Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Skill Subject Bihu cheat sheet

Bihu is the umbrella term for three Assamese seasonal festivals (Bohag, Kati, Magh) plus the dance-song complex that grew around them; Rongali/Bohag Bihu marks the Assamese New Year in mid-April (Bohag 1).

Bohag Bihu spans seven named days: Goru Bihu (cattle bathed and honoured), Manuh Bihu (human New Year), Gosain Bihu (deities), and then Tator, Nangolor, Ghoru and Sera Bihu for looms, ploughs, houses and ends.

Kati Bihu (Kartik, mid-October) is the sober 'Kongali' Bihu: earthen lamps (saki) lit at the tulsi tree and in paddy fields; no dance or song in traditional practice.

Magh Bihu (Bhogali) is the harvest thanksgiving centred on the meji and bhelaghar bonfires, community feasts and Uruka night; it is a feast festival rather than a dance festival.

The word Bihu is traced to Sanskrit visu (visuvat, vernal equinox); folk etymology links it to bi (beg) + hu (give), reflecting the begging-song origin of Bihu geet.

Bihu dance is rooted in the culture of the indigenous Tibeto-Burman and Austro-Asiatic communities of the Brahmaputra valley, later absorbed into Assamese Vaishnava and village life.

Srimanta Sankardeva and the Vaishnava sattra tradition shaped Assamese performing arts; Bihu remained a largely village/domestic form while Borgeet and Sattriya developed in the sattras.

Modern stage Bihu crystallised in the 20th century through competitions and radio; the dance moved from courtyards and fields to proscenium stages, changing costume, tempo and repertoire.

Core stance: knees slightly bent, torso erect but supple, weight low; movement is driven from hips and waist with quick footwork, unlike the held, straight-backed Sattriya stance.

Signature hip movement: rapid side-to-side and circular sway of the pelvis (kamar/komor), coordinated with shoulder shrugs and a light bounce of the whole body.

Hand and wrist work: palms often turned outward with fingers flicked; wrist rotations and forearm swings punctuate the beat; the pepa (hornpipe) is mimed or held.

Footwork is brisk and flat-footed with heel-and-toe taps and small hops; dancers often move in pairs or a semicircle, breaking into solo turns.

Traditional dhol-based rhythm is a fast 6-beat cycle felt as two groups of three (not a straight 4/4); modern recordings also use 8-beat and 4/4 arrangements.

Tempo builds in layers: opening slower 'dhemali' style, accelerating through the dhol break (dholor taal), ending on a fast climax with a held pose.

Repertoire includes the Husori (men's group dance with carol-like songs), the women's Bihu dance, and the Jeng Bihu (women's circle dance of the Bodos, performed without dhol).

Men's Bihu (Mukoli/ Husori style) uses wider steps, dhol playing while dancing, and stylised leaps; women's style emphasises hip sway, wrist flicks and graceful turns.

Breath and gaze: eyes follow the hands, chin slightly lifted, breathing kept steady through the bounce so the torso does not stiffen during fast passages.

Dhol (barrel drum, played with a stick on one head and hand on the other) is the pulse-keeper of Bihu; the player's stick patterns set the taal.

Dhuluki is a smaller, higher-pitched drum used in some Bihu ensembles; the khol is the Vaishnava drum and belongs to Sattriya/Borgeet, not classical Bihu.

Pepa is a buffalo-horn pipe (also made of bamboo) played by a pepua; it gives the characteristic wailing melodic call associated with Bohag Bihu.

Gagana is a bamboo mouth harp (jaw's harp) producing a twanging drone; xutuli is a small clay whistle; both are seasonal Bihu sound markers.

Taal (cymbals) and the bamboo clapper (toka/pati) mark the beat; the flute (bansuri) and the two-stringed dotara/banhi add melody in modern ensembles.

Modern Bihu music fuses dhol and pepa with guitar, keyboard and drum kit; the 'Bihu remix' genre began with recordings such as the 1990s-2000s fusion albums.

