Coronavirus lockdown: People of Assam celebrating ‘quarantine’ Rongali Bihu.

Guwahati, April 14: Rongali Bihu celebrated in Assam during Lockdown. Amidst the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the people of Assam are celebrating ‘quarantined’ Rongali Bihu.

Following directives of the government, the people of Assam have boycotted mass gatherings, all public cultural activities and are celebrating the biggest festival of the state indoor.

Assam’s biggest festival Rongali Bihu – also known as Bohag Bihu has been celebrated with restraints this time amid lockdown and COVID-19 crisis in the state.

The people across the state have observed the first day of Rongali Bihu – known as Goru Bihu in accordance with tradition by maintaining social distancing norms.

The week-long Bihu celebrations in Assam which start with Goru Bihu and the people – The day of Sankranti dedicated to livestock and today is Manuh (People’s) Bihu – the Assamese calendar year is started from this day.

People have a special maah halodhi (black gram and turmeric paste) bath, put on new clothes and light chaki at Gohai Ghor (the household prayer place) and the Manuh Bihu involves the tradition of seeking blessings from the elders in a family and presenting the ceremonial patch of Bihuwan or the Gamusa cloth, as a gift, to be worn as a symbol of cultural pride of the Assamese people.

In Guwahati, Assam police personnel were also seen celebrating Rongali Bihu on the streets by beating Dhol, singing Bihu songs.

The police personnel have also celebrated the biggest festival of Assam at different police stations in the state by maintaining social distancing norms.

Assam police have urged the people of the state to celebrate Bihu at home.