MaghBihu also called BhogaliBihu  (of eating Bhog i.e. enjoyment) or MagharDomahi  is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, North-East India, which marks the end of harvesting season in the month of Magh.(January–February).

MaghBihu celebrations start on the last day of the previous month, the month of “Pooh”, usually the 29th of Pooh is 14 January, and is the only day of MaghBihu in modern times (earlier, the festival would last for the whole month of Magh, and so the name MaghBihu). The night before is “Uruka” (28th of Pooh), when people gather around a bonfire, cook dinner, and have fun.

Young people put uptemporary hutsknown as Bhelaghar which are made from bamboo, leaves and thatch,  spend the night in these huts and feast on the vegetables stolen from the backyards of villagers which is also a tradition. Traditional Assamese games like tekelibhonga (pot-breaking) and buffalo fighting are a part of this festival.

The first day of MaghBihu is known as Uruka or the Bihu Eve.The word Uruka is derived from the Deori-Chutia word Urukuwa which means “to end”, signifying the end of the harvesting season and the Pausha month. The Uruka feasting may be a family affair or communal.

A feast is organised at night known as Bhuj (derived from the Sanskrit word “Bhojana”). On this day, women prepare food  like- Chira, Pitha, Laru, Curd. They make rice cakes with various names such as SungaPitha, TilPitha etc. and some other sweets of coconut called Laru.Various indigenous communities prepare their rice beers usually undistilled like Chuji by Chutiyas, Nam-Lao by Tai-Ahom, Zou by Bodos, Aapong by Missing Tribe. The Uruka ends after the feasting.

The day of the Bihu starts at early dawn by a post-harvesting ceremony called “Meji”. In this, bonfires are burned in the fields and people pray to their ancestral gods for blessings. The word Meji originates from the Deori-Chutia word Midi-ye-ji where “Midi” means “Ancestral gods”, “Ye” means “Fire” and “Ji” means “Fly away”, signifying the worship of ancestral spirits which fly away with the fire. The bonfires are usually made with fireword, green bamboo, hay and dried Banana leaves. People take a bath before setting up the bonfire and this ritual is referred to as MejiJwaluwa

Worshipping the Bhoral and Meji is done by offering Chicken, Rice cakes, Rice beers, Chira, Pitha, Akhoi, Horoom, Curd, and other eatables. In the end after the Bhelaghar is burned the people traditionally eat Mah-Karai, which is a roasted mixture of rice and black gram.

A bonfire (Meji) is lit for the ceremonial conclusion and prayers are offered to the God of Fire. The ashes of the bonfire of the Meji and Bhelaghar are used in the trees and crops to increase the fertility of the gardens or fields. This festival is developed by the Tibeto-Burman, Austroasiatic and Indo-aryan cultures and the festival Magan of Kachari.