Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi – Chapter 9 Questions Answer

Here is a comprehensive guide to Chapter 9, “Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi,” from the VISTAS textbook, created to help you prepare thoroughly for your upcoming AHSEC Class 12 exams. This guide includes a summary, complete textual answers, previous years’ AHSEC questions, and other important questions.

Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi

Summary Note

“Magh Bihu or Maghar Domahi” is an essay by Dr. Praphulladatta Goswami that provides a detailed account of the Assamese post-harvest winter festival. The festival is known as Magh Bihu in Upper Assam and as Domahi (or Damhi) in Lower Assam. It is also called Bhogali Bihu, the “Bihu of Enjoyment,” because it is a festival of feasting.

The celebration begins on the eve of Bihu, known as ‘Uruka.’ On this day, people prepare for the next day’s feast. Women get busy making traditional delicacies like chira (flattened rice), pitha (rice cakes), and laru (sweet balls). Men gather firewood and go fishing in ponds and streams. A key activity for young boys is building temporary, hut-like structures called Bhelaghar and temple-like structures called meji in the fields, using bamboo, hay, and dried banana leaves.

The Uruka feast is a grand community affair, often enjoyed in the Bhelaghars. The food sometimes includes vegetables “stolen” from villagers’ gardens, which is a traditional and playful custom.

The main Domahi day starts at the crack of dawn. People tie thin strips of bamboo or jute around fruit-bearing trees to wish for a good yield. They take a purifying bath and wear clean clothes. The main event is the burning of the mejis and Bhelaghars. Offerings are made to Agni, the god of fire, and people gather around the bonfire to warm themselves, shouting God’s names as the bamboo tubes in the structure burst like gunfire. The half-burnt sticks and ashes are later scattered in the fields, as they are believed to increase the fertility of the land.

The lunch on Domahi day is not the usual rice and curry but consists of chira, pitha, curd, and other preparations. The essay also describes various traditional sports held during Magh Bihu, such as wrestling, racing, and buffalo fighting. The author also touches upon the customs of the Kachari tribe, which are similar but have some unique features, like their prayers and the special role of cowherd boys.

Complete Textual Question and Answer

1. The Uruka happens to be an important aspect of Magh Bihu. Give an elaborate account of the celebrations associated with Uruka.
   Answer: Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu and is a very important part of the celebration. On this day, preparations for the grand feast begin. Womenfolk get busy preparing traditional Assamese delicacies like chira, pitha, laru, and curd. Men focus on gathering fuel and, most importantly, catching fish from ponds and streams. The most significant activity of Uruka is the building of mejis (temple-like structures) and Bhelaghars (hut-like shelters) in the fields by young boys, using green bamboo, hay, and banana leaves. The Uruka feast itself is a grand community event, often held in the Bhelaghars, where people feast together through the night. A playful tradition associated with Uruka is the “stealing” of vegetables from village gardens to be cooked for the feast.
2. People do not take the usual rice and curry on the Domahi or Samkranti day for their lunch. What are the different kinds of food items that people have for lunch on this particular day?
   Answer: On the day of Domahi or Samkranti, the lunch is special and does not consist of the usual rice and curry. Instead, people have a variety of traditional food items. The main items are chira (flattened rice), pitha (rice cakes of various kinds), and curd. Other special preparations include mah-karai (a combination of roasted rice, black gram, and sesame) and tekeli-pitha (salted rice powder steamed on the mouth of a small pitcher). In Upper Assam, they also prepare sunga-pitha (moist rice powder roasted in a bamboo tube) and sunga-saul (sticky bora rice steamed in a bamboo tube), which is eaten with milk and gur (jaggery).
3. Although the Kacharis, the most numerous tribe of Assam, have similar customs like the Magh Bihu, they differ in certain features. Describe the manner in which the Kacharis celebrate their festival during the time of Assamese Magh Bihu.
   Answer: The Kacharis celebrate Magh Bihu with customs that are similar to the Assamese but have some distinct features. Like the Assamese, they tie cords around fruit-bearing trees and offer rice to birds, fish, and animals. On Domahi day, they put a mark of water mixed with cowdung around their granary. A key difference is that on the seventh day of Magh Bihu, they clean their utensils again, sacrifice fowls to their god, Bathou, and go out carol singing, a custom they call magan or begging. For the Kacharis, the construction and burning of Bhelaghars (which they call bilagur) is considered the special prerogative of cowherd boys, who offer specific prayers for the well-being of their village and cattle while setting fire to the structures before dawn.
4. Describe the different kinds of sports and martial games associated with Magh Bihu. How did the young people in earlier times prepare themselves for participating in the martial arts?
   Answer: Magh Bihu is associated with various traditional sports and games. These include wrestling, racing, and jumping. Buffalo fighting and egg fighting are also popular sports held during the festival. In earlier times, more martial games like swordplay and javelin throwing were customary. To prepare for these martial arts, young people used to make camps on dry river banks weeks ahead of the festival. In these camps, they would exercise and practice the skills that were considered necessary to defend their land from aggressors.
5. Kati Bihu, according to the author, cannot be called a festival as such. How is Kati Bihu celebrated in Assam?
   Answer: According to the author, Kati Bihu is a festival of “little significance” and cannot be truly called a festival in the same way as Magh Bihu or Bohag Bihu. It is celebrated in a more subdued manner. In the family yard, a lamp (saki) is lit at the foot of the Tulasi plant, and women and children sing prayers to Mother Tulasi. For the protection of the crops, a ploughman plants a small bamboo in the paddy field and lights an earthen lamp at its foot, chanting mantras to protect the maturing paddy from pests. Some people also light an akash-banti or “sky-lamp,” which is hung from a tall bamboo pole.

