Bihu is a famous and popular festival which is largely based on agriculture. Bihu can be broadly divided into three categories: Bohag Bihu, Kaati Bihu and Maagh Bihu. Bohag Bihu augurs the wish for a good harvest because this is the time when farmers start sowing. Kaati Bihu is observed to mark the cutting and binding of grains and Magh Bihu marks the season of harvesting of grains. In the older times, ‘Bihu’ was not a name given to these cyclic events. Men propitiated the sun, fire, earth and water etc. so that harvest would be good. With the passage of time, the religious aspect dimmed and gave way to gaiety and enjoyment with it. It was from the time of the Ahom kings that Bihu got its prevalent shape and form.
