Bohag Bihu
Also called Rongali Bihu, Xaat Bihu, Assamese New Year
When
Wednesday, 14 April 2027 in 216 days
New Delhi ยท change location
at sunrise. This observance is governed by sankranti-instant, not by the sunrise tithi โ which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Governed by sankranti-instant
Why this date?
The first day of Bohag in the Assamese solar calendar, reckoned from the Sun's entry into Mesha. Traditions differ on which CIVIL day a sankranti belongs to. Some take the day the ingress instant falls in; others take the first day whose sunrise finds the Sun already in the new sign; the Tamil and Malayalam conventions add their own cutoffs. That is why the solar new years of different regions can land on different days in the same year even though they mark one astronomical event. The observance runs seven days, and the day before the new year โ Goru Bihu, the cattle's day โ belongs to the sequence.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
What In short
The Assamese new year and spring festival, kept over seven days. It opens with Goru Bihu, when cattle are bathed and fed, and continues with the Husori singing rounds, the Bihu dance, and the exchange of the woven gamosa.
Why The reason behind it
Bohag is the year turning with the sowing season, and the festival is agricultural before it is anything else โ the cattle first, then the household, then the community's singing rounds. The gamosa given to elders is the plainest form of the respect the week is organised around.
Traditional basis
Assamese agricultural calendar and Bihu tradition โ The seven-day sequence from Goru Bihu, carried by regional practice.
Assamese solar calendar convention โ Bohag 1 as the year's beginning, from the Mesha sankranti.
How At home, step by step
- On Goru Bihu, the day before, cattle are bathed, smeared with turmeric and fed.
- On Manuh Bihu, elders are greeted and given a gamosa.
- Husori groups visit households and sing; the Bihu dance runs through the week.
- Pitha and laru are made and shared.
What you'll need
- A woven gamosa for each elder
- Turmeric and urad for the cattle
- Pitha, laru and coconut sweets
- New clothes
Fasting and breaking the fast
Not a fasting day.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- Assam (Assamese)
The seven days and the Husori rounds are the full form; the Bihu dance is the festival's public face.
For children
The Assamese new year, and it lasts a week. The first day is for the cows โ they get a bath and turmeric. Then there is a lot of dancing and singing.
Common questions
- How many Bihus are there?
- Three. Bohag or Rongali Bihu in spring is this one and the largest; Kati or Kongali Bihu in autumn is the austere one, kept when the granary is empty; Magh or Bhogali Bihu in winter is the feasting one after the harvest.
Not the same day
These fall nearby or share the tithi, and are often confused with this observance. They are separate, and this site dates them separately.
- Kati Bihu
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.