Experience Festival cheer

The festivals of a particular region are the mirrors that reflect the life and cultural orientation of the people. And thanks to a massive diverse cultural milieu and numerous habitant communities, Assam hosts a bevy of festivals across the year. These fiestas are the perfect time to be in the state as they offer the ideal opportunity to mingle with the locals and get close to their lives and habits. The main festival of Assam is Bihu and there are three distinct ways to celebrate it within a year – one in January, one in April and the other in September–October. The significance of Bihu lies in the fact that it is not a religious festival but a way to celebrate mother nature and the various stages of harvesting. Apart from Bihu, the people of Assam celebrate various other festivals – witness Kamakhya Temple in full glory during the Ambubachi Mela (June); be a part of the lives of the Bodos (one of Assam’s main tribes) in Baishagu (April) and enjoy the Mising (another tribe) hospitality in Ali Aye Ligang (mid February). Apart from these celebrations, Assamese people observe all the major Indian and global festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid and Christmas; but yes, with a tinge of local flavor!