Assam: After 2-year Covid gap, dhol, pepa & pithas to ring in Bihu

GUWAHATI: Rhythms of dhol (indigenous music instrument) and tunes of mohor singor pepa (indigenous hornpipe musical instrument made of buffalo horn and bamboo) coupled with Bihunaam (Bihu songs) have set the mood across the state, particularly in Upper Assam region which is known as hub of Bihu, while people in Guwahati thronged the markets to buy gamosas and muga silk along with traditional delicacies like pitha and laroos.
People are ready with sets of muga silk clothes and with colours of jetuka adorning their palms to celebrate Bohag Bihu, which will begin from April 14, with much enthusiasm after two years of gap due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bihu expert Ambika Khanikar, who has been giving Bihu dance training to the youths since 1994 in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, told TOI, “One can hear the beats of dhol and tunes of pepa in every village in the district now. Boys and girls of different age groups have been taught Bihu dance in different locations by the experts in the district.”
He said the Bihu groups of different age groups will start performing the dance in the courtyards of every household from the first day of Bohag (April 15) and will continue for a few days. “It is a tradition people have been following for centuries in Assam. The functions on stage are a much later addition to Bihu,” he added.
In Dibrugarh, over 5,000 Bihu dancers will perform together on Tuesday as part of the Assam government’s target to boost tourism potential of the festival at Tingkhang in Dibrugarh district. The state tourism department with the help of India Tourism will organise a two-day Bihu programme keeping the tourism aspect of the district in mind.
Meanwhile, the markets in Guwahati were seen crowded on Tuesday as people thronged to buy gamosas, muga silk and other products used in Bihu celebration despite the hike in prices of the products. The price range of gamosas begins from Rs 120 to Rs 500, while pure muga silk clothes were priced at Rs 30,000 and above.
The city is flooded with a variety of delicacies, including pithas (prepared by using rice powder, coconut, sesame and jaggery), laroos (prepared using coconut or sesame and jaggery or sugar) and curd. The price of bora rice, a kind of rice used to prepare variety of indigenous cakes during Bihu celebration, was being sold for Rs 60-70 per kg on Tuesday, while sesame was being sold for Rs 180-200 per kg, jaggery for Rs 60-80, curd for Rs 160-180 per litre and cream for Rs 650 in the city.