Majuli, April 14 -- Assam on Tuesday, celebrated Goru Bihu, the first day of the Rongali Bihu festival, marking the Assamese New Year with traditional fervour in Majuli, the world's largest inhabited river island.

Observed on the last day of the month of Chot (Chaitra Sankranti), Goru Bihu holds special significance in Assam's agrarian society and is dedicated to the care and worship of cattle, which play a vital role in farming and rural livelihoods.

In the early hours, farmers across Majuli led their cattle to nearby rivers and water bodies, including the mighty Brahmaputra River, where they were bathed and cleaned as part of age-old customs. The animals were gently tapped with dighloti and makhiyoti leaves and fed vegetables such as ...