MUMBAI: Television actress Mahika Sharma is excited about Bihu, adding that the festival is indeed a big deal in her home state of Assam.

Mahika, who hails for Guwahati, says: "Rongali Bihu, or Bohag Bihu, is Assam's harvest festival the marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. We celebrate it with great joy. The celebrations continue for a month. The most special feature of the celebration is that it promotes art and creates no pollution. It's all about dance and music. The music is played by sticks or bamboo. Bihu dance has its own glory."

While she used to celebrate Bihu in Mumbai, too, she hasn't been able to do so since the last year.

"Here in Mumbai, I used to host Bihu. But since last year, I have been unable to because of the pandemic. However, I miss the 'Bihu Bihu lagise' vibes of Assam," she says.

She organised a special 'Jalpan' for her friends this year.

"I'm hosting the traditional meal to ring in our new year here in Mumbai. My close friends will join me. I'm cooking 'Jalpan' which comprises chira, muri, akhoi, hurum, pitha-guri, sandoh-guri, komal-chaul, gur, doi and milk which is totally devoid of any spices, including salt," she says.

She adds: "Yet, whether one just takes any of these items alone, or takes a combination of several or all of them together, it is not just very tasty, but also very healthy and nutritious. Not even one of the above items is manufactured by frying or using oil, except for a couple of items like the ghila-pitha and malpowa-pitha. And if one takes a banana, preferably a bheem-kol or honda-kol with it, the taste and nutrition-value of a jalpan only increases manifold. Also, we serve it on banana leaf only."

Mahika has appeared in TV shows such as "F.I.R", "Tu Mere Agal Bagal Hai" and "Police Factory." She was also seen in Bollywood films like "Mr Joe B. Carvalho" and "Chalo Dilli".