Magh Bihu 2026: Date, Puja Rituals And Significance Of The Harvest Festival

Magh Bihu, one of Assam's most important festivals, is a time when people celebrate the end of the harvesting season. It happens in the month of Magh, which falls between January and February. Also called Maghor or Bhogali Bihu, the festival marks a small change in the earth's rotation that signals the end of cold winters and the start of spring.

Magh Bihu is one of the three major Bihu festivals of Assam. The name Bhogali Bihu is derived from the word 'Bhog', which means eating and enjoying. As the name suggests, this festival is enjoyed with delicious food as well as music and dance. People make bonfires with green bamboo, grass, fuel, and dry banana leaves. As per tradition, people take bath before starting the festivities.

When Is Magh Bihu

Magh Bihu falls in the month of Magh in mid-January and is celebrated on the last day of the month of Pooh or Pausha. This day coincides with Makar Sankranti and marks the beginning of the Sun's Uttarayan journey. In 2026, this festival will be celebrated on Thursday, January 15.

Puja Rituals And Significance

Preparations for Bhogali Bihu begin from Uruka, the last day of the month of Pausha, a day before Bhogali Bihu. Grand food is prepared on this day. Young men build temporary huts, called "Bhelaghar", and make "Mejhi" (Bonfires) from grass and bamboo. Women prepare bhog in the Bhelaghar, which includes special rice sweets like sunga pitha, til pitha, and coconut laddus. People spend the night near these bonfires, singing songs and performing folk dances.

The next morning people take bath and Mejhi is lit, which is considered to symbolise the end of winter. As per the culture of Assam, traditional rituals like Tekeli Bhonga, buffalo fight and prayers to seek blessings from the ancestral deities are also performed in this festival.