Significance of Poila Boishakh and Bihu

Here's how Bengalis and Assamese are celebrating thier New Year.

Punjabi aa gaye, oye! So have the Bengalis and the Assamese. With three harvest festivals lined up back-to-back — Baisakhi, Poila Boishakh and Bihu — it is the official end of harvest season. Celebrated with great gusto, we ask chefs what’s common and what’s not and find the answer spread on our plates.

Baisakhi, Poila Boisakh and Bihu have one thing in common; food is an essential part of celebrating these festivities.

Bhangra and golden grains

When it comes to Baisakhi, Punjabis don’t fall back in celebration. Reetu Uday Kugaji, a chef consultant and culinary expert, says that this auspicious day marks the time of harvest of the rabi crops and is celebrated with zeal among farmers. Sikhs hold kirtans, community fairs and people gather, dance and sing, and share festive delicacies. “People dress up in new vibrant coloured clothes with a mix of yellow and orange. The food, too, has hues of the same,” she shares, adding, “Meethe chawal is laced with the vibrant saffron, symbolising immense prosperity. Maa di dal, pindi chole, amritsari chole-bhature, makki di roti te sarson da saag topped with a dollop of home-churned white butter, accompanied by masalewala gud are some of the must haves.”

Rosogolla and Rabindra Sangeet

Every Poila Boishakh becomes a reunion for the community, where conversations flow over plates of familiar food and memories of carefree childhood days return. “As a child, Poila Boishakh was all about the simple joys— wearing new clothes, the thrill of meeting cousins, and the irresistible aroma of festive food filling the house,” says Aditi Chatterjee, sous chef at ITC Maurya. She adds, “Mishti doi is a must for celebrations. Rosogolla and sandesh, on the other hand, are iconic Bengali sweets. Payesh — made with gobindo bhog (a type of rice), milk, ghee and raisins. Food during Poila Boishakh reflects abundance, tradition, and cultural pride.”

Flair and floral energy

For chef and Northeastern food expert Sneha Saikia, Bihu is an emotion. “When I am back home in Assam, I see mom and the other women of the house pounding the rice in Dheki and making different varieties of Pithas (a variety of pancakes),” she recalls, adding, “I remember buying the curd in hollow bamboo and clay pots for Bihu.” They also make an array of pithas with til (sesame seed), coconut, and bhapot (steamed rice), on the main day: “Manuh bihu is the main day for the celebration. We feast on seera doi (flattened rice and curd), haanh kumura (duck cooked with ashgourd), aam roli tup (eggs of red ants), and pork dishes.”