The Bihu-geet (Assamese pastoral songs)

Summary

This article examines the Bihu‑geet, the traditional pastoral songs associated with the Bihu festivals of Assam. It begins by noting that agricultural cycles shape social life; hence, among agrarian communities, the sowing and harvest seasons become occasions for communal celebration. In Assam, the Bohag (or Rongali) Bihu marks the advent of spring and the Assamese new year, while the Magh (or Bhogali) Bihu celebrates the harvest and provides a period of rest. Less prominent mid‑year festivals also exist. The term ‘Bihu’ derives from the Sanskrit ‘Viśuvat,’ meaning equinox or festival, and cognate terms are found in Bengal (Biya) and South India (Vishu). Classical Assamese literature uses ‘Bihu’ to denote festivity in general, but the spring Bihu has long been the principal celebration. The article vividly describes the Bohag Bihu: during the first week of Bohag (April), villages resound with songs, dances, social visits and fairs. Young men and women gather on the village green or in secluded bamboo groves to perform the Bihu dance, whose stylised movements involve bending the waist, swaying the hips and rhythmic stamping. Sculptures from Tezpur dated to the ninth century depict dancers in similar postures, suggesting the antiquity of the tradition. The author proposes that the dance may have originated as a fertility rite, designed to stimulate the growth of crops; the contraction and relaxation of the abdominal muscles are thought to invigorate the body. The article compares Bihu celebrations among Assamese subgroups and neighbouring tribes. The Khasis’ Nongkrem dance, associated with a goat‑sacrifice for community welfare, and the Kacharis’ simpler forms share structural similarities with Bihu. The author notes parallels with Chinese spring festivals described in medieval sources, hinting at cultural diffusion across eastern Asia. At Bihu gatherings, singers perform antiphonal songs (geet) structured as rhymed quatrains. Typically, a young man sings a stanza, and a young woman replies with a matching rhyme, creating a playful dialogue that often explores themes of love, courtship, the beauty of nature and the joys of rural life. Flowers such as the Kapou‑phul (orchis) adorn girls’ hair, and many songs extol these blooms. The article observes that such exchanges sometimes lead to marriages, underscoring the social function of Bihu‑geet as courtship rituals. It concludes by reflecting on the enduring vitality of Bihu songs and dances and their importance to Assamese cultural identity.