Taal structure: the dhol plays a repeated rhythmic phrase (theka) that dancers follow; a break or fill signals a change of step or a climax.

Vocal style in Bihu geet is open-throated and nasal-tinged, with antiphonal call-and-response between lead singer and group (husori).

Sound hierarchy in a Bihu ensemble: dhol leads, pepa answers phrases, taal keeps time, voice carries the text; the melody instrument decorates between vocal lines.

Bihu geet are short strophic folk songs in Assamese, traditionally sung by groups while dancing; the husori carol is sung door to door in Bohag.

Thematic cycle: Bihu songs move from new-year greeting and nature (spring, flowering) to love, separation, teasing and social comment, often with a double meaning.

Typical structure: a two-line refrain (dhura) answered by improvised or varied couplets; the lead singer sets the line and the group repeats or responds.

Language is colloquial Assamese with rural imagery (kopo phool, nahor, dhan, japi); rhyme is loose and often assonantal rather than strict.

Traditional Bihu geet are unaccompanied or dhol-and-taal accompanied; the pepa and flute enter between vocal phrases.

Composition practice: melody is built on a small range (often five or six notes), with the rhythm of the words dictating the dhol pattern rather than the reverse.

Husori songs include blessing verses for the household and playful bargaining for gifts; the group leader sings the verse and the chorus answers 'hori' or similar refrains.

Modern Bihu geet (from the 1950s onward) were written for radio and records by named lyricists and composers, with fixed verses instead of improvised couplets.

Performance etiquette: the song's tempo must match the dance step; a slow opening verse accelerates at the chorus, and the dhol fill marks the transition.

Bohag Bihu (Rongali), mid-April: Goru Bihu on the last day of Chaitra (cattle washed, smeared with turmeric, fed bitter herbs), Manuh Bihu on Bohag 1 (new clothes, elders' blessings).

Bohag ritual items: gamosa, japi, pitha (rice cakes such as til pitha and ghila pitha), and the husori troupe visiting homes for blessings.

Bohag Bihu closes with Sera Bihu (Bohag 7), when the plough and domestic tools are worshipped; Bihu songs end for the season.

Kati Bihu (Kartik, mid-October): saki (lamps) lit at the tulsi plant and on bamboo poles in the fields to guide the ripening paddy; called Kongali (poor) Bihu because granaries are empty.

Magh Bihu (Bhogali), mid-January: Uruka on the eve (community feast and building of the meji and bhelaghar), then the meji is burnt at dawn on Magh 1.

Meji is a tall conical bamboo-and-straw structure burnt as an offering; bhelaghar is the thatched hut of straw also burnt, with vegetables roasted in the embers.

Magh Bihu foods: chira (flattened rice), pitha, laru (sesame/rice balls), curd and fish; feasting is the defining ritual.

Seasonal logic: Bohag = spring/sowing and courtship; Kati = transplanting and vigil; Magh = harvest and thanksgiving; each has a distinct ritual mood.

Ritual calendar note: dates follow the Assamese lunisolar calendar, so Bohag 1 usually falls on 14 or 15 April in the Gregorian calendar.

Women's Bihu costume: mekhela chador (two-piece drape) in muga silk, pat silk or cotton, often in bright red, green or yellow, worn with a blouse.

Men's Bihu costume: dhoti and kurta (or suria and chapkan), with the gamosa tied at the waist or worn as a sash; a cheleng or chadar over the shoulder.

Gamosa (white cotton towel with red border) is the emblem of Assamese hospitality and is used as waistband, headband and gift.

Japi (bamboo-and-palm conical hat) is worn in some Bihu and Bodo dances; the sorudoiya japi has a wider brim.

Ornaments: kopou phool (foxtail orchid) tucked in the hair, gathiyan/keru earrings, jonbiri, and bangles; traditional gold is often replaced by lighter stage jewellery.

Hair is tied in a bun (khopa) decorated with flowers; the red-and-white colour scheme signals auspiciousness in Assamese culture.

