Bihu 2027: Dates, Where to Celebrate and Travel Tips

Rongali (Bohag) Bihu 2027 is expected to run from Wednesday 14 April to Friday 16 April 2027, with Thursday 15 April as the main day of Manuh Bihu, the Assamese New Year ¹. These are expected dates taken from the Assam regional holiday list; the state government confirms them in its holiday notification. Assam Tourism's own pages describe Bihu in general terms and do not publish a day-by-day schedule ⁵.

Bihu is not one festival but three, and the Assamese calendar sets them. The word Rongali comes from rong, joy, and the festival marks the start of the Assamese solar year and the start of the sowing season ¹⁴. The solar basis is why Rongali Bihu stays close to the middle of April, usually between 13 and 15 April, instead of drifting across a month the way lunar festivals such as Holi do ².

The other two Bihus fall at different points in the farming year:

• Rongali (Bohag) Bihu: mid-April, the New Year and the one most visitors come for ².
• Magh (Bhogali) Bihu: around 14 January, the harvest feast, with bonfires the night before ³.
• Kati (Kongali) Bihu: mid-October, a quiet lamp-lighting festival when the granaries are nearly empty ⁴.

Anyone searching for the 2026 edition will find that Goru Bihu fell on 14 April 2026, Manuh Bihu on 15 April 2026 and Gosain Bihu on 16 April 2026 ¹. The 2027 pattern repeats the same three days, one weekday later in the week.

The Bohag month is longer than the holiday. Celebrations in Assam traditionally stretch for about a week, and the Wikipedia entry on the festival describes seven phases, from night-time Raati Bihu to the closing Sera Bihu on the fourth day ². Stage functions in cities often continue after the public holiday, and some villages hold their communal fair, Mela Bihu, on a weekend after.

Tip: Plan to arrive in Guwahati by 13 April and leave on 17 April or later. The three official holiday days are the busiest for flights and trains, and a one-day buffer on each side saves a stressful trip.

For first-time visitors, the important point is that dates move by a day or two between sources, so treat 14 to 16 April 2027 as the working plan and confirm with your host or hotel a few weeks ahead.

Most community Bihu stages in Guwahati are open-air neighbourhood functions, and the published programmes for them list no ticket price ⁷. They are run by committees called sanmilans or sanmilanis, funded by local contributions and sponsors, and the audience simply walks in. One Guwahati newspaper reported that the Latasil committee, active since 1952, worked on an estimated budget of Rs 25 lacs for a past edition, which shows how large some of these free events are ⁶.

The venues named in local programme notices are worth knowing in advance ⁷:

• Latasil Playground: the long-running Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani function, with a Bihu Samragyi competition for singers and performances from popular artists.
• Judges' Field: a morning Mukoli Bihu programme by the All Guwahati Students' Union, starting at 10:15 am in the listed programme.
• AEI Field, Chandmari: the Pub Guwahati Bihu Sanmilan, a multi-day function with evening singers.
• Ulubari, Mahadev Mandir premises: a smaller local function with Bihu dance, husori and traditional sports.

Check the line-up on each committee's own poster or page, because the programme of any single year is not carried over. Specific timings and artists are announced by the committee a few days before and sometimes change on the day.

Competitions such as the Bihu Samragyi can charge for contestant entry or restrict seats near the stage; ask the volunteers at the gate. Some paid cultural shows and hotel events also run in the same week, and those do sell tickets; book them through the organiser or the hotel directly.

Tip: Carry small bills. Entry may be free, but snack stalls, parking and local donations to the committee are cash-heavy.

Do not expect reserved seating at the free stages. The best views at Latasil go to people who arrive when the afternoon programme begins, not at the evening headline slot. A standing spot near the side of the stage still gives a good view of the dhol players and dancers.

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, code GAU, is about 22 km from the Guwahati city centre, and the drive usually takes 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic ¹¹. The airport is operated by Guwahati International Airport Ltd under a 50-year concession ¹⁰. Foreign visitors with an e-Visa can arrive here, as Guwahati is on India's list of authorised e-Visa airports ⁹.

From the airport, the choices are:

• Prepaid or app taxi: roughly INR 600 to 900, according to a third-party airport listing ¹¹.
• ASTC airport bus: roughly INR 100 to 150 and 60 to 90 minutes ¹¹.
• Train: Guwahati Railway Station in the city centre receives the long-distance trains from Delhi, Kolkata and the rest of India; the Jan Shatabdi from Guwahati to Jorhat leaves at 6.30 am and reaches Jorhat at 1.30 pm ¹⁶.

Inside the city, the Latasil Playground, Judges' Field, Chandmari and Ulubari are all in the central districts, so a short auto-rickshaw or taxi hop covers most of the distance between stages. Traffic around the venues is slow on the evening of 15 April and in the hours after the late concerts.

