Bhatheli

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Bhatheli, also known as Paowra Tola, is a Hindu festival mainly celebrated in North Kamrup, Assam. It occurs in the month of Vaisakha. In different areas it goes by different names: Bhatheli in northern Kamrup; Sori or Suanri in southern Kamrup; Sori in Goalpara; and Deul in Darrang. In the Bajali area of north Kamrup, a bamboo is kept against a Banyan tree named Madan Mohan Gosain, a form of Krishna.

Some scholars, like Banikanta Kakati, note a similarity between Bhatheli and the ancient Indradhwaja festival described in the Kalika Purana as Sakrotthana, which involved a pole with flags. The festival practices described there resemble today’s Bhatheli preparations.

In each area, a long bamboo with flags and streamers is set up. The person who fits best around the bamboo is called the bridegroom, while the others are called brides and form a circle around the bamboo in a mock wedding.

A key feature of the festival is planting two green bamboos. On the fixed day, in the morning, young men take purifying baths, cut two bamboos, and decorate them with colored cloth and cowries, followed by celebrations with music and instruments. A large fair accompanies the festival, with trading of many goods.