Hindus celebrate Harinama Rama festival in western Myanmar
Guwahati:
Amid all chaos, where the ethnic armed groups continue offensives against the ruling Myanmar military junta across the Buddhist majority country, the Sanatani Hindus celebrated 75th Maha Ramayana Harinama Rama Akhanda Path festival in Rakhine/Arakan province in western border of the southeast Asian nation. The four-day festival (31 January to 3 February 2026) featuring continuous chanting of epic Ramayana was held in Maungdaw locality with the participation of thousands of Hindu families along with local Buddhists in sacred rituals with great enthusiasm. The annual festival was suspended in recent years due to conflicts and instabilities, but it was revived this year following the Arakan Army’s takeover of Arakan State.
Organized by the Maungdaw Hindu affairs committee with the support from the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government where the security was ensured by the members belonging to the Arakan Army (AA). One of the most revered religious events for the Hindus in Myanmar/Burma, the festival was not usually promoted by the military rulers and this time it became possible after the AA fighters captured the Maungdaw locality with a sizable population of Rohingya Muslims. The Bangladesh bordering strategic town Maungdaw and its surrounding areas remain under the control of AA since December 2024.
According to local Arakanese media outlets, over 3,000 Hindus from different localities like Buthidaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, besides Maungdaw, attended the religious ceremony, where a good number of AA officials were present. They all were served with vegetarian dishes, prepared with local varieties of pulses and vegetables, where the authorities provided free healthcare to the participants during the festival. It is believed that the festival venue at Kyaukpantu mountain in the coastal area has a historical connection to Lord Rama, Lord Lakshman and Devi Sita.
Primary activities of the festival include the recitation of great epic Ramayana and also praying to monkey god Hanuman. According to the traditional belief, offering Puja to the son of Wind God, one gets endless blessings to overcome all difficulties in life. Celebration of the Ramayani festival is propagated to preserve religious traditions and also foster harmony, unity and peace among all communities in the Arakan region of western Myanmar. The eastern neighbour of Bharat also witnesses the celebration of Diwali, Navaratri, Durga Puja, Panguni Uthiram, etc, primarily hosted by the Myanmarese Tamil and Bengali communities.
