Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is celebrated during the month of January which marks the end of the harvest season. The occasion of Magh Bihu coincides with the celebrations of Pongal and Makar Sankranti in many states. Magh Bihu is the second largest Bihu festival of Assam after Bohag Bihu. On Magh Bihu, the granaries of the farmers are full and there is festivity all around.
On the occasion of Magh Bihu, people start their day early and clean their houses and wear new clothes. They throw away useless stuffs in the fire made from cow dung cakes signifying a new beginning. The main reason behind creating this bonfire is to make the overall atmosphere warm as the weather tends to remain pretty cold during the last winter month. On the occasion of Magh Bihu, a lot of people worship Lord Indra, who according to the Hindu mythology is “God of rains and clouds”. People worship him for good rains in the following months, so that they can enjoy a good harvest.
According to another tradition, young men of the villages make temporary huts from clay straw and firewood known as Mejis. Around the Mejis, a temporary makeshift accommodation is prepared known as “belagar”. The families stay in the “belaghar” and stay up all night guarding the Mejis. Community feast and cultural programmes are observed all throughout the night. In the morning, people move out of their “belaghars” and take a bath in the river and burn their Mejis. Once the Mejis are burnt down, burnt pieces of wood are collected and thrown into field, which is believed to provide better harvest.
