With attractive cultural function and offering of votive to the gods, the Harvest Festival 'Butah Paye' was celebrated among the Khayang community in Bandarban on Saturday.
Small-ethnic Cultural Institute organised the function at Gungur Madhyampara area under Bandarban sadar upazila.
Presided over by Siang Mro, Member of Bandarban Parbattya Zila Parishad, the function was attended, among others, by Bir Bahadur Ushoi Singh MP, Minister for Parbatta Chattogram (Hill Tracts) Affairs as the chief guest, Badiul Alam, ADM, Rezoan, ASP( Lama Circle), Mongnu Ching Marma, Director of Small-ethnic Institute as special guests.
Organisers of the function informed, at the starting of the celebration, devotees sacrificed chicken and zoom-crops at the zoom-fields aiming at the gods. The offering was devoted to seeking a good zoom-harvest during the next year. After the end of the offering, the materials for zoom cultivation and newly harvested zoom crops were exhibited and the Khayang children served Anilam dances. Later on cakes made from newly harvested paddy were served among the guests.
After the discussion meeting, the minister handed over certificates among the trainees who got training on Fabric Production and Weaving through the Looms.
While talking to the jounralists, Minister Bir Bahadur informed, 11 ethnic groups used to live at the CHT and each group celebrates its own Harvest Festival to retain their own tradition. He further said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has printed five books on separate ethnic Mother languages to preserve the identity of each ethnic group. The government would take further step to increase the culture of small-ethnic groups in future, he mentioned.