, April 12 -- day-long Boisabi festival, the traditional New Year festival of different ethnic communities living in the hill districts, began with a symbolic flower-offering ritual on the Kaptai Lake in Rangamati.

Marking the onset of the traditional new year, Chakma, Marma, Tripura, communities observe their respective festivals-Bizu (Chakma), Sangrai (Marma), Buisuk (Tripura), Bisu (Tanchangya), and Bihu (Ahom).

Indigenous women were seen collecting flowers from their gardens and heading to Kaptai Lake early Saturday morning.

The ritual symbolises a spiritual cleansing with prayers for washing away misfortune, sorrow, and failures of the past year, while wishing for prosperity in the new one.

Rangamati Rajbari Ghat was vibrant in t...