Assam shares all the religious and national festivals observed elsewhere in the country. But Assam has also an exclusive range of colourful festivals which have enriched the cultural picture of the state. Rongali Ustav, celebrated in the month of April is one of them. The Bihu is by far the most important and popular agriculture-based festivals. The Bihu dance is an integral part of the festival. It is celebrated with joy and abundance by all Assamese people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief. There are three Bihus. Bohag Bihu is the time when farmers start sowing, Kaati Bihu which is observed to mark the cutting and binding and Magh Bihu which marks the season of harvesting.

Different tribes of Assam celebrates Bihu under a diffrent names. names. The Bodos celebrate Baisagu, the Rabhas celebrate Baikho, Mishings, Deoris, and Morans call the festival Bihu Utsav. They perform bihu in their own distinctive styles. Whatever may be the name, one thing is sure it's time for merriment, time to sing and dance.

In order to present the culture of different tribe and to celebrate this festival on a common platform, the Tourism Department, Government of Assam organises the Rongali Ustav every year in Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati, Assam.


The Srimanta Sankardeva kalakshetra has been set up as a grand exposition of the life and culture of the people of Assam. Named after the greatest Vaishnava saint and the greatest integrator of the Assamese society Srimanta Sankardeva, the Kalakshetra is a multi-Arts complex.

It houses a Central Museum where cultural objects and day-to-day articles used by different ethnic groups will be preserved and exhibited, an Open Air Theatre with 2000 capacity to hold folk festivals and to present traditional dance and drama of the State, an Artists' Village which offers the visitors and the residents an atmosphere of the village of Assam, the Sahitya Bhavan which is a library of rare books and manuscripts, the Lalit-Kala Bhavan which has sufficient space for exhibition, art and sculpture workshops, and a Heritage Park. The Kalakshetra has been chosen as the venue for many cultural activities.