Water festival celebrated
Boys and girls of Rakhain community splashing water on each other at Naba Pandit Bihar at Katalganj in Chittagong city yesterday to celebrate 'Jalkeli Utshab.' Photo: Anurup Kanti Das
The people of Rakhain community here yesterday for the first time observed their “Jalkeli Utshab” (Water Festival) in the port city with much enthusiasm on the occasion of “Chaitra Sankranti.” To celebrate the herald the arrival of the Bangla New Year, popularly known as “Sangrai”, the biggest community festival of “Rakhain,” the young boys and girls of the community splashed water to each other at Naba Pandit Bihar at Katalganj in the city. Bangladesh Rakhain Students' Association, Chittagong arranged the festival at the temple. The festival started with bathe of God Buddha and warship of Buddha. Thein Thein One, a student of a private university, told The Daily Star that it is very charming for her as the young fellows from many districts gathered here to observe “Sangrai”. “If the festival was celebrated in my village I would not have got so much pleasure because friends from Patuakhali, Maheshkhli, Ramu, Teknaf and Cox's Bazar have joined with us,” she said. “I want New Year will come again in the city with more pleasure and festivity,” she added. Mong Hla Sing, a student of Chittagong College, said they organised the festival as a part of their tradition to get purification from sin and misdeeds. Buddhist Welfare Association assisted to arrange the festival.
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