Holiday List 2020 for Assam

Holiday List 2020 Assam – AstroSage is here with the extensive list of holidays and festivals that will be celebrated by the natives of Assam in the coming year of 2020.

Holiday List 2020 Assam: About The State

Famous for Assam tea and Assam silk, this state of the Seven Sisters is home to a mix of ethnocultural groups of Austric, Dravidian, Tibeto-Burman, and Tai. The mighty Brahmaputra river, named for the Creator of the Universe, Brahma, is central to life in Assam. The dwelling of diversified traditions, it has also given us performing arts like Ankia Naat (Onkeeya Naat), Bhaona (a traditional Vaishnav dance-drama), as well as the dance form Bihu. Quite a significant part of Assam’s economy is based on tea plantations. It is said to be roughly shaped like a bird with its wings stretching along the Brahmaputra river and is the land of red river and blue hills. In olden times, it was called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa. Home to such heterogeneous assortments, Assam is the residence of uncountable traditions and vibrant culture. Let us peek into the luxurious heritage of this state, by learning about the details Holiday List 2020 Assam that the natives will celebrate.

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Holiday List 2020 Assam

*DTBD = Dates to be Declared

Note: The dates in this table are tentative and subject to change, as per the government norms.

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Assam Holidays in 2020

Assam is home to numerous tribes; therefore, a multitude of cultures and traditions. As a result, the natives of this land celebrate multifarious Assam Holidays in 2020. Let us take a look at each of these celebrations indigenous to the state:

Magh Bihu

Falling along with Makar Sankranti, the Magh Bihu celebrations from the Assam Holidays in 2020, marks the end of the harvesting season. Feasts and bonfires are an integral part of the festival, as are Meji and Bhelaghar, which are makeshift huts made of bamboo, leaves, and thatch. Young people who erect them, also eat the food prepared for the feast in them and then burn them down the next morning. Traditional Assamese games like tekeli bhonga (pot-breaking) and buffalo fighting add to the exhilaration of the celebrations in these Holiday List 2020 Assam. In olden times, since these merrymakings would last for the whole month of Magh, thus this fest is called Magh Bihu. The night before Bihu is called Uruka, when people gather around a bonfire, cook dinner, and have a great time.

Tusu Puja

Tusu Puja is one of the significant Holiday List 2020 Assam for the Tea Tribes of the state. The people worship Goddess Tusu during this festival, the daughter of the Kurmi king of Gujrat. The King had to run because of the Mughal emperor, and he took shelter with Birbal, the King of Punjab. In this duration, Tusu and Birbal’s son Sitaram fell in love, but, the Mughal emperor became an obstacle. They were married with the help of the King of the Bhumij. However, Sitaram soon died, and Tusu also killed herself by Sati (jumping into the fire of his funeral). Ever since then, she is worshipped as a pure soul by the Kurmis, the Bhumijs, and the Chawtals, especially during these Assam Holidays in 2020.

Gothar Bathou Sun, Bathow Puja

Bathow Puja is one of the significant, an essential religious festival of the Bodo-Kacharis. The people worship their god Bathow Bwrai, also known by the names Gila Damra, Khuria Bwrai, Sri Brai (Shib bwrai), and so on. This celebration is observed in various forms, which are Garja, Kherai, and Marai; of which Kherai is the most crucial. Bodo villagers fix a date for the Kherai Puja by performing the rituals of the Garja. During the Puja, natives offer flowers, fruits, and grains to a cactus called Bwrai Bathow, which is surrounded by a bamboo boundary. They keep special grass, mango and tulsi leaves, dipped in a small pot, filled with water nearby, and burn incense and Dhuna, coconut peel burnt in a petite holder. Doudini, an oracle possessed by the Gods, plays a central role in this Puja of the Holiday List 2020 Assam. She performs the Kherai dance in front of Bwrai Bathow while enchanted with mantras by the Deuri (priest).

Me-dam-me-Phi

Me-dam-me-phi is one of the Holiday List 2020 Assam, celebrated in memory of the departed, falls on 31 January. This festival of the Ahom people is about showing their respect for their departed ancestors and remembering their contribution to the community. The word ‘Me’ means offerings, while ‘Dam’ means ancestors, and ‘Phi’ is for gods. As per Ahom beliefs, their ancestors turn to gods because when an individual dies, his/her soul joins with the supreme being. During this Assam Holidays in 2020, the natives pray to three Gods, Grihadam, Dam Changphi, and Me Dam Me Phi, the god of heaven. Damkhuta is a pillar that is erected, especially for worship and offerings. The latter include homemade wine, mah-prasad (beans and chickpeas), and rice with meat and fish. Charaideo is the principal place for the celebration of these Holiday List 2020 Assam, as not only was it the first permanent capital of the Ahom kingdom, but also the burial site for their kings.

