It derives its name from the Sanskrit Vishuvam when day and night are rendered equal through the vernal equinox. People welcome the spring season and pray for a bountiful and rich harvest. The exact date in the English calendar varies, but the festival normally starts from the 13th day of the month of April. Ambubasi Mela is a fair held in Guwahati, the capital of Assam, and is closely related to Tantric rituals. Attire People of Assam use a vast range of hand-woven fabrics with intricate designs.
Local silk occupies a prominent place in the Assamese society.
With growing impact of Western culture, traditional attires have given way to Western clothes and majority of the people can be seen in these clothes only. Cuisine Fish is a major delicacy in Assam. One can savor mouthwatering fish curries in and around Guwahati at cheap rates. During the Bihu festivals, a wide range of delicacies from the rice-flour pastries stuffed with coconut and til, named as til pitha and narikal pitha, respectively, to the sweet balls of coconut and til called larus are prepared with great care in every home. There is a special loveliness about bunches of the green coconuts hanging from bicycles.