Wangala festival: Garos in Moulvibazar celebrate harvest
The Garo community celebrated Wangala, their largest annual festival, in Moulvibazar's Sreemangal upazila yesterday.
During the festival every year, Garos express their gratitude to Misi Saljong or the God of grains, for blessing the community with a good harvest, said Khitish Areng, president of Sreechuk Achik Asong Nakma Association, one of the organisers of the festival in the area.
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Through the pre-winter celebration, worshippers ask for divine approval to consume the new crop by offering it to the God first. The main purpose of this festival is to please the God, to have a good harvest next year. Garo people pray for their children and families to remain well and for good fortune.
Thousands of Garo people attended yesterday's daylong programme in Fulcharra tea garden playground in Sreemangal, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent.
They began the festivity by offering traditional prayers in the morning.
Other formalities were maintained during the crop-offering.
Young and old people dressed in traditional colourful clothes like Dakmanda, Daksari or Gando and dance to the music played on long, oval-shaped drums called Dama, said Partho Hajong, president of Sreechuk Youth Garo Organization.
Traditional performances like Katta Doka (talking in singing style), Ajea (Garo folk song), Dani Doka (describing Wangala by singing), Chambil Mesaa (a kind of solo dance also known as Pomelo) were held during the celebrations.
"Garo people are mainly dependent on agro-economy. We do not use any agricultural produce before thanking Misi Saljong," Khitish Areng said.
This cultural programme was arranged by Sreechuk Achik Asong Nakma Association and Sreechuk Youth Garo Organization as part of the festivity.
Bishop Shorot Gomes, head of Sylhet Catholic Diocese attended as the chair of the programme and Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Mir Nahid Ahsan was present as chief guest.