Bangladesh: Traditional Water Festival (Sangrai) in Chittagong Hill Tracts

Zakir Hossain

Celebration of Sangrai Festival or Water festival, one of the biggest festivals of the Rakhaine & Marma community organized to celebrate New Year. A week long program, “Sangrai Powey” in Rakhaine means 'new year'. It is held in April 13-19. One of the days falls in Pohela Boishakh. Pani Khela or Jolkali is the main attraction of the festival. Young Rakhain men and women wearing traditional dress playfully douse each other with water with the music of local song. It is believed that this tradition removes the woes, pain and sins of the previous year and people are reinvigorated to have a good start. It is done with the participation of boys and girls who are still single. They are positioned in the two sides of a tables or arena wherein basins of water are at their front and they splash the water against each other. It is believed that water splashing is a means of expressing feelings of love.