Ali ai Ligang

Beginning on the First Wednesday of ‘Gimur Polo’, Ali ai Ligang is one of the essential Assam Holidays in 2020. This spring festival celebrated by the Mising or Mishing tribe commences the Ahu paddy cultivation. The name comes from Assamese words, ‘Ali’, which denotes legumes, ‘Aye’ meaning seed, and ‘Ligang’, which means to sow. The folk dance form Gumraag Soman, to the tune of folk songs’ oi: nitom’ brings joy to the celebration, and instruments like the dhul, taal, gong, and gungang (gagana) make the ambience melodious. The commemorations of these Holiday List 2020 Assam open with the ceremonial initiation of paddy sowing and throughout the festivities, activities such as ploughing and cutting of trees are forbidden. The last day of the festival is Lilen, on which a grand community feast is organized. Poro Apong or Nogin Apong, homemade Rice wine, along with dishes made with pork meat, and Purang Apin, which is packed boiled rice cooked in water with distinctive leaves, are the speciality of this banquet.

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Bohag Bihu

Bohag Bihu is the Assamese New Year, and most important of the Assam Holidays in 2020. Also known by the name Xaat Bihu, the celebrations for this continue for seven days: Raati Bihu, Chot Bihu, Goru Bihu, Manuh Bihu, Kutum Bihu, Mela Bihu, and Chera Bihu. Goru Bihu is considered to be the first day of the festivities when families would take their livestock for a collective washing, followed by a cattle show. Many symbolic harvest related traditions add to the fun, and the day ends with the burning of rice bran to create smoke. Manuh Bihu is about seeking the blessings of one’s elders and presenting them with a ceremonial patch of Bihuwan or the Gamusa cloth. On Kutum Bihu people visit their families, relatives, and friends while during Mela Bihu fairs and cultural events are organized. The Holiday List 2020 Assam ends with Chera Bihu or Bohagi Bidai which wraps up the festivities with contemplations and resolutions.

Deuri Bihu

Deuri Bihu, among the Assam Holidays in 2020 falls a few days after Bohag Bihu. These are the New Year celebrations for the Deori tribe of the Sino-Tibetan family. Singing, dancing, and feasts add to the festivities, and Apong, a type of rice beer is an integral part of the celebrations.

Tithi of Damodar Deva

The Tithi of Damodar Deva is one of the Holiday List 2020 Assam in commemoration of Damodardev (1488–1598), an Ekasarana preceptor from Nalaca, Nagaon. A contemporary of Sankardeva, Saint Damodardev influenced academicians like Bhattadeva. He had the knowledge of the four Vedas, Gita, fourteen scriptures, Bhagavata Purana, and other religious books.

Death Anniversary of Bishnu Prasad Rabha

20 June is celebrated among the Holiday List 2020 Assam, in commemoration of Bishnu Prasad Rabha, for his notable contributions to the Assamese culture. A well known cultural figure, his gifts were for numerous fields, namely; music, dance, painting, literature, and political activism as well. Affectionately called Kalaguru, meaning the master of Arts, his very name has been turned into an award for musical and artistic geniuses: the Bishnu Prasad Rabha award.

Tithi of Sri Sri Madhab Deva

The Tithi of Sri Sri Madhab Dev is one of the Holiday List 2020 Assam in commemoration of Madhavdev (1489–1596), an Ekasarana preceptor and the contemporary of Sankardeva. Madhav Dev became the successor of Sankardev religiously as well as artistically and is particularly known for his book of hymns the Naam Ghosa, as well as a significant repertoire of Borgeets. Originally a staunch Sakta, Madhavdev later converted to Ehkasarana under the tutelage of Sankardeva.

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Karam Puja

A harvest festival, this among the Assam Holidays in 2020 is a day dedicated to the god of power, youth, and youthfulness, Karam-Devta. Falling on the Ekadashi (eleventh day) of the Shukla Paksha of the Bhadrapada month, this day falls between August and September, as per the Gregorian calendar. Worshipping Lord Karam, singing, dancing, and fasting sum up the festival. 7-9 days before the celebrations, girls plant nine types of seeds in a Jawa (a basket) like rice, wheat, corn etc. and take care of them. On the day of these Holiday List 2020 Assam, people go to the jungle to worship the Karam tree and bring back its branches, usually carried by unmarried, young girls. These branches are then planted in the centre of the village ground, plastered with cow-dung and decorated with flowers. Pahan (a village priest) offers germinated grains, liquor, and blood of a fowl to the deity who grants the natives, wealth and children. Next morning, the branch is immersed in the river.

