Context: As part of Bhogali Bihu, a community fishing event was organised in the Bamuni Lake in Guwahati, Assam.
About Bhogali Bihu:
- Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi, is a significant harvest festival celebrated in the northeastern region of India, particularly in Assam.
- This festive occasion, occurring in the month of Magh (January–February), serves as the culmination of the harvesting season.
- The festivities are marked by a combination of feasts and bonfires. Young individuals engage in the construction of makeshift huts known as Meji and Bhelaghar, fashioned from bamboo, leaves, and thatch.
- Traditional Assamese games, including tekeli bhonga (pot-breaking) and buffalo fighting, add a cultural flair to the celebrations.
- In contemporary times, Magh Bihu is observed on a single day, whereas historically, the festival extended throughout the entire month of Magh, thus giving it the name Magh Bihu.
- The eve before the festival, known as ‘Uruka’, involves people gathering around bonfires, preparing meals, and enjoying merrymaking.
- In addition to the main Magh Bihu festivities, related celebrations such as Sangken can be observed in Assam and Arunachal.
- The Kacharis, an indigenous Assamese community, partake in similar customs.
- The Khamti people observe a Bonfire tradition related to Buddha. This unique ritual, distinct from other Tai groups, suggests that the Khamtis likely adopted the practice from locals in the 18th century, evolving it into a Buddhist rite.
About Bamuni hills:
- Location: Right bank of the Brahmaputra River.
- These hills are a tourist attraction for sculptural ruins and stone carvings.
- As per the Archaeological Survey of India, under whose control this area currently is, has fixed the date of these ruins at 10th to 12th century A.D.
- The ruins as per the popular belief might have belonged to a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
- Although it is not clear as to who had this temple constructed, it is generally believed that it was built during the rule of early Pala rulers. The findings suggest that the temple was a north Indian Nagara style.
- The remains of the subsidiary shrines at the four corners of the main center make it a Panchayatana temple complex.
- The Kolia bhomora setu (Bridge) is also situated nearby to the Bamuni hills.
About Chandubi lake:
- Recently, the Chandubi festival was celebrated in Assam.
- The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.
- The festival is mainly to promote eco-tourism.
- The lake is situated at the foot of the Garo hills, in Kamrup district, Assam. It is a biodiversity hotspot with a surrounding forest area and the Kulsi River flowing in close vicinity.
- The area was formerly filled with five mountains. However, during the massive earthquake in 1897, the five mountains had sunken into the ground and hence, the lake was formed.
- The chief feature is the natural lagoon that has been formed in the lake.
- The name Chandubi is derived from two words where Chand means five and Dubi means sinking in Khasi language.
- Chandubi is also a bird sanctuary, as it attracts a large number of migratory birds during the winter season.