The People

Customs of Chakma

The Chakmas have a system of  clans called goja.  The gojas are named after the leaders or places of habitation. 

The Chakma society gives a place of importance to priests called Ojhas.  Women who perform the task of midwifery are also called Ojhas. There are certain worships or pujas performed by the Chakmas.  Than-Mana is worship of the habitat.  'Bura Para' is a puja performed by individual families to avert future danger or evil.  'Chungulang' is a puja for welfare of the family, performed by families at intervals of two to three years. Some other pujas among the Chakmas are: Ma Lakshmi Puja (worship of goddess of wealth), Parameswari Puja (worship nature of goddess), Ganga Puja (worship of river).

Marriage

Chakma marriage is generally settled through negotiations.  The average age of marriage for girls are 15 to 16 and for boys, 22 to 24.  There is a system of paying bride price varying from Rs.40/- to Rs.50/- to  the father of the girl. The boy's relations go to the girls' house on a fixed day when they are welcomed with decoration of water filled pitchers, banana plants, lights, etc. The boys party, thereafter, gives presents to the girls parents consisting of ornaments, clothes, etc. The bride wears these adornments and gets the blessings of the elders.  Next day, the parents bid-good bye to the daughter. In the boy's house the bride is received with chanting of prayers.  The couple is tied together with a new piece of cloth.  Cooked rice with boiled eggs and some betel leaves and nuts are offered to the couple.  Marriages are performed with the consent of parents.

Men are not monogamous. A man can take more than one wife, if he can afford it.  Widow remarriage is allowed.  A woman, after her husband's death, gives up wearing ornaments and colourful clothes.  Divorce is permitted in certain situations.

Inheritance among the Chakmas is only through the male line.  In the absence of sons, daughters inherit.

Death

On death, the body is placed in an outside room and is covered by a white cloth. Flowers are spread over the cloth and relatives also place money on it.  The Buddhist monk chants prayers.  The body is taken to a cremation ground where it is placed in a funeral pyre of wood.  

The eldest son ignites the pyre, after circling it seven times. The purification ceremony, 'Sraddha', takes place six days after the cremation, when a feast is given to the monks, relations and fellow member of the society.

When a wealthy person or an aristocrat dies, a special ceremony is held.  The body is kept in a coffin which is placed in a chariot.  It is pulled with the accompaniment of drum beats, fire works etc. and assembly of a large number of people.

There is special custom of offerings for departed souls.  In this ritual called 'bhadya', a list of dead ancestors up to three or five degrees is prepared and small cremation pyres for them are prepared in the cremation ground.  The monks and the relations invoke the spirits of the ancestors.