Stage presentation: semicircle or paired formation, entry in a line to the dhol theka, and a final tableau on the last beat; lighting should be warm and bright for the fast section.

Modern stage Bihu often uses uniform costumes for a troupe, with colour-coordinated mekhela chador and matching gamosa for men; this is a 20th-century competition convention.

Practical rule: costume must allow deep knee bends and hip movement, so tight drapes or heavy jewellery that restricts the waist are avoided in performance.

Radio and gramophone from the 1930s-40s carried Bihu geet beyond Assam; All India Radio Guwahati became a key patron of Bihu music.

Film and cassette culture in the 1980s-90s made Bihu songs a commercial pop genre, with dedicated Bihu cassette albums sold during Bohag.

'Bihu remix' and fusion (dhol with electronic beats) from the late 1990s created a dance-club variant, drawing both popularity and criticism for losing folk context.

Television dance competitions (from the 2000s) standardised stage Bihu: uniform costume, fixed choreography and a panel of judges, shifting it toward performative spectacle.

Digital platforms (YouTube, short-video apps) now drive Bihu song trends, with viral dance challenges spreading steps far outside Assam.

Institutional recognition: Bihu dance was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023 (with the Bihu songs).

Government and cultural bodies (Sangeet Natak Akademi, Assam Cultural Directorate) run Bihu competitions, notably around Bohag Bihu, with age categories and prizes.

Diaspora practice: Assamese communities abroad hold Bihu celebrations in the April season, adapting the husori and meji rituals to urban venues.

Debate point: purists argue commercial remix and stage choreography detach Bihu from its ritual calendar and village context; exponents argue adaptation keeps the form alive.

Pedagogy order: posture and bounce first, then basic hip sway, then footwork patterns, then dhol-synchronised phrases, then full repertoire pieces.

Teaching tool: count the dhol theka aloud (e.g., 'dhin-ta dhin-ta') so students internalise the rhythm before adding hip movement.

Notation practice: Bihu is transmitted orally (guru-shishya and family lines); written notation of dhol patterns and song texts supports but does not replace this.

Documentation targets: song texts with singer and village attribution, dhol theka variants by region, pepa melodies, and costume/ritual descriptions with dates.

Fieldwork method: record audio and video with consent, note the performer's name, age, village and the occasion, and transcribe the Assamese text with translation.

Archives: All India Radio recordings, Sangeet Natak Akademi archives, university folklore departments (e.g., Gauhati University) and Assam state cultural bodies hold collections.

Preservation risks: decline of pepa and gagana players, ageing husori singers, and the shift of Bihu geet from improvised couplets to fixed recorded lyrics.

Assessment design for a Bihu course: technique (posture, rhythm accuracy), repertoire knowledge (song and step names), cultural context (festival calendar), and performance.

Ethical teaching point: distinguish regional and community variants (Bodo, Mising, Deori, Sonowal Kachari traditions) rather than presenting one 'standard' Bihu.

Bohag Bihu is the Assamese New Year, falling on Bohag 1 (mid-April); Kati and Magh Bihu are the other two seasonal festivals.

The three Bihu festivals mark agricultural phases: sowing/spring, paddy vigil, and harvest.

Bihu is linked to indigenous communities of the Brahmaputra valley, later blended with Vaishnava village culture.

The term Bihu is connected to Sanskrit visuvat (equinox), with a folk 'beg-and-give' etymology.

Bohag Bihu's seven days include Goru, Manuh, Gosain, Tator, Nangolor, Ghoru and Sera Bihu.

Modern stage Bihu emerged in the 20th century through competitions, radio and proscenium performance.

Sattriya and Borgeet grew in the Vaishnava sattras, while Bihu stayed a village and domestic form.

The Bihu stance is low with bent knees and a supple torso, driven from the hips.

Hip sway, shoulder shrug and a light full-body bounce are the defining movements.

