Kati Bihu 2026: Date, Rituals & Assam's Festival of Earthen Lamps

Quick answer: Kati Bihu 2026 falls on Sunday, 18 October 2026. Also called Kongali Bihu ("Bihu of the poor"), it is Assam's most solemn Bihu — a festival of earthen lamps, Tulsi worship and quiet prayer for the standing paddy crop, with none of the feasting or dancing of Rongali Bihu.

Of Assam's three Bihus, Kati Bihu is the still, prayerful one. It arrives in mid-autumn (the Assamese month of Kati) when the granary is nearly empty and the young paddy is still ripening in the fields. There is no grand feast and no husori dancing — instead, homes glow with rows of small clay lamps and the whole valley seems to hold its breath for a good harvest.

When is Kati Bihu 2026?

Kati Bihu is observed on Kati Sankranti, the day the sun transitions into the Kati month, so the date shifts slightly each year with the Assamese solar calendar.

Why it is called "Kongali" Bihu

Kongali means "poor" or "wanting." By this point in the year the rice harvested the previous season is running low and the new crop has not yet been reaped, so the household stores are lean. Rather than a feast, the mood is one of hope and restraint — families pray that the ripening paddy will fill the granary again.

The rituals: lamps, Tulsi and the Akash Banti

• Saki (earthen lamps) are lit at dusk in every corner of the home, the cattle shed and the granary.
• The most important lamp is placed at the foot of the Tulsi (holy basil) plant in the courtyard. Families clean the Tulsi tholi (the raised Tulsi altar), light a lamp before it and offer prayers for prosperity and protection.
• In the paddy fields, farmers raise the Akash Banti — a "sky lamp" hoisted on a tall bamboo pole. Traditionally it was believed to guide the spirits of ancestors and, practically, its light draws crop-eating insects away from the ripening grain.
• Farmers also whisper rowa-khowa charms and wave lit torches over the fields (jonbeel/ bhogjara customs vary by district) to keep pests and evil away from the crop.

How Kati Bihu is celebrated across Assam

In the tea gardens of Upper Assam, workers light lamps among the bushes; in Barak Valley and lower Assam the emphasis is firmly on the Tulsi and household lamps. Because it centres on the home and the field rather than the community stage, Kati Bihu feels intimate — a family standing together in lamplight is its enduring image.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Kati Bihu and Rongali Bihu?

Rongali (Bohag) Bihu in April is the joyous new-year harvest festival with feasting and dance. Kati Bihu in October is austere and prayerful — lamps and hope, not celebration — because the granary is empty and the crop is still in the field.

Is Kati Bihu a holiday in Assam?

Yes, it is observed as a restricted/state holiday in Assam, though it is primarily a domestic, agrarian observance rather than a public festival.

What is the Akash Banti?

The Akash Banti is a lamp raised high on a bamboo pole in the paddy field during Kati Bihu, lit to honour ancestors and to protect the ripening crop.

Explore more autumn festivals

• Kartik Purnima & Dev Deepawali 2026
• Diwali 2026 — complete 5-day guide
• Jagaddhatri Puja 2026 — Bengal's festival of lights

Assam's district calendars can shift Kati Sankranti by a day; confirm with a local Assamese panjika before observance.