CHT prepares for Baishabi. Photo : Collected

RANGAMATI, April 03, 2025 (BSS) - Festivity is in the air ahead of Baishabi, the largest cultural celebration of the hill ethnic communities of the Chattogram Hill Tracts to welcome the New Year.

The government has already announced April 13 a public holiday on Chaitra Sankranti in three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.

Different tribes call it in different names, and the name 'Baishabi' is common to all of them. The Tripuris call the festival Baishu. The Marmas call it Shangrai and the Chakmas as Biju. Baishu, Shangrai and Biju are collectively known as Baishabi.
 
The term Baishabi is the' combination of the first letter of the three names of the festival such as bai of Baishu, Sa of Sangrai and bi of Biju.

The new year celebration generally observed for three days, last two days of the passing year and the first day of new year in the hilly districts of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari.

The Baisabi festival will be inaugurated this evening in the hills with the inauguration of the week-long Biju, Sangrai, Baisuk, Bishu and Bihu Mela 2025 at the Rangamati Minority Institute Ground.

Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Major General (Retd) Anup Kumar Chakma will inaugurate the festival.

Although Baisabi festival formally begins on April 12, festivity or programmes centering the festival begin in various areas of the hills from the beginning of April.

The 7-day Biju, Shangrai, Baisuk, Bishu and Bihu will be held under the arrangement of Rangamati Hill District Council and the Institute of Minority Ethnic Groups and in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

The opening ceremony will include a discussion meeting, children's drawing competition, musical soiree and dance performances by the artists from Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Pankhoya, Khyang, Lusai, Ahmia, Gurkha and other small ethnic groups.

A Chakma language and alphabet writing competition, Ghila Khela (Chakma) and cultural programmes will be arranged April 4.

Ghila Khela of Tanchangya community, traditional pitha making competition, Chakma drama and cultural programmes will be held on April 5.

On April 6, women's sports competition, Tanchangya drama and cultural programmes will be arranged.

On April 7, children's competition, sports competition-Nadeng, magazine programme, cultural programmes with the participation of various ethnic groups will be held.

On April 8, Chakma language and alphabet writing competition for higher secondary and upper secondary classes will be held.

On April 9, traditional ‘pachan’ cooking competition and cultural event will be arranged in which popular band artists from Rangamati will perform.

Although Baisabi festival belongs to the ethno-linguistic communities of the CHT, but it becomes a universal gathering of all communities.

First day of Chaitra Sankranti will be celebrated on April 12 when Phul Biju Baisu or Vishu of Chakma, Tripura, and Tanchangya communities will be celebrated.

On this day, they collect Bew flowers and neem leaves from the forest and decorate their houses with those items; as well they float the flowers in Kaptai Lake dedicating them for the Ganga Devi.

On April 13, the second day of Chaitra Sankranti is the day of the main Biju Baisu or Vishu festival. On this day, they cook traditional ‘pachan’ and other foods at home. Marma people arrange Jal Keli festival between April 14 to April 16.

The festive atmosphere is now blowing in air of the hills to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year on Chaitra Sankranti.
Baishabi festival also will be celebrated in the remote villages of the hill districts joyfully with colorful arrangements.