Kati Bihu, celebrated on the first day of the Kati month in the Assamese calendar, typically falls in mid-October. This year, it is being celebrated on October 18. The festival signifies the transplanting of rice crops and the commencement of the new harvest season. Kati Bihu is a time for reflection, atonement, and an optimistic outlook for the future. It is observed throughout the state of Assam. Homes are decorated with lit lamps and bamboo pathways are constructed to honour the ancestors.

Kati Bihu 2023: Wishes, Messages and Greetings To Share

1. Wishing you a bright future full of love and luck. May all your dreams come true. Happy Kati Bihu to you!
2. Let us all take a pledge to remove the negativity that surrounds us and move forward with hope and courage. Happy Kati Bihu!
3. It’s time to bring out the candles and have a family dinner and party with our loved ones. Kati Bihu greetings to you.
4. As we light the lamps outside our homes, here’s praying that your life is also lit up with new dreams and achievements. Happy Kati Bihu to you.
5. This is the time for the relocation of rice saplings. Here’s hoping the new harvest season ushers in joy and prosperity in your life. A very happy Kati Bihu.
6. Let’s welcome this new harvest season with warmth and prayers. Happy Kati Bihu, everyone.
7. Let us strengthen our hopes on this Kati Bihu festival and move forward in life with an optimistic frame of mind. I wish you the best in your future. Happy Kati Bihu.
8. A very happy Kati Bihu to you. Hoping the new harvest season ushers in joy and prosperity in your life.
9. Warm wishes to you and your family on Kati Bihu. May this happy occasion inspire you with fresh hope and ambitions to pursue, so that you can achieve them.
10. It’s time to bring out the candles and have a family dinner and party with our loved ones. Kati Bihu greetings to you.

Kati Bihu 2023: Rituals

1. During Kati Bihu, the tulsi plant undergoes a purification ritual and is placed on an earthen platform called Tulsi Bheti.
2. This festival involves making offerings and seeking the blessings of the Gods for the welfare of one’s family, relatives, and a prosperous harvest.
3. Additionally, people illuminate a special lamp called Akash Banti or Sky Candle in their paddy fields.
4. These lamps, fueled by mustard oil, are positioned atop bamboo poles.
5. It is believed that these illuminated lamps serve as a guiding light for their ancestors on their journey to the afterlife.

Kati Bihu 2023: Significance

All three Bihu festivals in Assam hold strong agricultural significance, with each marking a distinct phase in the farming cycle. Kati Bihu, alternatively known as Kongali Bihu, falls during a time when the rice seedlings are transplanted.

The name Kongali Bihu is derived from the fact that during this period the granaries are typically empty, and there’s little left to consume. To combat the darkness and hardship of this time, lamps or candles are lit throughout the house. A central lamp is placed near the sacred Tulsi plant, symbolising hope.