Bihu dance
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
The joyful folk dance of Assam, performed by young men and women at Rongali (Bohag) Bihu in spring to the beat of the dhol and the pepa horn.
FolkWhere: AssamOccasion: Rongali or Bohag Bihu, the Assamese New Year in mid-April, and cultural events
| Performed by | Young men and women, in groups; men also form husori groups that sing from house to house |
|---|---|
| Costume | Women wear muga or pat silk mekhela sador with a red border; men wear dhoti, a vest or kurta and the gamosa |
| Music and instruments | Dhol (drum), pepa (buffalo-horn pipe), taal (cymbals), gogona (bamboo jaw harp), toka (bamboo clapper) and Bihu songs (Bihu geet) |
How it is performed
- Drummers and pepa players open with a fast rhythm; the men sing Bihu geet about spring, love and farm life.
- Women dancers enter in lines or a circle, with hands on the hips or raised, moving the hips and shoulders in quick, sharp steps.
- The dance builds as the dhol beat quickens, with the women swaying and stepping forward and back in formation.
- Men dance with the drums, sometimes in pairs facing the women, answering the song lines.
- At husori, groups visit homes, sing and dance in the courtyard and bless the household, receiving gamosa and betel nut in return.
Significance
Bihu marks the start of the sowing season and the new year. The dance is a celebration of youth, fertility and the land, and is the best-known symbol of Assamese culture.