The legacy of Chaitra Sankranti celebration at Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala

Locals observing “Chaitra Songkranti” (the last day of the Bengali calendar) at the Bengali New Year's Eve in the Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala. Photo: Courtesy of Sumit Barua

Since the sixth century BCE, the local benefactors have erected and reconstructed Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala many times. Commonly known as Cakrashala, this place is approximately four kilometres south of the Patiya subdistrict of Chattogram Division, Bangladesh. 

The locals have chosen the day of Chaitra Sankranti for a promising congregation to commemorate the fond memories of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha (563–483 BCE), and the legacies of two spiritual teachers Dipamkara Sthabir and Chandrajyoti Bhikkhu related to the Cakrashala. 

For a thousand years, it has become a tradition for the locals to organise a fair at the Cakrashala on the day of Chaitra Sankranti. The devotees of Buddha observe the festival with devotion, respect and honour for their ancestors' patrimonies at the Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala. They also treat the place as a pilgrimage destination by decorating it with flowers, incense and lighting candles. 

The Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala is a historical monument and cultural heritage that reminds us of the glorious past of Bengali history. We can trace back the historical background of the significance of the Cakrashala by analysing several legendary stories that include Siddhartha Gautama's visit to this land and prominent spiritual teachers such as Dipamkara Sthabir and Chandrajyoti Bhikkhu's intimate association with the local community. 

According to the legends, Siddhartha Gautama took a rest in Haidgaon-Cakrashala for a week during his trip from Maghada (present-day North India) to Arakan (modern-day Myanmar). While he was there, Siddhartha often performed walking meditation and talked with the locals about his philosophical ideas like "the wheel of Dharma." 

"Walking meditation" in Sanskrit denotes "Cankrama", whereas "the wheel of Dharma" is called "Dharmacakra". Hence, a few historians believe that the name "Cakrashala" is a portmanteau of the Sanskrit terms "Cankrama" and "Dharmacakra". 

Honouring Siddhartha Gautama's historical visit to Haidgaon-Cakrashala, a local ruler built a monument at the place where he performed his walking meditation. This monument is now known as Pharatara Caitya. 

After Siddharta Gautama's historic visit, a scholar and spiritual teacher named Dipamkara Sthabir visited Haidgaon-Cakrashala in the 6th century. It is worth noting that Dipamkara Sthabir was the disciple of an eminent Bengali scholar Acariya Silabhadra (529–645 CE), who was a former chancellor of prominent Nalanda University. 

Dipamkara travelled to Haidgaon-Cakrashala on Acariya Silabhadra's instructions to set up a precious stone depicting the 32 auspicious marks of the Buddha. Dipamkara wanted to place this rare stone at the Pharatara Caitya in honour and memory of Siddhartha Gautama's visit to this land. 

The Buddha's 32 auspicious signs are known as "Buddhacakra" in Sanskrit. Therefore, scholars also theorise that the name Cakrashala might have derived from the Sanskrit word "Buddhacakra". 

Another popular story about the Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala is that Haidmaja, who was a wealthy merchant in the area, invited a Buddhist spiritual teacher named Candrajyoti Bhikkhu in the 15th century. During that time, Cakrashala was one of the four major capitals of the Arakan kingdom. 

When Candrajyoti Bhikkhu visited Cakrashala, he brought a "Cakrasan" – a painting of the wheel of Dharma – and offered it to Haidmaja. In paying respect to the "Cakrasan," Haidmaja erected a monument in Cakrasala, which became renowned as the Pharatara Caitya of Haidgaon-Cakrashala. 

It is noteworthy that another name for Cakrashala is Haidgaon, which is associated with the local merchant Haidmaja's name. 

Though Bangladesh is still considered a young country, it has a rich history, culture, language, heritage and spiritual tradition. Chaitra Sankranti is one of those cultural festivals that has been celebrated in the Bengal Delta for thousands of years. From a historical perspective, the Pharatara Caitya fair of Haidgaon-Cakrashala is one of the oldest Caitra Sankranti celebrations in Bangladesh and has been observed by locals of Chattogram for over a millennium.  

Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury. Sketch: TBS

Dr Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury is a Lecturer and Faculty Member in the College of Religious Studies at Mahidol University, Thailand.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.