It’s a festival of splashes, smiles, and celebration. From children to the elderly, the Rakhine community in Cox’s Bazar has come together to celebrate Sanggreng Pwe—their biggest and most joyous festival, also known as the Water Festival.
On Thursday (April 17), with the rising sun, the Rakhine calendar welcomed the year 1387. As per tradition, the community bid farewell to the old year and embraced the new one through the Sanggreng or Jolkeli (Water Splash) festival, which continues for three days until Saturday.
Much like every year, Rakhine people greet the New Year by sprinkling each other with “auspicious water,” symbolizing blessings, renewal, and happiness. The festival is being celebrated across the district, with over a hundred colorful pavilions set up for the occasion.
According to Mongshen Hla Rakhine, former president of the Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association and director of the Rakhine Cultural Center, “The Water Festival, which has been celebrated for over a thousand years, is alive in every corner of the district. Cultural pavilions are in full swing, and the Cox’s Bazar Cultural Center has also extended financial support for the celebrations.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Neelufa Yasmin Chowdhury, who visited the festivities, said, “Sanggreng or the Water Festival is the most significant celebration of the Rakhine community, and it’s being observed with great enthusiasm. Security measures have been heightened to ensure a peaceful and joyful environment.”
Though rooted in Rakhine tradition, over the years the Water Festival has become a cherished part of the broader cultural landscape of Cox’s Bazar—uniting communities in joy, heritage, and hope for a prosperous year ahead.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
File Photo
