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Bijhu - enlivened in hopes


This year's mid-April has been a lot different than previous years'. mid-April means festivity for the Chakmas and many other ethnic groups. The biggest festival of the Chakmas, Bijhu comes around this time. This year it did come sitting on the wheel of time, but without festivity. Since everyone was locked in their homes festivity failed to show its colour.

Pre-COVID-19 all the Bijhus have been celebrated with great pomp and grandeur. In Tripura state of India in the recent past a state level Bijhu Festival has been organised under the aegis of the government. By turn a Chakma-dominated location is selected every year to hold the grand occasion. This year as per plan, it was supposed to be held in Lalchhara in Longtharai Valley subdivision. Due to COVID-19 lockdown it had to be cancelled.




Bijhu outside the state level celebration also has equal gravity and importance. It is basically celebrated for three days, beginning from the last day Chaitra (last month of Bengali calendar year). However, nowadays people seem to be engrossed in festivity so much so that they continue to enjoy for seven consecutive days.

Traditionally Chakma people love to celebrate the day in eating and feeding a lot. The cardinal food item is known as 'Paajan", a mixed vegetable dish. The real feat is in adding as many vegetables as one can afford. That's why preparation for the occasion used to start long before the day. Cleaning of house, going for collection of wild vegetables, roots etc. used to be common chores during those days. Now the volume and format of the festival have changed with the intrusion of modernity and accompanying circumstances.

Being Buddhists worship of Lord Buddha is a must duty to perform. Offering flowers, candles, agar batti, food in good variety etc. can be seen everywhere. The evening passes in worshipping and release of lamps, big and small. This is also a good time for indulging in traditional sports. The youngsters in their costume fineries, do enjoy a lot. House-hopping to enjoy Chakma delicacies, specially Paajan is not to miss by anyone. 

The festival is also a symbol of socio-cultural processes in the Chakma society. Around this year the new season of cultivation begins - as the jhum fields are burnt , the fall of new rain prepares it for showing. Wish we get to have such beautiful Bijhus again in future.

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