Buthidaung celebrates Khami new year (Sunni) festival

The traditional Khami New Year (Sunni) festival was celebrated in Ganari village, Buthidaung, Maungtaw Township, Rakhine State yesterday morning.
The festival was opened by playing the traditional Khami drums nine times and recitation of traditional poetry. Sayadaw Ashin Ardissa from the Ganari Youth Development Charity School explained the reason for the festival.
Chairman of the Khami Ethnic Literature and Culture Committee U Tun Sein Aung addressed the ceremony, and the Rakhine traditional dance troupe, Myo traditional dance troupe and Dainet (a) Sakkama traditional dance troupe performed. Afterwards, Khami traditional military dance, Khami traditional bamboo dance were performed and the performers received certificates of honour. At the festival, ethnic dance groups performed the “Let’s United” song.
The Khami new year (Sunni) festival has been celebrated since from long time ago and is a festival dedicated to the sun and the moon, with people dancing at the sunrise and when the moon comes out. The festival was held at the Ganari Youth Development Charity School from 2001 to 2006 and was held in Laungshay Chaung village in MraukU township in one year. It wasn’t celebrated due to various reasons afterwards until 2018 in Buthidaung Township. Khami ethnic group is one of the Rakhine ethnic nationalities and about 100,000 Khami live in Sittway, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, MraukU, Pauktaw, Buthidaung, An and Maungtaw townships. — Hla Kyaw (IPRD)/GNLM