Wrist flicks and outward-turned palms punctuate the dhol beat.

Traditional dhol rhythm is a fast six-beat cycle felt as two groups of three.

Tempo builds from a slower opening to a fast climax ending on a held pose.

Husori is the men's group dance with carol songs; Jeng Bihu is a Bodo women's circle dance.

Men's Bihu uses wide steps and leaps; women's Bihu emphasises hip sway and graceful turns.

Dhol is the lead drum, played with stick and hand, setting the taal.

Pepa is a buffalo-horn or bamboo pipe giving the wailing Bihu call.

Gagana is a bamboo mouth harp; xutuli is a clay whistle.

Taal cymbals and bamboo clappers keep time in Bihu ensembles.

The khol belongs to Vaishnava Sattriya and Borgeet, not classical Bihu.

Dhol plays a repeated theka; a fill signals a step change or climax.

Bihu singing is open-throated, with call-and-response between leader and group.

Bihu geet are short strophic Assamese folk songs sung while dancing.

Themes move from new-year nature imagery to love, teasing and social comment.

Structure is a two-line refrain answered by varied couplets.

Language is colloquial Assamese with rural imagery and loose rhyme.

Traditional performance uses dhol and taal, with pepa and flute between phrases.

Husori songs carry blessings and playful bargaining for gifts.

Modern Bihu geet are fixed-verse compositions written for radio and records.

Bohag Bihu begins with Goru Bihu (cattle) then Manuh Bihu (New Year).

Bohag closes with Sera Bihu, when plough and tools are worshipped.

Kati Bihu is the sober Kongali Bihu, with lamps at the tulsi and in fields.

Magh Bihu centres on Uruka night, the meji and bhelaghar bonfires.

Meji is a conical bamboo-straw structure burnt at dawn on Magh 1.

Magh Bihu foods include chira, pitha, laru, curd and fish.

Bohag 1 usually falls on 14 or 15 April in the Gregorian calendar.

Women wear mekhela chador in muga, pat or cotton, often red, green or yellow.

Men wear dhoti-kurta with a gamosa at the waist or as a sash.

Gamosa is the white cotton towel with red border used as waistband and gift.

Japi is the bamboo conical hat worn in some Bihu and Bodo dances.

Kopou phool in the hair bun and keru earrings are standard ornamentation.

Stage formations use semicircles, paired entries and a final tableau.

Costume must allow deep knee bends and free hip movement.

Radio and gramophone from the 1930s carried Bihu music beyond Assam.

Cassette culture in the 1980s-90s made Bihu geet a commercial pop genre.

Bihu remix and fusion from the late 1990s added electronic beats.

TV dance competitions standardised stage Bihu costume and choreography.

YouTube and short-video apps now drive Bihu song and dance trends.

UNESCO inscribed Bihu dance and songs on its Intangible Heritage list in 2023.

Diaspora communities hold Bihu celebrations in the April season abroad.

Teaching order: posture and bounce, hip sway, footwork, dhol-synced phrases, repertoire.

Counting the dhol theka aloud helps students internalise rhythm before movement.

Bihu is transmitted orally; written notation supports but does not replace it.

Documentation records song texts, dhol theka variants, pepa melodies and ritual dates.

Fieldwork notes performer name, age, village, occasion and a translated transcript.

Archives include All India Radio, Sangeet Natak Akademi and university folklore departments.

Preservation risks include declining pepa and gagana players and ageing husori singers.

Three seasonal Bihu festivals exist: Bohag (Rongali), Kati (Kongali) and Magh (Bhogali).

Bohag Bihu is the Assamese New Year, celebrated on Bohag 1 in mid-April.

Kati Bihu falls in mid-October and Magh Bihu in mid-January.

Bihu is rooted in indigenous Brahmaputra valley communities and village life.

The word Bihu is traced to Sanskrit visuvat, meaning equinox.

Stage Bihu developed in the 20th century through competitions and radio.

Vaishnava sattras developed Sattriya and Borgeet rather than Bihu.

