefer to live in rural areas. They have their individual identity. The appearance, dress, dialogue and living conditions differ from one tribe to another. Depending on their socio-economic conditions and ethical obligations, they lead their distinct and unique cultural life. One can easily identify them as to whether they are Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Tiwa, Manipuri, Hajong, Garo, Dimasha or belong to any other tribe as may be. Though these tribal groups mainly hail from the peasant community, they set aside their leisure time for enjoying their traditional festivals or ritual ceremonies with great enthusiasm. The Rabhas are one of the above mentioned tribal communities who mostly reside in the plains of the districts of Kamrup and Goalpara. The Rabha tribe consists of Pati Rabha, Mitory Rabha, Rangdani Rabha, Hana Rabha, Totola Rabha, Modehi Rabha, Kocha Rabha and they are so called on the basis of their division of labour in carrying out religious rituals and other activities. The topic of discussion in this write-up is the Bharigaan. The Bharigaan is one of the most attractive folk cultural items found in the districts of Goalpara and Kamrup. This item of folk culture has neither been discussed widely nor been made known to the other parts of Assam. One does not find much reading material on it. The scholars who write about Ojapali, Putala Nach, Kushan gaan etc merely mention the word Bharigaan only. No clear picture is available from the written documents. The Bharigaan is exclusively a folk cultural institution of the extreme west part of Assam. It is performed only in certain parts of Kamrup and Goalpara. The tribal community of the Pati Rabhas have preserved it in much of its orginal form and continued to perform it whenever they are contacted for any occasion. None of the leaders of this community can give details about the origin and development of Bharigaan. They are merely involved performing this art on certain occasions. The people involved with Bharigaan (Pati Rabha) have the impression that this item has come from their forefathers. It is a Guru Mukhi Vidya (an education received from the demonstration of the teacher). In course of time some changes have been noticed due to lack of initiative for preservation of documents permanently. The troupes that are available at present perform the Bharigaan from memory as no set of system has been formulated for guidance. The Bharigaan troupe is divided into three groups. The first group consists of five or six persons. There is one Oja and four or five Palis. They jointly perform musical chorus with song and gestures. The Oja leads the selected song and the Palis accompany him and repeat the song. This part of Bharigaan could be compared with the Ojapali of undivided Kamrup (Nalbari area) and Darrang (Sipajhar of Mangaldai area) and Kushan gaan of erstwhile Goalpara district. The songs of Bharigaan have no relation with Indian classical music. The troupe of singers of Bharigaan tie white bands on their waists and don blue shirts. The songs are mostly based on the Ramayana. The second group consists of four persons. Two of them beat the khol (a long drum) while the other accompany with the paritala. They begin the Bharigaan with their unique khola bandana. This music of khola and tala is of twelve types. This item is performed to draw the attention of the audience. This portion can be treated as the prelude of the Bharigaan. The third and prime group is the drama troupe. The number of actors and actresses depend on the characters of the drama selected for the show. The plots of the drama are taken from mythology. The Kabya, Purana etc are the main source of dramas choosenfor Bharigaan.The drama group takes the story of Badha Kabyas so that the rural audience can be interested in the war between good and evil. Asurs are either killed or pushed back by the Devatas in the war field. This action of Bharigaan imparts moral lessons among the illiterate villagers. The Bharigaan was earlier performed in different Puja pandals, religious functions and other public and private occasions. Now, with improvised style of folk cultural programmes and theatrical performances, this art form is not so popular. However, the Bharigaan troupe is still continuing this programme with its traditional nature. Mahi Badh and Ravan Badh are the two dramas they have performed regularly to suit the occasion. In the play Ravan badh they have two types of characters. The Rakshyasas such as Ravana, Kumbha Karna, Indrajeet, Nal, Neel, Sugrib, Hanuman, Doot and some minor characters are ranged on one side and on the other side there are gods such as Siva, Rama, Indra etc. The dramatic sequences develop in different scenes and come to a climax in the battlefield. The end brings calm and peace in the minds of the audience. One of the important features of Bharigaan is the use of masks. The actors and actresses playing the role of Rakshyasas use masks while the characters of the gods are in their original form of appearance. The use of masks in the characters of Rakshyasas may have been devised to create the feeling of fear in the minds of the audience. The masks are decorated with red, blue, yellow or black colour so as to identify the characters. The use of masks can be seen in Kamrupia dhulia and also in 'Ankiya Bhaona'. This may have been adapted from 'Ankiya Bhaona' in Bharigaan as the Bhaona culture is the oldest form of performing art. From the language point of view, it may be mentioned that the dialogue used in the Bharigaan of South Kamrup is not a local one spoken by the people of the locality. This has certain similarities with the language spoken in the neighbouring areas of East Bengal and a part of Goalpara. So, this folk culture might have come from those areas. Judging all aspects, the origin and development of Bharigaan needs extensive field work and research. There is sufficient scope to bring into light unknown facts about Bharigaan, which will further enrich Assamese folk culture.