Tithi of Srimant Sankar Deva

Among the Holiday List 2020 Assam, is the Tithi of Srimant Sankar Deva, an essential figure in the cultural and religious history of the state. A polymath, he built upon past cultural relics and devised new forms of music, theatre, dance, and language. The religious movement he started is known as the Neo-Vaishnavite movement, under the name, Ekasarana Dharma, influenced hundreds. His contributions live on today, and the religion he preached continues to flourish, with his followers and successors helping an extensive population practice it.

Kati Bihu

Bihu are three crucial Assam Holidays in 2020. Of these, Bhogali or Magh Bihu falls on 13 or 14 January, Rongali or Bohag Bihu in April, while Kongali or Kati Bihu is observed in October. While the former two celebrate harvesting, Kati Bihu is celebrated during the relocation of rice saplings. Since the granaries are usually empty at this time of the year, thus it is also known as Kongali, meaning poor. Therefore, these festivities are more sombre in nature. Lighting lamps or saaki (candles) is the core of these festivities, with the main diya lit in the courtyard, on an earthen platform (Tulsi Bheti) where the sacred plant of Tulsi is placed. Natives pray to the Goddess Tulsi for the wellbeing of the family and for a good harvest. The lamp-lighting continues for the entire month. Paddy farmers light a Akaxh Banti (Sky candle) during these Holiday List 2020 Assam, filled with mustard oil placed high on the tips of tall bamboo poles, to guide ancestors to heaven.

Durga Puja

Durga Puja, among the Assam Holidays in 2020, celebrates the victory of good over evil, as on this day Goddess Durga killed Mahishasura and freed humankind from his atrocities. Beginning on the Shashti (sixth day) of the Sharad Navratri, the celebrations continue till Dussehra, the tenth day, when her idol is immersed in water. Throughout the state, people erect bedecked pandals with beautiful images of Goddess Durga on her lion, often in the midst of killing Mahishasura, along with her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya. Performances by the local folks and food stalls turn these pandals into mini-carnivals, spread throughout Assam.

Kali Puja

Along with Durga Puja, Kali Puja is the biggest festival among Holiday List 2020 Assam. Worshipped at night with Tantric rites and mantras, the commemoration of Goddess Kali also include erecting of pandals and establishing of her idols. In some places, she is worshipped as Adi Shakti, thus, not with Tantric rituals. Kali is the most potent form of Goddess Shakti, born to eliminate all evil on Earth. The personification of female power she came to Earth to kill all the demons and save humankind. However, Kali soon lost control of her blood lust and began killing anyone who had done wrong. Only when Lord Shiva lay down in front of her, and she accidentally stepped on him, did she regain her composure. When she realized she had stood on Lord Shiva, her husband, the remorseful Goddess Kali stuck out her tongue, which is how she is often depicted in art.

Devotees perform the Kali Puja to seek her help in destroying evil and attain health, wealth, and peace. Red hibiscus flowers, her favourite, are offered to her during the Puja. This Assam Holidays in 2020 falls on the same day as Diwali.

Lachit Divas

24 November, among the Holiday List 2020 Assam, commemorates the heroism of Lachit Borphukan. The chief commander (Borphukan) of the Ahom Army, Chao La-chit led the Battle of Saraighat (1671) and thwarted the Mughal forces to take back, the kingdom of Assam. His bravery and devotion to the King have been immortalized. Several stories of how his country was always more important to Lachit than anyone, including his uncle and himself, are especially well-known around the area. His courage is remembered not only on Lachit Divas, with these Holiday List 2020 Assam, but also when the best passing out cadet of NDA is awarded the Lachit borphukan gold medal every year.

Asom Divas

Asom Divas or Assam Day, among the Holiday List 2020 Assam, commemorates the first Ahom king and founder of the Ahom kingdom, Chaolung Sukapha or Siu-Ka-Pha. Initially from Mong Mao, this Tai prince established an empire that existed for nearly six hundred years and unified various indigenous ethnic groups of the region in the process. Ahom traditions and beliefs insist that Sukaphaa was a descendant of the god Khunlung, who descended from the heavens and ruled Mong-Ri-Mong-Ram.

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