Assam is a land of fairs and festivals. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their roots in the diverse faith and belief of her inhabitants, but a spirit of accommodation and togetherness characterizes the celebration of all festivals. The perfect fusion of heritage of her numerous races has made Assam the home of the most colorful festivals which are passionate, compelling and mesmerizing reflecting the true spirit, tradition and lifestlye of the people of Assam.

Brahmaputra Beach Festival

Coinciding with Magh Bihu, the Assamese harvest festival, this event offers you a scintillating outdoor experience. Held on the beautiful, white riverine beaches of the river Brahmaputra, it is a perfect blend of traditional contests like elephant race, kite flying and modern adventure sports like wind surfing, rafting, canoeing, kayaking, para-dropping, hot air ballooning, beach volleyball and beach cricket.


Dehing Patkai Festival

This festival in eastern Assam derives its name from the lofty Patkai range and the playful Dehing river. It is a heady cocktail of ethnic fairs, golfing, tea heritage tours, adventures sports, wildlife excursion and down-mwmory-lane trips to World War II cemeteries and the Stilwell Road, once the passage to the golden land of Myanmar. It is organized in the month of January every year.

Tea Festival

Celebrated every year in Jorhat, this festival is all about tea, music and merriment. A world of festivity with traditional hospitality, jungle safaris, tea garden visits, golf, local cuisine, rafting in turbulent rivers, angling, shopping and cultural extravaganza. A harmonious blend of business and pleasure. Come and meet the warm hearted people of Assam and savour Assam's beauty and cultural diversity.

Elephant Festival

For conservation and protection of Asiatic elephant a festival is organized every year at Kaziranga National Park jointly by the Forest Department and Tourism Department, Govt. of Assam. The festival includes many activities by domestic elephants and various cultural programmes.

Rongali Utsav

Come April, and for the numerous communities, tribes and sub-tribes inhabiting the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra it's time to welcome the onset of the agricultural season, a celebration of the vibrant springtime fertility cult. The Rongali Utsav festival is celebrated annually at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati.
Bihu is the most important festival of Assam. It is celebrated with joy and abundance by all Assamese people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief. Bihu can be broadly divided into three categories: Bohag Bihu which augurs the wish for a good harvest because this is the time when farmers start sowing, Kaati Bihu which is observed to mark the cutting and binding of grains and Magh Bihu which marks the season of harvesting of grains.

Assam, the melting pot of numerous colourful tribes comes alive to the beating of the Dhol (drums) and the melody of the Pepa (flute). Young and old alike come out in their traditional attire of muga and pat (both unique varieties of Assamese silk) to sing the song of eternal youth. Invariably the Bihu songs are an eulogy of the exquisite beauty of one's love, the personification of Mother Nature.

It is one of those festivals which all the major tribes in the state celebrate, albeit with different names. While the Bodos celebrate Baisagu, the Rabhas celebrate Baikho. The Missings, Deuris and Morans on the other hand call the festival Bihu Utsav. Call it by whatever name, one thing is sure it's time for merriment, time to sing and dance. Time to visit Assam. To facilitate this, to introduce people from around the globe to this unique celebration of the joys of nature, the Tourism Department, Govt. of Assam organises the RONGALI UTSAV every year in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati, Assam.

Come and enjoy the spirit of spring in Assam-the nature's treasure. We are here to welcome you.

Tribal groups like the Mishings, the Deoris, and the Morans celebrate "Bihu" with dances of their own distinctive style. In the more recent times a fairly large scale migration of people from other parts of India like the Santhals, Gonds, Mundas etc. from Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, brought as indentured laboures for tea gardens have also carried with them their own distinct cultural heritage which has blossomed forth in exotic festivals like Tussu Puja, Sarak Puja, Karam Puja and captivating dances like the Jhumur.

Ambubachi Mela

Is the most important festival of Kamakhya temple of Guwahati and is held every year during monsoon (mid-June). It is a ritual of austerities celebrated with 'Tantric rites'. It is a common belief that the reigning diety, 'Kamakhya' , 'The Mother Shakti' goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this period.

During Ambubashi the doors of the temple remain closed for three days. It is believed that the earth becomes impure for three days. During this time no farming work is undertaken. Daily worship and other religious performances are suspended during this period. After three days, the temple doors are reopened after the Goddess is bathed and other rituals performed. It is believed that the mother earth regains her purity now. This is purely a ritual of Tantric cult.

Ambubachi mela is held at the Kamakhya temple, after being closed for the afore-mentioned three days. On the fourth day only the devotees are allowed to enter inside the temple for worship. Thousands of devotees from all over India visit this mela.

Me-Dum-Me-Phi

The most important Ahom festival which deserves mention is the Me-Dum-Me-Phi, i.e., the ancestor worship festival which is observed by the whole Ahom community. This is performed annually on the 31st of January at some common venue. This in a way helps to develop social contacts and community feelings among the Ahoms. Colourful processions with devotees in traditional finery are also taken out on the occasion.