H U C H O R I
A Must for The Masses

by Babul Tamuli

Rongali Bihu, celebrated in this land of immense natural beauty since time immemorial is the national festival of Assam. With fun and frolic, joy and merriment, this colourful festival is a conglomeration of various cultural entities such as Mukali Bihu, Maiki Bihu or Jeng Bihu, Phat Bihu, Rati Bihu, Huchori, etc. With their own styles and forms, they have their own traditional nuances and significance. Huchori is an integral part of Rongali Bihu. Choral parties of singers and dancers moving from house to house is a salient feature of Rongali Bihu. These choral parties known as Huchori parties are comprises only of man. Woman does not take part in Huchori. It is a sacred institution and free from all kinds of social taboos. Moving from house to house, Huchori parties wish for a good health and wealth to every member of a family at the onset of a new Assamese year. The seven-day-long Rongali Bihu festivities begin with Goru Bihu on the last day (Sankranti) of the month of Sot (March-April). In the agrarian society, cattle are regarded as a part of the family. Therefore, the festival starts with adoring this useful pet. Giving a ceremonial bath to the cattle in the morning of Goru Bihu, the agrarian community prepares for a new agricultural year. Throwing bottle-gourd, brinjal, turmeric, etc. on the cattle, the village people wish for their long lives. The animals are also struck with the springs of makhilati, dighalati, nahar, etc. with the expectation that the practice will heal the cattle of all their diseases. In the evening, when the cattle return to their respective houses, they are offered chira (flattened rice), pithas (rice-cakes), powdered rice and other delicacies. The cattle are then tied with new ropes. On the Goru Bihu night, the menfolk of the villages gather at the Namghar (prayer house) to start Huchori. As mentioned above, womenfolk has no part to play in Huchori. The choral party, Huchori, is generally started from the house of the village headman who occupied a respectable status in the village. Then praising, chanting, singing and dancing, the Huchori party moves from house to house irrespective of caste, creed and social status. Beating dhol (drum) at the gate of the house, the Huchori party informs the family about its arrival. The family then welcomes the party with a sarai. At the courtyard the party starts Huchori chanting slogan for the welfare of the family. Then the members of the group make a circle taking main singer at the centre. The main singer then starts Huchori songs and other members of the group follow him. Singing songs, dancing to the tune of drum and cymbals they chant slogans at regular intervals. When concluded, they sit in the courtyard in the shape of an are. Wrapping gamocha around the neck, the members of the family then kneel in front of the Huchori party with a donation and a pair of betel nut and leaf in a sarai. Accepting the donation offered, the Huchori party blesses for a good health to every member of the family, plenty production of crops in the field, fish in the ponds and cattle in the cowshed. There is no limitation of the number of members participating in a Huchori party. A group of ten to 25 youths of equal age generally comprise a Huchori party. Each member of a party wears traditional Assamese dress, that is, cotton suria down to the knee, muga tunic, Bihuwan in the waist, chador over the body and turban on the head. They also carry a staff, a bag, an umbrella and a lamp. Various musical instruments such as dhol (drum), taal (cymbals), pepa (horn pipe), taka (bamboo clapper) are used by a Huchori party. As woman does not participate in Huchori, therefore, gagana (jewharp), a common Bihu musical instrument, is not used in Huchori. Huchori songs are the most distinctive type of folk-songs of Assam and form an integral part in Assamese lyrical poetry. Like the Bihu songs, Huchori songs are also immensely popular in Assamese society. But apart from their tune and rhythm, there are a number of fundamental differences between the two types of songs. The Bihu songs are basically a kind of love songs. There is a spontaneous expression of love, description of beauty and adoration of beloved in the Bihu songs. Love and beloved's beauty is the central theme in many Bihu songs. But the Huchori songs are completely free from any erotic expression. They are a kind of devotional songs full of high spiritual and moral values. Humourical lyrics and ballads popular in Assamese society such as pagala-parbatir geet, Phulkonwarar geet, Manikonwarar geet, etc. are also sung as Huchori songs. With a certain code and conduct, Huchori is free from any kind of obscenity and vulgarity. There is a division of opinions among the scholars regarding the origin of Huchori. According to a number of scholars, the term Huchori is derived from the word 'Huchari' as Hu means 'chanting', cha means 'blessing' and ri means 'exciting'. Another group of scholars opined that the term 'Huchori' is the crude form of the Dimasa word 'Hachori' which means 'moving over the land'. Many researchers try to correlate it with 'Chandlana Puja' prevalent in the Bodo community of lower Assam. Though its origin is still shrouded in mystery, it is evident that the tradition of Huchori is closely associated with Rongali Bihu since its very beginning. Initially, Huchori was displayed only on the streets. People came to the gate of their houses and sought blessings from the Huchori. During the Ahom regime, Huchori got royal patronage and entered the royal palace to please the king. With passage of time, it came to the courtyards of every family. In the rapidly changing world, the village-based Bihu has now been transformed into a city-based cultural extravaganza. Consequently, Huchori also lost its original colour and has become an inordinate fanfare on the stage. But to preserve our cultural identity, it is our bounden duty to conserve the tradition of Huchori in its original form.

