Girls dance to Bishnu Rabha classic, Kuwura Batah, in Muscat

Rongali Bihu has a way of its own — drawing people out of their homes for a sumptuous taste of spring.

The breezy season may play host to the occasion but that does not stop the Assamese diaspora from eating, drinking and making merry at temperatures hovering around 2 degrees Celsius in one part of the world to heatwaves in another.

Here’s a peep into last year’s celebrations across the world — where little Assams sprouted in the middle of Cockney neighbourhoods or “Ki khobor, kene asa?” mingled with the American twang.

Take Ontario, Canada for instance. With the mercury level hovering around 1 degree Celsius even in mid-April, the Assamese settled in that country longed for some warm sunshine but made up for it with festive mirth. Last year, they gathered at the River Grove Community Centre, weaving a mosaic of mekhela and gamosa. Laughter flowed, as did music and culminated in dance and food. This year, they have similar plans.

The Assamese community of Minneapolis and St Paul and neighbouring areas in Minnesota gathered at the Shakopee Lions Hall on April 18 last year to celebrate Rongali Bihu.

The best part of the festival, admitted the majority, was the impromptu dinners and the rehearsals.

After all, the music menu included everything from Bhupen Hazarika’s Manuhe Manuhor Baabe to the Hindi chartbuster Rock On!!!

But the “encore” came for food — complete with jolpan, laroo and pitha.

The preparations this year have already begun, with Minnesota hoping to outdo last year’s frolic with a few innovative games and performances.

This year, the Assamese community residing in Texas will meet in Dallas to celebrate Rongali Bihu. “The community of Texas is planning to have a get-together in Dallas on April 17 for a fun-filled day on Rongali Bihu,” says Swapnali Hazarika Sarathy, an architect based in Houston, Texas.

The whimsical weather decided to be kind to Bihu revellers as they gathered at Hornchurch in east London in May last year. The delay only pumped up the expectation. Japis and gamosas hung with balloons from every pillar of the hall as sira-doi-gur, narikolor laroo, ghila pitha and tilor laroo did the rounds. Dinner was a sumptuous meal of succulent chicken and lamb.

Before pangs of the missing Bihutoli could hit Muscat in Oman, the Assamese got together to celebrate Rongali Bihu on April 7 — a little ahead of schedule.

The venue was Majan Continental Hotel, where more than 120 people gathered for the occasion.

Guest artiste Dikshu, an upcoming singer from Assam, belted out hits, dragging everyone to the dance floor.

The programme began with the rendition of O Mur apunar desh, followed by a dance by the younger girls to a Bishnu Rabha classic, Kuwura Batah.

There was a Bollywood dance and of course, the quintessential Bihu.

“The programme was the second best thing to being home for Bihu,” said Sandeep Barooah, an executive in Muscat.

The tiny Assamese community celebrated Rongali Bihu at King Faisal University Campus in Dammam, in Saudi Arabia. For a change, the men competed for a salad competition while the women cheered on.

The programme culminated with an open-for-all Bihu dance where everyone joined in.

“The Bihu bhuj (feast) was akin to the one back home in Assam with delicacies like pitha, laroo, khar, masor tenga, masor pitika, koldilor bhaji, et al, specially prepared for the occasion,” says Reep Hazarika, a senior engineer with an oil giant in Jubail. “This year, too, the Saudi Arabia Axomia Xomaj plans to have another fun-filled Bihu in Jubail on April 15, the local weekend in the kingdom,” he says. “Besides, all members will be a part of the Mukoli (open-air) Bihu to relive the Rongali spirit and usher in the Assamese New Year,” Hazarika adds.