Knees stay bent and the torso supple, with movement driven from the hips.

Rapid hip sway with shoulder shrugs and a light bounce defines the style.

Wrist rotations and finger flicks mark the beat.

The dhol's traditional cycle is six beats felt as two groups of three.

The dance accelerates from a slower opening to a fast climax.

Husori is the men's group dance; Jeng Bihu is a Bodo women's circle dance.

Eyes follow the hands and breathing stays steady through the bounce.

Dhol is played with a stick on one head and the hand on the other.

Dhuluki is a smaller, higher-pitched drum used in some ensembles.

Pepa is a buffalo-horn or bamboo pipe played by the pepua.

Gagana is a bamboo mouth harp; xutuli is a clay whistle.

Taal cymbals and bamboo clappers keep time in the ensemble.

The dhol theka is a repeated phrase that dancers follow.

Modern Bihu ensembles add guitar, keyboard and drum kit.

Bihu geet are strophic folk songs in colloquial Assamese.

A two-line refrain (dhura) is answered by varied couplets.

Husori carols are sung door to door during Bohag Bihu.

Imagery draws on kopo phool, nahor, paddy and the japi.

Melodies use a small range of about five or six notes.

Word rhythm dictates the dhol pattern in traditional practice.

Modern Bihu geet have fixed verses by named lyricists and composers.

Goru Bihu honours cattle with baths, turmeric and bitter herbs.

Manuh Bihu on Bohag 1 brings new clothes and elders' blessings.

Kati Bihu lamps are lit at the tulsi plant and in paddy fields.

Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu, with feasting and building the meji.

The meji is burnt at dawn on Magh 1 as an offering.

Bhelaghar is the straw hut burnt alongside the meji.

Sera Bihu ends the Bohag season with worship of the plough.

Mekhela chador is the two-piece women's drape, often in muga or pat silk.

Men wear dhoti and kurta with a gamosa sash or waistband.

Gamosa is white cotton with a red border, an Assamese hospitality emblem.

Japi is a bamboo-and-palm conical hat used in some dances.

Kopou phool is tucked into the hair bun (khopa).

Red and white signal auspiciousness in Assamese culture.

Troupe uniforms with matching costumes are a competition convention.

All India Radio Guwahati became a major patron of Bihu music.

Gramophone and radio from the 1930s spread Bihu geet beyond Assam.

Bihu remix fused dhol with electronic beats from the late 1990s.

Television competitions standardised choreography and costume.

Short-video apps spread viral Bihu dance steps globally.

UNESCO listed Bihu dance and songs as Intangible Heritage in 2023.

Purists criticise remix for detaching Bihu from its ritual calendar.

Teach posture and bounce before hip sway and footwork.

Count the dhol theka aloud so rhythm precedes movement.

Bihu passes through oral guru-shishya and family transmission.

Fieldwork records performer name, age, village and occasion.

Transcripts pair the Assamese text with a translation.

Regional variants (Bodo, Mising, Deori) should be taught distinctly.

Assessment covers technique, repertoire, cultural context and performance.

Bohag Bihu's seven days run from Goru Bihu to Sera Bihu.

Magh Bihu is a harvest thanksgiving centred on the meji bonfire.

Kati Bihu is called Kongali because granaries are empty then.

Bihu dance grew from indigenous valley communities, not the sattras.

Bihu geet's folk etymology is bi (beg) plus hu (give).

Srimanta Sankardeva shaped Assamese performing arts through the sattras.

Proscenium Bihu changed costume, tempo and repertoire in the 20th century.

Footwork uses brisk heel-and-toe taps and small hops.

Dancers often perform in pairs or a semicircle with solo turns.

The pepa is mimed or held during the dance.

A dhol break (dholor taal) marks the change to a climax.

Men's Mukoli style uses wider steps and stylised leaps.

The chin is slightly lifted and the gaze follows the hands.

Modern recordings also use 8-beat and 4/4 arrangements.

