Raas Mela sparks tourism prospects

Raas Mela, the main festival of the Manipuri (Bishnupriya) ethnic community, has started attracting hordes of visitors in recent years, triggering greater prospects of tourism in different parts of the country.

According to the Bangladesh Tourism Board, community-based tourism is gradually getting institutionalised in Kamalganj of Moulvibazar around Raas Mela, which is also celebrated by a portion of the Hindu community.

Parts of Moulvibazar, Dinajpur and Kuakata are generating sizeable tourism revenues from domestic visitors every year during the full moon period of Kartik month in the Bangla calendar when the Raas festival is celebrated.

On the evening of Tuesday (8 November), at least a thousand tourists from across the country went to Adampur in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar to enjoy traditional Manipuri dances. However, many had failed to secure proper accommodation as the organisers could not offer them adequate facilities.

Even the local families, that provide homestay services, could not cater for the huge demand, said Mazharul Islam, assistant director of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, signalling the tourism potential of Raas Mela which was once a minor event observed by a small group of people.

Dance performances by the Manipuri community are one of the main attractions of the festival in the aforementioned areas and the dance steps are inspired by the famous spiritual courting of Radha by the Hindu God Krishna. 

Apart from the Manipuri community, many from the Hindu community also celebrate the festival in Bangladesh and India due to its religious roots.

The Manipuri community began their 37th annual edition of the festival in Adampur on the morning of 8 November. Later, a cultural event and martial art demonstrations were held at the Manipuri Cultural Complex.

Md Mokammel Hossain, secretary of the tourism ministry, and Abu Tahir Muhammad Zaber, chief executive officer of the National Tourism Board, were present at the celebrations, among others.

In Dinajpur, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, state minister for shipping, inaugurated the festival on Monday (7 November) at the famous Kantaji temple. 

The event has been held regularly in the district since 1952, and hundreds of pilgrims and travellers from India also join the festival.

A month-long fair is also held every year in front of the Kantaji temple drawing hundreds of pilgrims and tourists. Apart from performances of circus and religious songs, Hindu scriptures, ornaments and other items are sold at this fair.

The Raas festival has been held for a long time in the Dublar Char area of Sundarbans in the Khulna district. However, since 2021, due to concerns over damaging biodiversity, entry to the forest area has been restricted to people.