Bihu is a festival from Assam. Rongali Bihu in April marks the Assamese new year and the start of spring.
Young people dance in fields and courtyards, with fast steps, swaying hips and swinging arms.
The music comes from the dhol drum, the pepa (a pipe made from buffalo horn) and the gogona, a small bamboo instrument played against the teeth.
Dancers wear red and cream clothes made of Assam’s own silk.
The steps are quick and happy, like birds in spring.
Bihu songs welcome the new year, the new crops and each other.
The big ideaNew beginnings are best welcomed with joy.
Talk about it: How does your family welcome the new year?