The bansuri flute and dotara add melody in modern ensembles.

The pepa's wailing call is the signature sound of Bohag Bihu.

Gagana and xutuli are seasonal Bihu sound markers.

The dhol leads and the pepa answers vocal phrases.

Voice carries the text while instruments decorate between lines.

A dhol fill signals a change of step or a climax.

Bihu remix began with 1990s-2000s fusion recordings.

The lead singer sets the line and the group responds.

Husori verses bless the household and bargain playfully for gifts.

Bihu song rhyme is loose and often assonantal.

Songs often carry double meanings about love and social comment.

The slow opening verse accelerates at the chorus.

Song tempo must match the dance step in performance.

Recorded Bihu geet replaced improvised couplets from the 1950s on.

Bohag ritual items include gamosa, japi and pitha.

Husori troupes visit homes during Bohag for blessings.

Bohag Bihu marks spring, sowing and courtship.

Kati Bihu marks paddy transplanting and field vigil.

Magh Bihu marks harvest and thanksgiving.

Magh Bihu dates follow the Assamese lunisolar calendar.

Bohag Bihu songs end for the season at Sera Bihu.

Men may wear suria and chapkan with a cheleng over the shoulder.

The sorudoiya japi has a wider brim than the common japi.

Jonbiri and gathiyan are traditional Assamese ornaments.

Stage jewellery is lighter than traditional gold for movement.

Entry is often in a line to the dhol theka.

Warm, bright lighting suits the fast section of the dance.

Heavy drapes that restrict the waist are avoided in performance.

Cassette albums sold heavily during the Bohag season.

Film songs brought Bihu melodies into popular cinema.

Sangeet Natak Akademi and state bodies run Bihu competitions.

Competitions have age categories and prizes around Bohag Bihu.

Diaspora celebrations adapt husori and meji rituals to urban venues.

Exponents argue adaptation keeps Bihu alive; purists disagree.

Digital platforms now set the trend for Bihu songs.

Notation of dhol patterns supports oral transmission.

Document dhol theka variants by region.

Record audio and video only with performer consent.

Note the occasion and date alongside each recording.

Gauhati University folklore departments hold collections.

Ageing husori singers are a preservation risk.

Declining pepa and gagana players threaten instrumental knowledge.

Bihu covers three festivals plus a dance-song complex.

Bohag Bihu is also called Rongali Bihu.

Magh Bihu is also called Bhogali Bihu.

Kati Bihu is also called Kongali Bihu.

Gosain Bihu honours the deities during Bohag.

Nangolor Bihu honours the plough.

Ghoru Bihu honours the house and loom.

Movement is low and grounded, not held and straight-backed like Sattriya.

Hip movement includes both side-to-side sway and circles.

Shoulder shrugs coordinate with the hip sway.

The dhol theka is counted aloud in teaching.

The final beat ends on a held pose or tableau.

Jeng Bihu is performed without a dhol.

Women's Bihu emphasises wrist flicks and graceful turns.

The khol is the Vaishnava drum of Sattriya and Borgeet.

Taal cymbals mark the beat in Bihu ensembles.

Bamboo clappers (toka/pati) also keep time.

Dhol is the pulse-keeper of any Bihu ensemble.

The pepua is the pepa player.

The dhol theka sets the taal the dancers follow.

Bihu fusion added drum kits and keyboards to dhol and pepa.

Bihu geet are short and strophic, built for group singing.

The dhura is the two-line refrain of a Bihu song.

Nature imagery signals the new year in Bohag songs.

Teasing and separation are common love themes.

Husori refrains are answered by the chorus.

Improvisation was traditional before recorded fixed versions.

The dhol fill marks the verse-to-chorus transition.

Cattle are bathed and fed bitter herbs on Goru Bihu.

Elders' blessings are sought on Manuh Bihu.

Lamps on bamboo poles guide ripening paddy in Kati Bihu.

The community feast happens on Uruka night.

