Mesha Sankranti

Mesha Sankranti marks the Sun's entry into Aries (Mesha), the first sign of the zodiac—the true astronomical new year in the Hindu tradition. In Assam and Northeast India it is celebrated as Rongali Bihu (Bohag Bihu), the most joyous of the three Bihu festivals, coinciding with the planting season when new paddy seedlings go into the earth.

The celebration lasts seven days beginning with Goru Bihu, where cattle are bathed, anointed with turmeric and mustard oil, and honoured for their role in tilling the land. Young men and women dress in traditional attire—women in mekhela chadar—and perform the graceful Bihu dance to the beat of the dhol, pepa, and gogona. It is a season of renewal, courtship, and joy, a celebration of the earth's fertility and gratitude for nature's generosity.