ITANAGAR: Sangken festival of the Theravada Buddhist communities was celebrated by the Theravada Buddhist Society in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar with pomp and gaiety from April 14-16.
The festival symbolizes new beginnings, love, compassion and thankfulness, and uses water as a means of spreading joy.
During Sangken, people engage in the traditional rituals of pouring water on the Buddha’s statues and playfully sprinkling water on one another, as it is believed that the purifying power of water cleanses away negativity and ushers in renewed energy, positivity, and harmony in society.
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The Sangken festival is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam, as the traditional New Year’s Day from April 14 to 16 by the Theravada Buddhist Communities.
It coincides with the New Year of many calendars.
The Sangken festival is celebrated by the Khamti, Singpho, Khamyang, Tangsa tribes of Arunachal Pradesh.
In Assam, the festival is celebrated by the Tai Phake, Tai Aiton, and Tai Turung communities.
Sangken generally falls in the month of ‘Nuean Ha’, the fifth month of the year of the Tai lunisolar calendar coinciding with the month of April.
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It is celebrated in the last days of the old year and the New Year begins on the day just after the end of the festival.
The main attraction of the festival is splashing clean water, which is the symbol of peace and purity.
The images of Buddha are taken out and after the ceremonial bath.
The procession is accompanied by drums, dances and enjoyment.
The holy bath of Buddha is an auspicious event in the festival.
The celebration takes place for three consecutive days.
During the celebration the locals make homemade sweet and distribute them.
The exchange of gifts is also a common trait of the festival.