Nobanno Utsab (Harvest Celebration) known as Noa Bhat Khana was observed among Tanchangya people with festivity and fervor in Bandarban.
The Noa Khana festival started at early dawn with Mittini worship on Friday.
Small Ethnic Cultural Institute organised the function inside the Zoom Field of Senior Para in Bandarban.
CHT Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Singh, MP, attended the function as the chief guest with member of Bandarban Parbattya Zila Parishad Siang Mro in the chair. The function was attended, among others, Shafiul Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner, SM Mobassher Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Police, Dr. Aung She Pru, Civil Surgeon of Bandarban as special guests.
With the worship of the goddess Luxmi, the function started when Genguly Song and Ubagi song of Tanchangya community were served. The Tanchangya girls enchanted the spectators with Nachana dance and song. An exhibition of materials for zoom cultivation and new crops was also held and the guests were served with cakes from newly harvested paddy.
At the end of the function, the minister distributed certificates among Tanchangya dance trainees.
The harvest celebration at the hill districts started from October and will continue till January next year.
Tanchangya community is an indigenous ethnic group living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Tanchangya people also live in Northeast Indian states of Assam, Tripura, and Mizoramand in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Most of Tanchangyas live in reserve forest areas of CHT.