The 3-day Sangraing Poye or traditional Jalkeli festival of the Rakhine community of Cox's Bazar has started on Wednesday to bid farewell and welcome Mogisan.
However, there was no opening ceremony at this year's festival. Rakhine villages are decorated in various colors on the occasion of the festival.
Ananda Utsav is going on in Cox's Bazar, Maheshkhali, Teknaf and Chakaria Rakhine villages. Young Rakhine women wish each other Happy New Year by sprinkling mangal water. Tourists coming to Cox's Bazar and people from various local communities are flocking to Rakhine villages to see the Rakhine water sports festival.
More than 50 pandals have been installed in the whole hilly district. By sprinkling Mangal Jal and dancing, these pandals celebrate the farewell of the old year and the welcome the new year.
Special security measures have been taken to mark the Jalkheli festival of the Rakhine community.
The people of the Rakhine community hold a seven-day programme starting from Pahela Baishakh to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.
Among them, the 'Sangrang Poye' festival is held for three days from April 17 to April 19.
Visiting Rakhine pally, it can be seen that the Rakhine youths are enjoying themselves by soaking their bodies in cold water in the intense heat. In some pandals, children and teenagers have also participated in Jalkeli. For this, the pandals have been constructed in Hangarpara, Tekpara, Barabazar, Chaulbazar, Buddhmandir road, Kang Para and SA (Thongro) Para, Rakhine village of Teknaf, Big Rakhinepara of Maheshkhali, Chhota Rakhine Para, Harbang Rakhine village of Chakria.
Colorful flowers and various handicrafts are decorated around the pandal. Every Rakhine house is decorated with new decorations. Every children and old people who come to the festival wears new clothes.
People of different ages, including the young and the old, are going in procession from pandel to pandel, playing drums and singing. Then stand in front of the young women sitting on one side of the boat. Young people have a pot full of Mangaljal. The young menn threw this water at the young women of his choice. If the young woman wishes, she responds to the young man's call and throws water at the young man.
In this way, the biggest social festival 'Sangrang Poye' where young people throw water in pairs goes on in pandals. In Bengal it is called 'Jalkeli' festival.
Talking to Abu Rakhine and Mongla Rakhine at a pandel in Barabazar area of the city, they said, ignoring the extreme heat, we organized this festival to welcome the new Mogisan. The people of our community are very happy.
Going to some pandals, it can be seen that the gathering of tourists and people of various local communities who come to Cox's Bazar to see this Rakhine festival. Tourists Abdur Rahman, Mohian and Alia from Dumuria in Khulna said, ‘this Rakhine community's New Year festival is an extra experience for us’.
Mom Rakhine of Maheshkhali Bara Rakhine neighborhood said, "It is very hot, but still our festival is going on." He wished everyone a Happy New Year. According to the annual calendar of the Rakhine community, 1385 Mogisan ended on the night of April 16 (Tuesday). Rakhine New Year 1386 Mogisan begins on 17th April (Wednesday).
People of Rakhine community say that this festival is for the purification of all the sadness and sorrow of the old year. This festival will continue for 3 consecutive days.
Superintendent of Police of Cox's Bazar, Md. Mahfuzul Islam PPM, said that special security measures have been taken in the entire district around the New Year festival of the Rakhine community. Additional security measures have been taken, especially in Rakhine villages.