Today is Kati Bihu, which is usually known as Kongali Bihu. It is one of the three major Bihu festivals which is being celebrated in Assam. This festival finds every Assamese household aglow in the light of Diyas placed under the sacred Tulsi plant and Akash Banti lighting up the evening sky. The Diyas, lit in hope of prosperity, are placed not only under the Tulsi plant but also in granaries, fields, barns, and courtyards, symbolizing prayers for a bountiful harvest. This is the season when, with fingers red from labor, the farmer looks for a golden harvest from the fields.
Though Kati Bihu, also called Kongali Bihu, finds sparse celebrations it is more full of meaning. At this time of the year, the granaries of the house remain nearly bare because people wait for the harvest to be ready once again. In contrast to the ritualistic Bohag and Magh Bihu, Kongali Bihu is a season of repentance and worship. Families meticulously clean up all the houses, courtyards, and pathways with a belief that only within such a clean environment will Goddess Lakshmi be present in the house. Besides the Tulsi Diyas, rice and lentils are offered, and still many rural families use the traditional "Outenga" bark as a lamp.
Kati Bihu reminds the people of Assam about their humble origins, where bonding between the land, the harvest and divine is celebrated even during scarcity.
