Manipuri Dance and Raas Leela
মণিপুরী নৃত্য ও রাসলীলা
Graceful devotional dance of the Manipuri community, performed all night at the autumn Raas festival.
The Manipuri community of Moulvibazar keeps alive a classical dance tradition of gentle, flowing movements and richly embroidered costumes, telling stories of Krishna and Radha. The highlight is the Raas Leela festival at Madhabpur in Kamalganj, held on the full moon of Kartik, usually in November, when dancers perform through the night. Manipuri weavers also produce colourful handloom shawls and fabrics sold in Srimangal and Kamalganj.
Good to know
Expect crowds at the Raas festival; dress modestly and respect the devotional setting.
More from Moulvibazar
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Place Srimangal Tea Gardens
শ্রীমঙ্গলের চা বাগানRolling hills of clipped tea bushes under shade trees, the classic image of Bangladesh's tea capital.
Place Lawachara National Park
লাউয়াছড়া জাতীয় উদ্যানA patch of tall tropical forest where western hoolock gibbons call through the canopy at dawn.
Place Madhabkunda Waterfall
মাধবকুণ্ড জলপ্রপাতA tall waterfall plunging off a rock face into a deep pool in the hills of Barlekha.
Place Hakaluki Haor
হাকালুকি হাওরOne of the largest wetlands in Bangladesh, an inland sea in the monsoon and a bird haven in winter.
Nearby
Food Seven-Layer Tea
Moulvibazar · সাত রঙের চাA glass of tea in seven distinct coloured layers, invented and served in Srimangal.
Food Srimangal Pineapple
Moulvibazar · শ্রীমঙ্গলের আনারসSweet, juicy pineapples grown on the hill slopes around Srimangal, piled high in summer markets.
Food Chunga Pura Pitha
Moulvibazar · চুঙ্গাপুড়া পিঠাSticky rice packed into thin dholu bamboo and roasted overnight on a straw fire, a winter treat of Moulvibazar's hill villages.
Food Srimangal Lemon
Moulvibazar · শ্রীমঙ্গলের লেবুJuicy lemons from the hill gardens of Srimangal and Kamalganj, which grow more lemons than anywhere else in the country.