India is a land of festivals where every community enjoys its own festivals. When it comes to North East, the festivals celebrated in North East India flaunt the rich culture of the people and the communities living in North East India. The festivals in North East India are majorly related to agriculture, tradition, worshipping a deity, the beginning of a new year, or related to different communities. Some festivals that are celebrated get over within a day while some of the festivals like dance and music can extend for days.
People enjoy these festivals with their family and friends. The tribal peoples of the North East celebrate these festivals so that they can create a strong relationship and bond with the people from other tribes.
The main attractions of the festivals that are celebrated in the North East are the food and delicacies, the music and the dance, the traditional outfits and clothes, and the ambiance of the festival. These factors make the festival more appealing and can make one be a part of the festival.
Some of the famous festivals of North East are:
Bihu festival, Assam
Bihu is the most important festival of the Assamese Community. This festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Assamese New Year. Bihu is celebrated thrice a year in Assam. Bohag Bihu or the Rongali Bihu is celebrated every year from April 14. Bohag Bihu lasts for a month. The next Bihu that is celebrated is Kati Bihu which starts on 19 October. The third Bihu is the Bhogali Bihu which is celebrated from January 14.
All three Bihu festivals last more than 7 days. The whole state of Assam celebrates Bihu with full excitement. All three Bihu festivals are celebrated to admire Lord Krishna, the cattle, the elders of the family, fertility, and the mother goddess. The Bihu festival is also celebrated by the Assamese living outside Assam and also outside India.
Ambubachi Mela, Assam
Ambubachi Mela is a Hindu festival celebrated at the Kamakhya Temple located in Guwahati, Assam. This festival is celebrated during the monsoon season in the month of June. The Ambubachi Mela is a celebration of the yearly menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya, the main deity of the Kamakhya Temple. It is believed that the main deity Goddess Kamakhya goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during the month of June. The devotees believe that during the monsoon rains, the nurturing power of Mother Earth becomes accessible to devotees at the site where Kamakhya Temple is located.
The Kamakhya Temple is one of the major Shakti Peethas in India. The Kamakhya Temple has no idol of Goddess Kamakhya installed in the temple. The goddess is worshipped in the form of Yoni stone which is placed in the main Sanctum of the Temple. During the time of the festival, the temple gets filled with devotees, sadhus, and tantrics from all over India. The festival plays a very important role in the travel and tourism industry of Assam.
Hornbill Festival, Nagaland
Hornbill festival is a major festival of Nagaland. The Hornbill festival is named after a bird Hornbill. The Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is related to agriculture. Every year the festival starts from December 1 and extends up to 10 December. The festival is celebrated for 7 - 10 days. This festival is celebrated in the Kisama heritage Village and its is attended by all the major tribes of Nagaland. Hornbill festival is the main time to view the cultural vividness of the Naga Tribes and comes as a very good opportunity for the tribe members to bond with other tribes men and women.
Losar, Arunachal Pradesh
Losar is major festival of Arunachal Pradesh. It is celebrated to mark the arrival of Tibetan New Year. The Arunachali Tribes like the Memba, Khamba, Monpa, Sherdukpens, and Nah who follows the Mahanaya sect of Buddhism celebrates this festival with all excitement. The festival is a three day festival that begins on February 11 every year. On the first day of the festival, the priests make offering to the main or the head priests known as the Dharmapala or Palden Lhamo. The people from every tribe visit them with family and friends and wishes them best wishes. All the three days of the festival are equally important and people can extend the celebration for 10-15 days.
Anthurium, Mizoram
Anthurium is a famous festival of Mizoram. It is named after a famous flower found in Mizoram. The main objective of this festival is to build relationship among the tribesman and promote tourism of the state. It is held every year in the month of September. The Anthurium Festival is celebrated every year in a small village of Reiek which is almost 70 km away from the capital city Aizawl. The Anuthrium festival is famous for the dance , the music and the foods and beverages that are served in this festival. Many people from North East visit Mizoram to enjoy this festival and they help to make the festival a grand one.
