Marriage in Tanchangya Tribe

The Tanchangya people are an indigenous people in southeastern Bangladesh. There are 13 indigenous ethnic communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) among the 45 ethnic communities in Bangladesh. ‘Tanchangya’ is the one of them. The word “Tong” means Hill and “Taugya” means Jhum (Hilltop Sweden cultivation). So, the word Tanchangya means Hill Sweden farmer. Arakanise Tanchangyas are also known as “Doingnak”. Tanchangya’s are the 5th largest indigenous ethnic community in CHT. Tanchangya family calls the village community leaders(ponchayet) before they arrange marriage ceremony of their son or daughter, locally it is called panchalle jouwa . After the chairman or community leader (ponchayaeet) asses their marriage proposal/plan, then he asks about their planned budget and the number of people who will be attending the ceremony. The groom family will be gives the expenditures for the ceremony. The Monk, chief of the temple, keeping in view a holiday with relevance to lunar calendar or by referring to holy book of Buddhism, fixes the date of marriage. The wedding ceremony no longer remains the responsibility of either family who are to bond a relation but the all the villagers/community member’s start working for the ceremony. The young boys and girls work as volunteers day and night till the ceremony complete successfully. The groom family doesn’t do anything rather remains a host with relatives. In wedding the elder person will cook foods and the young boys and girls will serve the food for all. By tradition all the activities are carried out at the groom’s house. Prior the ceremony commences, the groom and his relative go to bride’s house and after greeting and other formalities the groom and his relatives return to their home.The groom family welcome the bride after washing feet and spreed flowers. On the night of the wedding whole community keep themselves busy in cooking food, preparations for reception of guests and also server a traditionally homemade drink “pachon” especially for those who accompany the bride. The next day, the Monk (bantey), chief of the temple comes to the grooms house as well as relatives and villagers. To invite the monk, Tangchange family need to handover a Dhalanpoy to Monk and this process is called Fang. (Fang - delivery or give as gift )Tahanchanga people use it for any kind of religious program. They invite the Monk and decorate the Dhalanpoy (full with coconut, water, rice, fruits, money) and give (Fang) bantey as gift. The bride and groom get dressed in traditional attire and the Monk waits for their arrival at the groom house for time of marriage as he (the Monk) has fixed. In the meantime the Monk has certain tasks to do as well,


which is part of the rituals for the marriage ceremony. He makes a rope from white cotton or threads with his own hands and long enough to circle the bride and the groom while the Monk holds both ends putting the couple in the center of the rope. When the groom and bride arrive into the room, after the Monk encircles the bride and groom with his own-made rope (which is not too tick, approximately with a diameter of 1 centimeter or less), then the groom recites Mantro, by the help of the Monk or he repeats after the Monk and the bride also recites with them but silently. Mantro is a religious kind of prayer. After recitation process the couple lights candles and then pour water from a jug in a pot while reciting Mantro. Then the bride and groom tie each other hands with same kind cotton rope. Now both groom and the bride bows the Monk in front of a Dhalapoy and also seek blessings from the Monk. Then they need to handover the Dhalapoy and The Monk accept it. After performing all these rituals, again the couple bows in front of the Monk to ask blessings and the Monk gives them ‘ashirbad’ and declares them husband and wife while relatives witness. Also it’s the obligation of the couple to handover (Fank) the the table full with festival foods and drink to the Monk as well. Now elders and relatives come to give their blessings (ashirbad) and felicitate the newlywed couple. Later the responsibilities of the family elders start. The mother of the groom gathers all those women who are attending the ceremony in that room and offers them cigar and paan. Now all the elders of the family, relatives and community members come to give their blessings (ashirbad) to the couple and pray as well for them. By doing so, they come and pick a piece of cotton which is gathered in a tray and touch it to their tongue or recite some mantro and place it on the heads of the bride and groom. The bride and the groom remain in a bowed position while receiving blessings from their elders. This ritual of placing a piece of cotton, is believed to make their (the wed couple) life happy. Then the pieces of the cotton are gathered and two pillows are made for the bride and groom which is the most interesting party of this tradition. Some relatives also throw rice on the couple and some give gifts while others give money as they wish. Now the ceremony reaches its conclusion and meal is served to the guests and jubilant family members and relatives dance and drink typically made special drinks. The bride relatives go back to their homes and later the groom gives some money to his sister-in-laws and other children. At last when the ceremony is over then the groom, the bride and the groom’s family members gather and eat food together.

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