Music of Assam

The music of Assam, a state in the northeastern part of India, can be divided into various categories of folk music. In recent times a nascent music industry has emerged that caters to local popular demand too.

A basic characteristic of the ethnic music of Assam is its descending scale which distinguishes it from the raga-based or folk music from the rest of India. This style is shared by ethnic music of the hill people surrounding the state of Assam, and by the music of Thailand, Myanmar and China. Furthermore, the tunes are structured in a pyramid, in contrast to the music of rest of India which is meend based. Assam is a state with valleys and hills, and the home of many ethnic tribes. Just as the geography and varied people co-exist, the pulsating Bihu songs co-exist with languorous music of other forms.

Originally posted by: vinnie-thepooh

Thanx Barnali di, for the interesting topic,our land is so full of music and its always good to leand abt different kinds of music.

Thank u didi for another interesting article...

Vinniedi exactly my thoughts... Yes, our land is full of music and thr r many hidden music too which many r in search of...

THE BIHU FESTIVALS OF ASSAM

The Bihus are the national festivals of Assam. There are three such festivals in Assam: in the months of Bohaag (Baisakh, the middle of April), Maagh (the middle of January), and Kaati (Kartik, the middle of October). The Bihus have been celebrated in Assam from ancient times. Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming calendar. The Bohaag Bihu marks the New Year at the advent of seeding time, the Kaati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transplanting of paddies, and the Maagh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting period. Bohaag Bihu is also called the Rongaali Bihu or the Festival of Merriment, Maagh Bihu is also called Bhogaali Bihu or the Festival of Food, Kaati Bihu is also called Kongaali Bihu or the Festival of the Poor.

Of the three Bihu festivals which are secular and non-religious, the Bohaag Bihu ushers in the period of greatest enjoyment and marks the arrival of Spring. The folk songs associated with the Bohaag Bihu are called Bihugeets or Bihu songs. The Bohaag Bihu lasts for several days during which "the young people in the vilalge may be seen moving about in groups gaily dressed or forming circles in the midst of which the prettiest girls dance" (The History of Human Marriage by Edward Western-March) singing songs of love and romance. Such gatherings are called Mukoli Bihus (Open Bihus). The songs are very popular among all sections of the people. The language of the Bihu songs have changed from generation to generation. The songs are composed in couplets that rhyme (and are almost always accompanied by a distinctive form of dancing), and each couplet depicts a different emotion. The language is simple and suggestive, and the style is neat and clear. Scholars agree that the songs have no influence of Sanskrit, the ancient language of religious text and learned commentaries. The Bihu songs have exercised great influence on Assamese literature. Even the translator (Madhav Deva, 1849-1596 AD) of the great Hindu epic Ramayana and the great hymn composer Sankar Deva (1449-1569 AD) could not escape their influence. At the current time, Mukoli Bihus are not common any more. In towns and cities, there are well-organized Bihu fairs where professional or amateur troupes perform Bihu songs on stage with accompanying dancing. Bihu Kunwori (The Princess of the Bihu) contests are held widely. In these contests, young women compete in dancing to the tune of Bihu songs. The best dancer is given the title of Bihu Kunwori. Now-a-days popular Bihu songs are available in audio cassettes. Every year, new cassettes are published with old and new Bihu songs.

Jugal Kalita (with help from Assamese Literature by Birichi Kumar Barua, The International Book House, Ltd, Bombay, 1941.)

Thanks a lot for this wonderful thread.. 😊