Makar Sankranti is one of the major harvest festivals of India celebrated in Magh (mid-January) every year when the farmers bring home the harvests after months of their hard work. To mark the ‘end of harvest season’, this festival is celebrated across the country in myriad cultural forms and names.

In Assam people celebrate this, as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu with lots of enthusiasm. Being an agrarian state, people here value festivity with many rituals apart from ‘Uruka’ feast, bonfire, and food.

Yes, food is the essence of Bhogali Bihu. The passionate preparations of home-made goodies have been an age old tradition from rural to urban households during this time.

Milk and other dairy products are the basic ingredients of Bhogali platter. Usually Doi-sira (curd and flattened rice) served with a spoonful of jaggery is the most favourite breakfast in Assam and a must have during festivals. The Bhogali preparations comprises of different dairy products like; milk, curd, cream and ghee and others like puffed rice, sesame, jaggery, coconut and lots more.

Apart from these traditional treats, Uruka feast, on the eve of the Bhogali Bihu is organised under the open sky with bonfires making it one like a food festival of India.

Preparing rice kheer is considered sacred in any Indian festival or household ceremonies and Bhogali Bihu is no exception. Rice kheer or payokh cooked with joha rice, and a generous amount of palm date jaggery or sugar, with or without dry fruits is a very popular dessert served during Bhogali Bihu.

A hot bowl of Joha rice kheer in breakfast could be the best thing you wish for in a chilled morning of January. Apart from the traditional payokh, you can also try your hands on different other variants like Paneer Payokh 

The real passion of any festival thrives with the food it is associated with. From Uttarayan of Gujarat, Sankrat of Rajasthan, Pongal or Bihu people of our country loves to cook and serve good food. For the festive culinary experience, you must choose the right dairy products which will enhance the quality of your preparations.

So this Bhogali Bihu, get ready to treat your friends, relatives and loved one with some traditional as well as unique recipes made only with Purabi Dairy products. Because Bhogali means Purabi!