Previous Year AHSEC Question Answers (2015-2025)

Short Answer Questions (2 Marks)

1. What is ‘Uruka’? (AHSEC 2015, 2018)
Answer: Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu. It is an important part of the festival, characterized by community feasting, fishing, and the building of temporary structures called meji and Bhelaghar in the fields.

2. What are ‘meji’ and ‘Bhelaghar’? (AHSEC 2016, 2019, 2022)
Answer: Meji and Bhelaghar are temporary structures built by young boys in the fields during Magh Bihu, using green bamboo, hay, and dried banana leaves. Mejis are temple-like structures, while Bhelaghars are hut-like shelters where people have the Uruka feast and spend the night.

3. Why is Magh Bihu also known as Bhogali Bihu? (AHSEC 2017, 2020)
Answer: Magh Bihu is also known as Bhogali Bihu because it is the “Bihu of Enjoyment” (bhog means enjoyment or feasting). It is a post-harvest festival, and since the granaries are full, the emphasis is on feasting and community meals, with a wide variety of traditional food items being prepared and enjoyed.

4. What is ‘mah-karai’? (AHSEC 2023)
Answer: ‘Mah-karai’ (or mah-kare) is a special food preparation made during Magh Bihu. It is a combination of roasted rice, black gram, sesame, and pieces of ginger. When offered for chewing, it is smeared with oil.

Long Answer Questions (5-7 Marks)

1. Give an account of the celebration of Magh Bihu. (AHSEC 2017, 2020)
Answer: Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu, is a post-harvest festival of feasting. The celebration begins on the eve, called Uruka, with community feasts held in temporary shelters called Bhelaghars. On the morning of Bihu, the main event is the ceremonial burning of the meji and Bhelaghar. People take a purifying bath, wear clean clothes, and make offerings to Agni, the god of fire. The ashes and half-burnt sticks from the fire are believed to increase the fertility of the fields. The food on this day is special, consisting of chira, pitha, curd, and other delicacies instead of the usual rice and curry. The festival is also marked by traditional sports like buffalo fighting, wrestling, and racing.

2. Describe the customs of the Kacharis during the celebration of Magh Bihu. (AHSEC 2023)
Answer: The Kacharis, a prominent tribe in Assam, celebrate Magh Bihu with customs that are similar to those of the Assamese but with some unique features. They also tie cords around fruit-bearing trees and offer food to animals and birds. A distinct custom is that on the seventh day of Magh, they clean their utensils, sacrifice fowls to their god, Bathou, and go out carol singing, a practice known as magan. For the Kacharis, the building and burning of the Bhelaghar (bilagur) is a special tradition reserved for cowherd boys. These boys offer specific prayers for the prosperity and protection of their village and cattle while setting fire to the structure before dawn.

Most Important Question Answers

1. What is the significance of the fire ceremony in Magh Bihu?
Answer: The fire ceremony is a central and highly significant part of Magh Bihu. The ceremonial burning of the meji and Bhelaghar on Domahi morning is a ritual where offerings are made to Agni, the god of fire. The fire symbolizes the end of the harvest season and the purification of the land. The belief that the ashes and half-burnt embers from the fire increase the fertility of the fields connects the ceremony to agricultural prosperity for the coming year.

2. What are the different names for Magh Bihu and what do they signify?
Answer: Magh Bihu is known by several names. In Lower Assam, it is more popularly called Maghar Domahi, which means the “junction of two months” (the end of ‘Pooh’ and the beginning of ‘Magh’). It is also widely known as Bhogali Bihu, the “Bihu of Enjoyment,” because it is a post-harvest festival when food is abundant and the focus is on feasting and merrymaking.

3. What kind of food is prepared during Bhogali Bihu?
Answer: A wide variety of traditional Assamese food is prepared during Bhogali Bihu. Women prepare items like chira (flattened rice), various kinds of pitha (rice cakes like tekeli-pitha and sunga-pitha), and laru (sweet balls made of coconut or sesame). Curd is also an essential item. A special preparation called mah-karai, made from roasted rice, black gram, and sesame, is also enjoyed.

4. What is the difference between Rangali Bihu and Bhogali Bihu as mentioned in the essay?
Answer: The essay mentions that if Bohag Bihu is described as Rangali Bihu (the “Cheering Bihu”), which is focused on dance, music, and joyous celebration to welcome the spring, then Magh Bihu is known as Bhogali Bihu (the “Bihu of Enjoyment”). The primary focus of Bhogali Bihu is on feasting and food, as it is celebrated after the harvest when the granaries are full.