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Next: 14 to 15 Jan 2027

Bhogali Bihu

The Assamese feast of the winter harvest, held in field huts around fires with sesame sweets and spiced meat.

A Buffalo fight held at Ranthali, in Nagaon District of Assam, North Eastern State of India on the ocassion of Magh Bihu, a festival of Assamese Community.
Photo: Diganta Talukdar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices for Bhogali Bihu

Bhogali (Magh) Bihu is the feasting festival of the harvest. Communities build temporary huts (bhelaghar) and burn them the next morning, and the meals include rice flakes, jaggery, sesame laru, til pitha and meat, fish and vegetable dishes lightly cooked with turmeric, ginger and black pepper. Duck or pigeon with ash gourd and chilli is a traditional dish. The cooking is oil-light, aromatic and focused on fresh ginger, and the heat comes from green chillies rather than from dry spice blends.

The spices

GingerFresh ginger dominates Assamese meat and fish curries.Black pepperUsed alongside chilli in duck and pigeon dishes.TurmericLight seasoning for fish and vegetables.
About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Magh Bihu" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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