Shoppers indulge in some last - minute shopping in a city market on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Jan. 12: The wafting aroma of chunga pitha, laddo pitha, gur and a chill that sets teeth chattering, that is Bihu for most.

And as if on cue, winter arrived in the city, really and truly, riding on last evening?s rain that sent the mercury on a slide.

The Met office here predicted a ?typical? cold and windy Magh Bihu tomorrow with possibility of more rain.

A senior source in the regional meteorological centre at Borjhar said the sudden dip was nothing unusual and only indicated the arrival of winter. ?The north wind blowing from the Himalayas over the northeastern region is the main reason for the chill. This is one of the characteristics of winter in this region.?

He went on to add, ?If the sky clears up, the minimum temperature will plummet. The sky is partly cloudy today and the clouds are keeping out the cold winds blowing in from the north. Once the sky clears it will get colder. But this is normal ? it is typical Bihu weather.?

The minimum temperature recorded today was 11.7 degrees Celsius. It is likely to go down to around 9 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

?The cold and windy conditions will continue for some more days. The rains will not be too much of a problem as there will only be light showers and not heavy downpours,? he added.

The sudden rain yesterday took everyone by surprise and by the time it stopped there was a considerable drop in the temperature and power cuts in several areas.

However, the rains had no visible impact on preparations for tomorrow?s uruka feast. If anything the dipping mercury added to the cheer and opened purse stings further as Guwahatians did some last-minute shopping for their festive repast.

The vegetable and fish markets in the city witnessed considerable rush. Serpentine queues were seen in front of chicken and mutton shops too.

The NEDFi Haat, which is hosting the pre-Bhogali Utsav, too, attracted crowds in hordes.

Traditional Bihu delicacies like chunga pitha, chunga doi, laddo pitha, fresh seasonal vegetables, gur, hurun, different rice varieties sold like hot cakes.

?We have had enough of rains. We pray for a pleasant Bihu sans rain,? Rekha Sarma of Chandmari said. Manoj Boruah, a resident of R.G. Baruah Road, said, ?We have planned a get-together of all the residents of our colony tomorrow night. Rains will definitely create problems but we cannot let that dampen the spirit of this day.?