Thousands gather in Ramu for colourful boat-floating festival

People from different faiths and communities lined the banks of the Bakkhali river as paper-crafted ships were floated

Paper-crafted ships, thousands of people gathering along both banks of a river, and people from different religions and communities coming together -- the traditional boat-floating festival on the Bakkhali river in Cox’s Bazar's Ramu is a colourful celebration of heritage and communal harmony.

Rooted in Buddhist religious history, the festival has evolved beyond the boundaries of a single community, becoming a symbol of mutual goodwill and peaceful coexistence among people who gather on the riverbanks.

People began arriving on both banks of the Bakkhali river on Monday afternoon. Paper ships of various shapes and designs were placed on boats and floated on the river, drawing crowds of local residents and visitors from different areas.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam attended the festival as the chief guest and assured organisers that the government would consider including it in the list of national festivals.

“You have raised the question of whether this programme can be recognised as a national festival. We will certainly take a decision on including such a festival among our national celebrations. After returning from here, I will inform the honourable prime minister about every aspect of this colourful, vibrant and joyous festival,” he said.

According to Pragyananda Bhikkhu of Ramu Seema Bihar, the festival of symbolic ships is associated with the memory of Gautama Buddha’s journey by river.

He said Gautama Buddha had travelled by ship along the Ganges from Magadha to Vaishali around 2,500 years ago. At the time, Vaishali was facing famine and various calamities, prompting its king to invite Buddha to the region. The religious significance of the festival is linked to the tradition of commemorating that journey, he said.

Pragyananda Bhikkhu said that, to his knowledge, the festival was first introduced in Myanmar at least 300 years ago and began being observed in Ramu around a century ago.

Arpan Barua, chief coordinator of the boat-floating festival, said the organisers were seeking official recognition in view of its historical heritage and cultural significance. They also demanded a government holiday on Prabarana Purnima, the Buddhist full-moon festival.