Bihu is Bihu

Khanapara Bihu Function "08

Everyone talks about Bihu - then and now. Everyone says it was better “then”, than “now”. I beg to differ. For me all the Bihu celebrations have something special to offer. So what, if the celebration of Bihu has changed over the ages? Change is inevitable. We all have to keep up with time and adjust accordingly. Today we do not have enough time and convenience to do all the things that are associated with the Bihus. It doesn’t matter when you were born and how you remember your Bihu celebrations. Bihu is always a celebration that is closest to the hearts of all the Assamese people around the globe. We love Bihu, be it the vibrant Rongali Bihu or the feastful Magh Bihu. Well, Kati Bihu always takes a backseat because of obvious reasons. All the Bihu celebrations of my life have been pleasant ones. At least I would like to think so. This may be because; nothing could ever dampen the spirit of Bihu in us.

Khanapara Bihu "09 entrance Gate

Today, we celebrate Bihu in our own little ways, feeling equally excited every time. Although the first thing we all would like to do on Bihu is to be at our parental home where we grew up and enjoyed the Bihus in their totality. But due to the many difficulties, obligations and responsibilities of modern lives, it is sometimes not possible to be at the right place at the right time. However, no matter where we are, we make sure that we celebrate Bihu in some special way to mark the Asomiya “jatiyo utsab”.
To cite a few examples, Pushpanjali, a friend of mine, an Assamese to the bone marrow, is celebrating Bihu in her newspaper office in Ahmedabad. She has asked her brother to courier some Pitha so that she can reduce the feeling of missing home.
Another of my friends, Pinky in Australia has learnt Pitha making, so that she doesn’t have to survive with the cravings for Pitha, especially during the Bihu days. Thanks to her technically savvy mother who e-mailed her the recipes and processes of Til Pitha and Ghila Pitha making.
In Delhi, when work kept us from going home for the Rongali Bihu, just to make ourselves feel good, we Assamese girls used to make time to at least go to Assam Bhavan near Kautilya Marg, wearing Muga Mekhela Sador to have an Assamese thali in the cafeteria. The saak bhaji, alu pitika and maasor tenga never felt so heavenly.

A Magh Bihu Bonfire

A friend of mine in Singapore, Prakash, married to a non-Assamese girl, craves for Assamese home food. Last Magh Bihu, the craving finally seemed to have crossed the line. Since he was missing the feasting of Magh Bihu with family and friends for years, last January he decided to celebrate a real Magh Bihu in Singapore. Hunting the market for half a day, he collected some of the close to home menu items and invited all his Chinese friends to celebrate Magh Bihu at his home. A small Meji was built in front of his home and a bonfire and barbequed snacks marked the celebration.
Once in Delhi, a few of my Assamese friends and me celebrated Magh Bihu in a grand way. We made sure that everyone’s favourite Assamese dish was made. At first only a few Assamese girls got together for the occasion, but word of mouth got spread so fast that we ended up having seventeen “khaar” (Assamese in Delhi call themselves Khaar as in Khaar khua Asomiya) friends who invited themselves to the celebration. Bon fire is a must on Magh Bihu and we had no idea how to arrange for the firewood. Then an idea struck in the middle of the INA market itself, where we were shopping for the feast. We requested the fruit vendors to donate us the discarded wooden fruit boxes and they happily obliged. Firewood was ready for that perfect bonfire just in front of my residence.
In Kolkata, a few of my Assamese friends are getting together for Rongali Bihu this year. Some of them are students and some are working professionals. The process of deciding the venue, menu and time, is still on. I look forward to be a part of that celebration here.
With the passage of time, my friends and me have moved on following our own fortunes. But the spirit of Bihu remains intact in our hearts and always will be. Although I am in Kolkata now, whenever I hear the cuckoo singing in the big “Krishno Chura” trees of the Salt Lake area, my heart skips a beat. I realise that Bihu is just around the corner. The Cuckoo, like a sincere messenger tells me with his coos, “here comes the most exciting festival of your life”.
In India, Rongali Bihu is celebrated with different names in different states. Being an agrarian economy, almost all the states of India follow the same agricultural calendar. All the states celebrate their traditional New Year festival during this time of April. Pudu Varsham in Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi in Punjab and Nababarsha in West Bengal are nothing but celebrations of Bihu in their own respective ways. The festivities are the same, the spirit is identical and the attachment of the locales towards these festivals is the same. I have to confess though, that when in Assam, I can smell Bihu in the air and the feeling is matchless. I can’t wait to get home for this Bihu......Happy Rongali Bihu to all of you....

Reminiscence of a Passion

An aeriel view of the largest river in India, Brahmaputra, in Guwahati, Assam

Gardening is not just a hobby. It’s a passion of the heart. I have been sticking to this passion of mine in wherever I had been to. Gardening in Guwahati, Assam was the easiest, so was growing up :-). The climate there is moderate and very comfortable. The seasons are distinct in their own style. So, the perennial and seasonal flowers bloom their hearts out when it’s their time of the season.

Satmool, a herb creeper in full bloom in my Guwahati home

In Delhi, where I had spent the best and longest professional tenure, had its own charm. The winter in Delhi is simply the best winter I had ever experienced. 

The supply of flowering plants had never been an issue. The perennial, seasonal all satisfy you. I was lucky enough to stay in two houses where both had huge balconies to keep many containers.

Rose Garden, Jubilee Park, Tatanagar

Then, the destined cycle of several movements occurred in my life. Tatanagar in Jamshedpur comes first when I think of the variety that I’ve got for my garden. Having another home in Jamshedpur/Tatanagar definitely helped me in taking my own time in exploring the plant outlets and huge nurseries. It’s a pleasant trip every time. The unusual collection could be due to the proximity of the TATAs with the rest of the world. The collection is very satisfying.

TISCO Nursery

Then came along in my list of places of residence, the beautiful and picturesque hilly terrain in the bordering state of northeastern India, Mizoram. Gardening became a full time job as the climate is erratic and totally unpredictable. 

My Mizoram Garden

5 minutes of sunshine and 5 minutes of downpour and 5 minutes of cloud and endless minutes of strong wind make it difficult to keep several plants I loved to keep. The Gazanias will flower in the morning and when the sunshine goes it winds up its bloom. The Verbena suffered due to the untimely rain. Nasturtium simply gave up. However, I managed to grow a lot.

National Highway 7, on my way to Hyderabad

Then my professional life took me to Hyderabad. A total opposite of the hill station. Hot, dry and a city on stones. Though, this time, I learnt a lot about hardy plants. I learnt about cactus and succulents and I found a lot of plants actually love this kind of climate. Hyderabad also added to my collection of plants.

Allamanda

Now, my present home is in the eastern coastal region of India. Ever since we have come to this coastal area I am learning new things about gardening. However, there is a pre-condition this time. I do not have space to keep a lot of containers. So, in containers, my collection is small that include, curry leaves, coriander, chillies, Aloe Vera, neem, hibiscus, lily, fishtail fern, Sword fern, Tradescantia zebrine, Vinca Victoria or Noyontora, Gardenia and a few more. As mentioned in my previous post, necessity is making me learn about Vertical Gardening. I am into collecting climbers, vines and creepers now. A few common ones are keeping me happy so far. Looking forward to collect some more……