JOIN USWhile the festive fervour is soaring in the city, the Assamese community in Bengaluru is also looking forward to celebrating what they call ‘magh’ or ‘bhogali’ Bihu. ‘Magh Bihu’ is a two-day affair where the celebration starts on the eve of the festival day called ‘Uruka’, where people spend the entire night crooning Bihu songs and dancing around the ‘meji’ (bonfire). This is followed by ‘bhog’ or community
feasting.
Mondit Mahanta and his wife Papeeya Phukan are planning for a feast today with family and friends. “The highlight of Bihu is the delectable food and snacks (pitas). We are planning to make few snacks at home this time. The Assam Society of Bangalore is organising a Bihu programme which we both are looking forward to,” says Mondit. This is the first time he is celebrating Bihu away from Assam and he misses his people more than the place. “The ambience back home is different during this time of the year. It is the time when people get together and enjoy as a community,” says Mondit.
Recalling how vibrant the celebrations are in her hometown is Jimly Dowerah, who says the ‘bhog’ is what she misses the most. “Back home, all our relatives would come over and everyone will prepare one item each. Food is the main part of this festival. We associate ‘magh Bihu’ with winter. Unfortunately, it is not the same kind of winter here. On the ‘Uruka’ night, we mostly have dinner around the bonfire while enjoying the warmth of the ‘meji’,” says Jimly. The Assam Society of Bangalore is organising a small get-together along with a feast for the public, making sure that they recreate the feel of their native state.
Dhiraj Talukdar, the general secretary, says, “We have organised a ‘husori dol’ (a group of people performing Bihu songs) and games like ‘tekeli bhonga’ (pot-breaking) and tug-of-war. We also have traditional food items lined up like duck curry, fish ‘tenga’, ‘aloo pitika’ and ‘doi sira’, to name a few.” It is a festival where one can find a variety of food and sweets that they can relish.
Along with chicken, mutton and fish, duck meat is one of the main delicacies. On the other hand, Assam Association of Bangalore is organising a cultural programme, a few games and a painting competition for kids. Mukesh Sharma, the vice-president of the association says, “It is a small gathering, so we are expecting about 150 people. Gam’s Delicacy, the Assamese restaurant is taking care of the menu, where one can look forward to ‘khorika diya chicken’, ‘mutton curry’ and ‘outenga diya maas’ among others.”