Shahinur Rahman Sona, Rajshahi

The historic Wangala Festival of the Garo community was held at the Rajshahi Cathedral Church in the Court area of Rajshahi metropolis.

Hundreds of Garo families participated in Wangala, the main religious and social festival of the Garo community, from early morning.

Nakma Pradhan Lotus Luke Chisim presided over the Rajshahi Wangala-24 program organized by the Rajshahi Wangala Celebration Council.

Reva Father Fabian Mardi, Vicar General of Rajshahi Dharma Pradesh was the chief guest on the occasion.

The special guests were Jannatul Ferdous, Deputy Director of Bangladesh Betar Rajshahi Region, Channel I Staff Reporter Abu Sale Mohd. Fattah, Prothom Alo Staff Reporter Abul Kalam Mohammad Azad, Nanking Group Chairman Mohd. Ehsanul Huda, Director Nasreen Huda, Principal of Rajshahi Christian Mission Hospital Nursing Institute, Sulta Drang and Father Liton Costa.

At the beginning of the program, Garos handed over the crops of 11 ethnic groups to the chief guest. The Garos are then formally dedicated to the Sun God and Goddess Misi and Saljong in this harvest festival.

On this day of the festival, rich and poor, young and old all dance to the rhythm of long oval drums wearing colorful clothes and bird feathers on their heads. This day of the Wangala ceremony is the day of entertainment for the Garos.

At the beginning of the program, the meeting became lively with the sound of drums. Men and women form two separate queues and proceed to the wangala ceremony stage with the guests dancing to the rhythm of the ritual. In the first phase, the Wangala program was preceded by festive joy with various dance, songs and tunes of the Garos.