Vegetables are roasted in the meji embers.

Laru are sesame or rice balls eaten at Magh Bihu.

Each Bihu has a distinct ritual mood tied to the farm cycle.

Muga silk is the golden Assamese silk used in mekhela chador.

Pat silk is a lighter, glossy silk for Bihu costume.

Keru are traditional Assamese earrings.

The gamosa doubles as waistband, headband and gift.

Hair is tied in a khopa bun for women dancers.

Semicircle and paired formations are standard stage layouts.

Uniform troupe costume is a modern competition convention.

All India Radio Guwahati patronised Bihu music from the mid-20th century.

Bihu remix drew criticism for losing folk context.

TV competitions introduced judges and fixed choreography.

YouTube and short-video apps spread Bihu dance globally.

UNESCO recognition came in 2023 for Bihu dance and songs.

Assam's cultural directorate runs Bohag Bihu competitions.

Diaspora Bihu celebrations happen in the April season.

Teach the bounce before adding hip sway.

Introduce footwork patterns after basic hip movement.

Synchronise steps to the dhol theka only at a later stage.

Transcribe song texts with both Assamese and translation.

Attribute each song to its singer and village.

Distinguish Bodo, Mising and Deori variants in teaching.

Assess technique, repertoire, context and performance together.

Bihu is celebrated by Assamese communities across the Brahmaputra valley.

The Assamese lunisolar calendar fixes the Bihu dates.

Bohag 1 usually falls on 14 or 15 April.

Bihu remained a village form while sattras developed classical arts.

Twentieth-century stage Bihu changed tempo and costume.

The visuvat etymology links Bihu to the vernal equinox.

Bihu expresses an agrarian calendar of sowing, vigil and harvest.

The body bounces lightly throughout the dance.

Weight stays low with knees slightly bent.

Hip sway is the signature movement of women's Bihu.

Men's Bihu includes dhol playing while dancing.

Rapid footwork uses heel-and-toe taps.

The dance builds in layers of increasing tempo.

A held pose ends the fast climax.

The dhol is a barrel drum with two heads.

One dhol head is struck with a stick, the other by hand.

Dhuluki is a smaller drum with a higher pitch.

Pepa may be made from buffalo horn or bamboo.

Xutuli is a small clay whistle.

Gagana is a bamboo jaw's harp.

The pepa answers vocal phrases between lines.

Bihu geet are sung in Assamese.

Husori is the door-to-door Bohag carol tradition.

The lead singer sets each verse line.

The group repeats or answers the refrain.

Rural imagery such as dhan and nahor fills the lyrics.

Melodies stay within about five or six notes.

Modern songs fixed the verses once improvised.

Bohag Bihu has seven named days.

Kati Bihu has no traditional dance or song.

Magh Bihu is a feast festival, not a dance festival.

Meji and bhelaghar are built on Uruka.

The meji is burnt at dawn on Magh 1.

Sera Bihu closes the Bohag season.

Bohag Bihu is the season of courtship and spring.

Mekhela chador is worn with a blouse.

Men wear a gamosa tied at the waist or as a sash.

The gamosa has a red border on white cotton.

Kopou phool is the foxtail orchid worn in the hair.

Japi is made of bamboo and palm.

Red and white are the auspicious Bihu colours.

Costume must permit deep knee bends and hip movement.

Gramophone records spread Bihu geet in the 1930s-40s.

Cassette culture commercialised Bihu music in the 1980s-90s.

Bihu remix appeared in the late 1990s.

Television standardised stage Bihu choreography.

Digital platforms now drive Bihu song trends.

UNESCO inscribed Bihu dance and songs in 2023.

Diaspora communities keep Bihu celebrations alive abroad.

Posture and bounce are taught first.

Hip sway comes before footwork patterns.

Dhol-synchronised phrases come last in the sequence.

Written notation supports oral transmission.

Fieldwork records village, occasion and performer details.

Archives include All India Radio and Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Regional variants must be taught as distinct traditions.