The two-day 49th Kathin Chibar Dan festival concluded at Rajban Bihar in Rangamati with calls for world peace, harmony, and friendship. The annual Buddhist festival of the Chittagong Hill Tracts ended on Friday afternoon as the monks received the chibar (robe) prepared within 24 hours.
Former MP Ushatan Talukder and BNP’s central assistant secretary for religious affairs, former Joint District Judge Dipen Dewan, handed over the chibar to the monks at 2pm. Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Habib Ullah Maruf, along with representatives from various political, social, and religious organizations, attended the event.
Earlier in the morning, the day’s programs included the observance of Panchashila Prayers, Sanghadan, and Ashtapariskar Daan rituals. The main robe-offering ceremony began at 2:30pm. The festival had formally begun on Thursday afternoon with the inauguration of the Bain Hall and the ceremonial spinning of yarn.
Throughout the night, around 400 Bain workers and 150 spinning workers, assisted by more than a thousand devotees, were engaged in making the robe — from cotton processing and dyeing to drying and weaving. The weaving continued from yesterday dawn until 11am.
This year, 48 devotees from Maharashtra, India, along with others from the USA, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, joined the ceremony. The entire Rajban Bihar area turned into a vibrant fairground with rows of stalls selling various goods.
Since 1976, the Kathin Chibar festival has been held annually at Rajban Bihar, drawing thousands of devotees from home and abroad in the spirit of peace and harmony.