Reaching Majuli, the river island that many visitors add to their trip, means crossing from Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district. The Assam government's Majuli district page says ferries run from 7 am to 3.30 pm and the crossing takes about one hour ⁸. A travel guide lists the foot passenger fare at INR 20 to 50 ¹⁶. The district page lists day and night deluxe coaches from Guwahati to Jorhat ⁸.

Tip: Fly into Guwahati, and take the early Jan Shatabdi to Jorhat if you are heading to Majuli. The last Nimati ferry leaves in the afternoon, so an arrival at 1.30 pm needs a quick transfer.

The e-Tourist Visa is available as a 1-month, 1-year or 5-year option, applications go in at least 4 days ahead and up to 120 days ahead ⁹. Arrive with a printed or saved copy.

Rongali Bihu starts with cattle and ends with feasts. Goru Bihu on the first day, expected 14 April 2027, is for livestock: the animals are bathed in a river or pond with herbs, given new rope and fed pitha ^{2 1}. The second day, Manuh Bihu on 15 April 2027, is the New Year for people: new clothes, blessings from elders, gifts of gamusa and a long family meal ¹. The third day, Gosain Bihu on 16 April 2027, turns to prayers and the household gods ¹.

Around those days the festival shapes the rhythm of a whole week:

• Raati Bihu is the night-time gathering before the New Year, with women gathering under a tree or in a torch-lit field and men playing the pepa and bamboo toka ².
• Kutum Bihu is the second day of Bohag, when families visit relatives and friends and share meals ².
• Mela Bihu is the fair-and-contest day, with outdoor performances ².
• Sera Bihu closes the festival with pitha exchanged between houses ².

In cities the choreography changes shape. A day at a Guwahati stage typically starts with a morning programme, which in one local listing was a Mukoli Bihu by a student union at Judges' Field ⁷. The afternoon brings folk events and traditional sports, and the crowds arrive for the evening artists and Bihu dance contests at Latasil or Chandmari ⁷.

In the village, the same days feel different. Husori groups of young men, led by elders, go from courtyard to courtyard in the evening, starting at the head man's house, and bless each family before they finish at the next door ¹⁵. Children also form small husori groups because treats follow ¹⁵. Visitors are often invited to watch, but should join only when asked.

Tip: If you only have a single evening in Guwahati, spend it at a stage on 15 April 2027 and the next morning at a quieter local programme.

Because every committee schedules its own programme, ask your hotel for the day's neighbourhood listing rather than relying on a single website.

Guwahati in mid-April is warm, humid and prone to thunderstorms. Long-run climate data for April gives a mean high of 29.7°C, a mean low of 20.9°C, about 179 mm of rain over roughly 14 rainy days and 73% humidity ¹². Another data set that averages fifty years puts highs closer to 32°C, so expect a range rather than a single figure ¹².

The India Meteorological Department city report for Guwahati on 15 April 2026 recorded a maximum of 29.1°C and a minimum of 21.5°C, with morning humidity of 85% and afternoon humidity of 64%, and a forecast of cloudy skies with thundershowers ¹³.

The weather shapes what you do:

• Outdoor stages are covered in some places and open in others; thunderstorms can pause a programme for half an hour or longer.
• Heat peaks early afternoon, so schedule a rest between the morning visit and the evening stage.
• Humid evenings mean cotton and linen are the practical choice.

What to pack, in order of use:

• Light, loose cotton clothes, plus one smarter set for family visits
• A compact umbrella or light rain jacket
• Closed shoes with grip, since fields and courtyards turn muddy
• Sunscreen, a hat and a refillable bottle
• A small power bank and a zip pouch for the phone
• A gamusa bought on the spot as a sweat towel and a souvenir

Note: Bihu is a religious and family festival. Wear clothes that cover shoulders and knees when visiting a household or a namghar prayer hall, and remove your shoes when asked.

Crowd levels are highest on the evening of 15 April 2027 in Guwahati, and on the same date at village programmes. Arrive about an hour before the main performance if you want a spot with a clear sightline.

The central districts around Paltan Bazaar, Ulubari, Chandmari and Latasil put you within a short ride of the main community stages ⁷. Choosing a hotel in that belt means you can walk or take a short auto-rickshaw to Latasil Playground, Judges' Field or AEI Field, Chandmari, and get back late ⁷.

Think about the trade-offs of each area:

• Paltan Bazaar and the railway station area: easiest for trains, with many budget guesthouses, and noisy at night.
• Ulubari and Chandmari: residential, close to two of the named stages, with plenty of eateries.
• Near the Brahmaputra riverfront: calmer evenings and river views, a little further from the stages.
• Near the airport: only if your flight is at dawn, because the drive to the city centre is 22 km ¹¹.

Rooms tighten around the three-day holiday, when Assam families travel for the festival and visitors arrive from outside the state. Book at least several weeks before 14 April 2027, and check the cancellation terms because plans change. If you are heading to Majuli, rooms are fewer, so book the island stay first and fit Guwahati around it.