Jonbeel Mela

This spectacular fair(mela) is held every year during winter at Jonbeel of Jagiroad, a lesser known township only 32 kms from Guwahati. A few days before the mela, tribes like the Tiwas, Karbis, Khasis, Jaintias from the Meghalaya hills come down with their various products for this mela. On the occasion of the 'mela' a big bazar is held here where these tribes exchange thier products with local people in barter system which is very rare in a civilized modern society.
Before the 'mela' they perform fire worship or agni puja for the well being of mankind. It is to be noted that during this mela the 'govaraja' or the king of the Tiwa trbe along with his courtiers visit this mela and collect taxes from his subjects. The significant point of this mela is its theme of harmony and brotherhood amongst various tribes and communities. During the 'mela' these communities perform their traditional dances and music to celebrate the mela in a befitting manner.

Baishagu

Famous for its myriad colours and merriment, 'Baishagu' is generally celebrated by the Bodo Kacharis during mid April. It is the most cherished festival of the Bodo tribe. The Bodos also celebrate it as a springtime festival at the advent of the new year.

The first day begins with worship of the cow. The next day which synchronises with the first day of the month of 'Bohag' of the Assamese almanac, the actual merriment begins with the young people of each household reverentialy bowing down to their parents and elders. The supreme deity 'Bathou' or Lord Shiva is worshipped during the festival by offering chicken and rice beer.

In the Baishagu dance there is no age or sex bar, all are welcome to join in. The traditional musical instruments that are used in this dance festival are 'Khum' (drum), 'Jotha' (Manjari), 'Khawbang' (Taal), 'Gogona' (Mouth-organ) and 'Siphung' (Flute) etc. It is also customary at the time of closure of the Baishagu festival to offer community prayers at a particular place called 'Garjasali'.

Bohaggiyo Bishu

This is the most fascinating spring festival of the Deoris of Assam, one of the four divisions of the Chutiyas, who are believed to have been members of the great Boro race. The term 'Bishu' might have originated from the Chutiya word 'Bishu'. 'Bi' means extreme and 'Su' means 'rejoicing' like other Springtime tribal festivals.

Bohaggiyo Bishu is also observed during mid-April at a stretch for seven days with unrestricted joy and merrymaking. It is to be observed that the Deoris Bishu do not always fall on the Sankranti Day. The Bishu must be preceded by a 'Than puja' and evidently it must start on a Wednesday. There is much socio-religious significance and arrangements to be made before the puja. Once in every four years a white buffalo is sacrificed which is considered a substitute for the traditional human sacrifice. The Deodhani dance is the most important and significant part of the festival. Husori or carol song party is the main attraction.

Rajini Gabra & Harni Gabra

The annual festival of the colourful Dimasa tribe. It is exclusively a socio-religious festival which is generally observed before starting a new cultivation. Rajini Gabra is celebrated during day time. The 'Kunang' or the village headman propitiates the family deity by closing the village gate on the worship date. On the same night in a function called 'Harni Gabra', the presiding deity is worshipped for the protection and welfare of the people.

It is very interesting to note that during the Rajini Gabra and Hami Gabra festival if any outsider enters the village inspite off seeing the closed gate, the entire function is considered to be spoilt. The intruders then have to bear the total cost for holding the festival anew.

Rongker and Chomangkan

Rongker and Chomangkan are the two most important festivals of the Karbis, an indeginous tribe of Karbi Anglong.

Rongker is basically a springtime festival of merriment and is performed at the beginning of the New year, i.e. April. To propitiate different gods and goddesses for the well being of the entire village, the elderly male folk organise Rongker so that people can be free from diseases and natural calamities for the entire year. They pray for a good harvest too. The women are not allowed to enter the worship arena during this festival.

On the other hand, Chomangkan is the festival dedicated to the dead. It is primarily a death ceremony. There is no particular time for holding this funeral ceremony. It depends upon the convenience of the locality. This festival is a must for every Karbi. It is a nonstop four days and four nights celebration.

Ali-Ai-Ligang

Ali-Ai-Ligang, the spring festival of the Mishing Tribe is the most colourful festival held every year on the first Wednesday (Ligange lange) of the month of 'Ginmur Polo' (February-March). 'Ali' means root, seed; 'Ai' means fruit and 'Ligang' means sow. That is why 'ceremonial' sowing of paddy starts on this day. A dance is performed by the young boys and girls, characterized by brisk stepping, flinging and flapping of hands and swaying of hips reflecting youthful passion, reproductive urge and joie-de-vivre.

"Poro Aapong" or rice beer, Pork and dried fish is essential for the feast. The festival continues for five days and during this festival certain taboos with respect to the cutting of trees, fishing, ploughing, burning jungles etc. are strictly observed.

Baikho

There is another colourful tribe in Assam, known as Rabhas. Although the Rabha community does not have any national festival of their own, the different groups celebrate their own festivals. The 'Baikho' or the Springtime festival is only celebrated to propitiate the goddess of wealth 'Baikho'. But unfortunately the pomp and grandeur of Baikho are not to be seen nowadays in the villages.

Dosa Thoi! Long Nai

This is a very important religious dance performed at the 'Bathou Puja' or worshipping of God-Shiva. In this dance the priestess called Deodini dances with a bowl of blood of a sacrificed fowl on her head. It is believed that while the Deodini performs this dance in a trance, Lord Bathou (Shiva) will snatch away the bowl and drink the blood.