Fanus Lanterns Colour the Hill Sky as Marma Probarona Purnima Festival Begins in Bandarban

Hundreds of fanus lanterns coloured the hill sky over Bandarban on Monday evening, 26 October, as the Marma community's main religious and social festival, Wa Gyoi Poye, or Probarona Purnima, got under way.

The festival is usually celebrated over two days, but this year the Probarona Purnima programme is being held over three days. The programme that began on Monday will end on Wednesday morning.

According to tradition, Prince Siddhartha renounced worldly life on the full moon of Ashadha and, after long meditation, became Gautama Buddha. Belief holds that on this full moon he released his hair into the sky. In memory of that event, hundreds of fanus are flown every year on the full moon of Ashwin.

As the lanterns rose on Monday evening, the surroundings echoed with chants of 'Sao Do, Sao Do' in the Marma language.

Cha Nu Mong Marma, president of the festival celebration council, said Monday evening's programme included a Mangal Rath procession from the old Rajbari grounds to the vihara for worship, lighting of auspicious lamps at 6pm, colourful fanus flown in honour of the Churamani Jadi, and a pitha-making festival in neighbourhoods at 7pm. He also described Tuesday's procession and the programme to dedicate the Mangal Rath at the Ujanipara ferry ghat on the Sangu River.

The Marma community celebrates the festival after observing three months of Barshabrat. Its events include group pitha-making through the night, visiting neighbours' homes in new clothes to distribute different kinds of pitha, cultural programmes, lighting a thousand lamps, flying fanus and the chariot procession.

From Monday morning, monasteries across Bandarban have seen donations of money and food to monks and flower offerings. Devotees are observing the Ashtashil and Dashashil precepts, religious discourses are being held in the viharas, and special prayers are being offered for the welfare of all beings.

Buddhist devotees are gathering at different viharas to pray for happiness, peace and family wellbeing. Lay devotees are marking the day by lighting candles and incense and offering chhoyaing, various kinds of food, to Buddhist monks.

At 5pm on Monday, a Buddha image was placed on the Mangal Rath built at the old Rajbari field, one of the festival's main attractions. The chariot was taken to the traditional Rajguru Buddhist Vihara for veneration, then to the Ujanipara Buddhist Vihara, and afterwards brought back to the old Rajbari.

On Tuesday afternoon, a Buddha image will be placed on the chariot at the old Rajbari field and the chariot will be taken around the whole town, while Buddhist men and women light candles to pay respect to the Buddha image.

Police Superintendent Md Wahabul Islam said adequate security measures had been strengthened in Bandarban's seven upazilas for the Probarona Purnima festival.