Food is an integral part of Bhogali or Magh Bihu. The Assamese Bhogali Bihu, as the name suggests, is all about ‘bhog’ or enjoyment, food and feasting. It is a festival of harvest and is celebrated at the time when the harvesting season comes to an end during January-February, or Assamese month of Magh, when all the ‘bhorals’ or stores are full. The preparation of making the delicacies begins about a week before the Bihu.
Different varieties of pitha or rice cakes are made with narikol or coconut and ‘til’ or sesame seeds and ‘gur or jaggery. Til pitha, narikol pitha, tel pitha, ghila pitha, sunga pitha along with narikol laru, til laru, mithoi laru, are prepared and is eaten together with family and friends.
On the day before the month of Magh begins, Uruka is celebrated in which community feasts are arranged in many places. Several varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as roasted potato and brinjal, duck curry, mutton curry along with chicken and fish dishes are cooked which are eaten with rice. The next day, which is sankranti, people offer prayers in the morning to the meji fire. After that jolpan, which consists of chira or rice flakes, doi or curd and gur, is served in every household.
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