Majuli accommodation tends to be in guesthouses and homestays near Kamalabari and Garamur. The island has no railway station, so the nearest railhead is Jorhat ⁸. The Assam government lists seven satras on its Majuli district tourism menu: Garamur, Auniati, Bengena Ati, Bhogpur, Dakhinpat, Uttar Kamalabari and Samaguri ⁸.

Tip: Ask any host whether the neighbourhood committee is holding a function nearby. A homestay close to a stage can mean loud drums until late, which is wonderful if you planned for it and exhausting if not.

Prices climb during festival weeks but there is no source for a reliable nightly range, so compare listings a month out and read recent reviews for noise and cleanliness.

Signal in a packed Bihu ground is weaker than in the quieter streets around it. Local reports describe huge crowds at Latasil and at more than 45 other celebrations across the city in a past edition, so every network in Guwahati works harder on the main evening ⁶.

For visitors from abroad, the simplest route is an eSIM that you install before landing. A prepaid eSIM for India means your phone connects as soon as you leave the plane, with no queue for a SIM at the airport. Check that your handset supports eSIM and is unlocked.

Use the connection for these jobs:

• Maps to the stages and the walk back to your hotel
• Ride-hailing from a side street, not at the gate
• Messages and live location with your group
• Translation of Assamese signs and menus
• Payments by UPI or card where the stall accepts them

Tip: Download offline maps of Guwahati and Jorhat before leaving Wi-Fi. If a thunderstorm interrupts the network, the map and your hotel address still work.

Some public places offer free Wi-Fi, but it is unreliable when thousands of people arrive at once. Treat it as a backup, not a plan.

If you travel to Majuli, signal fades on the ferry and on parts of the island, so save your ferry timings, host phone number and offline map before the crossing. Return the same way, as the ferry schedule runs from 7 am to 3.30 pm, according to the district page ⁸.

The Bihu dance is fast and driven by the dhol, a twin-faced drum, with the pepa, a hornpipe made from buffalo horn, carrying the melody ¹⁴. The gogona, a bamboo reed instrument held at the mouth, the toka, a split-bamboo clapper, the taal, a pair of cymbals, and the hutuli add to that sound ¹⁴. Dancers in the Bihu step swing their hips and arms in quick, repeating movements, and the music matches their pace.

The costumes are specific. Women wear the mekhela chador in white and red, and men wear a dhuti and a gamusa wrapped on the head. The red-and-white colour pattern is the one most visitors recognise in photographs.

Husori is the other pillar of the festival. Groups of young men led by elders perform at night in household courtyards, visiting the head man's house first and then each house in turn to bless the family ¹⁵. The singing is more solemn than the stage dance and the instruments are similar ^{15 17}.

The gamusa is the object that defines the week. It is a handwoven towel, usually white with red borders, and it is presented to elders on Manuh Bihu as a mark of love and respect ². The Wikipedia entry on the festival calls it an indispensable part of Assamese life, associated with friendship and hospitality ².

Here is how to handle it as a visitor:

• Buy a gamusa from a handloom shop or a stall and ask for the weaver's origin.
• Accept a gamusa graciously if a host offers one, and receive it with both hands.
• Never step over a gamusa or place it on the floor; it is treated with respect.

Tip: Photograph performers only after a nod or a smile, and tip a dhol player if a group invites you to stand beside the drum.

Not all Bihu dance is professional. The best evenings are often a neighbourhood competition where girls and boys from local schools perform in matched costume, and the audience cheers every move.

Pitha is the food of Bihu. The festival is associated with rice cakes of many kinds, and pitha is fed to cattle on Goru Bihu and exchanged between families on the final day, Sera Bihu ². Each house makes its own versions, and visitors who get invited in will often be offered several at once.

Magh Bihu is the feasting festival, and its food is documented: sunga pitha, til pitha, coconut sweets called laru, and mah-karai, a dish of roasted rice and black gram, with fish, duck, chicken and mutton curries at the community meal ³. Rongali Bihu is lighter and sweeter, with pitha and larus passed around over tea.

What to look for:

• Til pitha: a sesame-filled rice roll.
• Laru: coconut or sesame sweets, shaped by hand.
• Sunga pitha: rice cooked inside a bamboo tube.
• Fish curries and herb dishes: eaten at family lunches.

For Kati Bihu the food is smaller. Households light earthen lamps at the tulsi plant, and cattle are fed pitha in the evening ⁴.

How to eat well without a family invitation:

• Visit sweet and snack stalls around the stage grounds in the evening.
• Ask a neighbour or your host where local pitha sellers set up in Bihu week.
• Use a licensed restaurant for fish and meat dishes if you are unsure about hygiene.

Note: Rice beer is made by some communities for Magh Bihu ³. Accept it only from hosts you know, and drink in small amounts.

Eat freshly cooked food, drink bottled or filtered water, and carry hand sanitiser. Allergies to sesame and coconut are common in these sweets, so ask what is inside before you eat.