Fair and Festival

Baisabi Festival

Baisabi Festival — commonly celebrated as “Biju” by the Chakma and Tanchyanga, “Shangrai” as Marmas and “Baisuk” or “Baisu” by Tripuras — is the main social festival of the tribal people in the hill districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari.

Each tribe has their own way of celebrating this festival. For example: Biju is celebrated for three consecutive days by the Chakmas and Tanchyangas on the last two days of Chaitra and the first day of Baishakh. They refrain themselves from killing any living creatures during this festival. The last day of Chaitra is considered as the main festival day. On this special day they cook a mixed curry with five types of vegetables, which they call Pachan.

The Marinas celebrate Shangrai for four days. They all carry the image of Lord Buddha to the river front and set down the image on a floating bed. Afterwards, they complete the bathing of the image in milk or sandalwood water and return with it to set it in the Temple or in their homes. In every locality, the water throwing festival starts with people throwing water at each other so that the previous year’s sorrow will be washed away. The Baisuk festival of the Tripura tribe is celebrated by worshipping the god Shiva and asking for his blessings.

Kothin Chibor Dan Utsab

‘Kothin Chibor Dan’ is the greatest religious festival of the Buddhist community where ‘viksus’ are given ‘chibor’ or cloth to wear which the Buddhists believe as the best of all gifts. Chibor, the cloth that viksus wear, may be of any six colors: those of a tree’s roots, trunk, bark, dry leaves, fruit or flower.

This utsab or festival is celebrated with religious fervor at Rangamati Rajban Bihara in the Rangamati hill district. Buddhist community from all three hill districts as well many visitors and tourists from home and abroad gather at Rangamati Rajban Bihara area to participate in the festival. The elaborated schedule of this programme includes Buddha puja, Ful puja, Sibli puja, feeding the monks, astaporiskardan, taking Panchshil and Astashil and praying for world peace.