Skip to content Skip to navigation

Grand chariot festival Poi-Leng begins

Thethree-day grand chariot festival locally known as Poi-Leng got started today at Namsai Poi-Leng Ground at the bank of Dihing river with great enthusiasm and participation of large number of people from all walks of life. The Poi-Leng celebration is held in honour of Late Venerable NyanapriyoBhikkhuMahathero of Port-Blair, Andaman who attained Nibbana (Nirvana) on January 8, 2016.

The festival started with hoisting of World Buddhist flag, offering of breakfast to BhikkhuSanghaand chanting of mangalacharan. People in great number thronged the ground to witness the installation of mortal remaining of Late Venerable NyanapriyoBhikkhuMahathero to decorated chariot from Nibbana (Nirvana) Temple and to drag the chariot constructed temporarily to preserve the mummified body of the venerable one. The body of the venerable one will be kept in chariot for three days from today and people from all walks will have the opportunity to pull the decorated golden swan chariot. 

The Poi-Leng is the celebration of reflection of possession of a noble soul of Late Venerable NyanapriyoBhikkhuMahathero who during his life span of 68 years has spent 43 Vassa (monkhood) since his higher ordination to Bhikkhu on May 30, 1973. With his death (nibbana) the entire Buddhist community has lost a respectable Buddhist Bhikkhu who was loved and respected by all people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

The Poi-LengCelebration Committee under the guidance of Venerable Abbot of Namsai PriyattiSasana Buddha Vihara Venerable B. AggadhammaMahathero has ensuredall effort to make the Poi-Leng celebration a successful event. Community feast for all during the three days celebration is arranged and will be kept open at the venue.The main attraction of the festival is the decorated golden swan designed chariot with 6 wheels constructed and built in 22 days by Venerable SobhitaBhikkhuof Borpathar Buddhist Temple KarbiAnglong (Assam) with help from 10 other monks, novice and Kappiya (disciple) at the Bank of River Noa-Dihing. The 6 wheels on the chariot signify the quality of greatness of Dhamma of the late venerable one. The chariot has three layers, all items donated by various people are placed in the first layer and in the second layer the lifeless body of the venerable one are placed and the third layer is shaped like a temple. The number of layers in the chariots can vary. 

The lifeless mummified body of Late Venerable NyanapriyoBhikkhuMahathero was preservewith great respect and honour for 1 month at the bank of river Noa-Dihing in Nibbana (Nirvana)Kyong (Temple) at Namsai Poi-Leng Ground from January 9. The lifeless body was preserved by mummifying with cotton cloth dip in wax and covered with tobacco leaf. 

Illumination of candles was the other attraction of the event for today.

 

Author info

Chow Bilaseng Namchoom's picture

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

19th January fever grips Golaghat

18 Jan 2011 - 3:38pm | Ritupallab Saikia
A massive turnout of public is seen on Monday at all the mobile company's offices at Goaghat.People started thronging various mobile company's offices to submit documents for reverification of their...

NEC secretary Ameising Luikham

Sports varsity brings new hopes for NE

14 Dec 2014 - 6:46am | AT News
North East is full of sports talents. But the talents are lying unexplored to a great extent. The proposed sports varsity in Manipur would go a long way to bridge the gap. It would be a huge boost to...

Rumi, Jaki out of danger: Doc

1 Jul 2012 - 4:32am | editor
Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jaki Jakir were given medical assistance in Guwahati a day after the duo were mercilessly thrashed by a huge mob in Karimganj. A team of doctors from the...

Students contribute towards backward village

28 Jul 2016 - 11:47am | Jacob Islary
A team of Indian and Irish students from Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU), India and University College Dublin Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO), Ireland are doing a yeoman service in the backward and...

Other Contents by Author

The three-day grand Catafalque (Ceremonial chariot) festival known as Poi-Leng concluded on Saturday with burning of Ossuary (mortal remains) Ceremonial Chariot at Mahabodhi Lord Buddha College (MLBC) premises Namsai with great religious honour. Monks and devotees more than 3 lakhs from far and wide thronged the ground on day 1 to witness the installation of mortal remains and on day 3 pay their veneration during last rites performance and cremation of the two monks in the decorated ceremonial chariot. The combined Poi-Leng celebration was held to pay obeisance to the departed monks, Late Venerable Gyanatisa Mahathero and Late Venerable U. Nanda Mahathera as per the Theravada Buddhist...
A first ever Tri-Nation (India-Myanmar-Thailand) friendship car rally 2016 for mapping connectivity, promotion of trade & investment and re-establish cultural & historical linkages was flagged-off by Chief Minister Kalikho Pul  in a small yet impressive function here at Banquet Hall Itanagar, today. The International Car Rally will also mark the 25th commemorative year of the India-ASEAN friendship. A fleet of 7 cars out of total 12 cars were flagged-off from Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh to Bangkok in Thailand that will cover and explore a distance of 7000 kms over a period of 19 days from May 22 to June 9 traversing through some of the important cities of Yangon, Mandalay in...
The popular three-day annual Water Festival of the Theravada Buddhist of Arunachal Pradesh locally known as Sangken which begun on April 13 ended on Saturday marking the Theravada Buddhist New Year. Celebrated in the month of April every year, Sangken was observed with lots of enthusiasm and religious fervor and in a very special way by the Tai Khampti, Tikhak Tangsa & Singpho people residing in various parts of the State particularly in Namsai and Changlang districts. Water throwing or dousing one another water is the distinguishing feature of this festival and is done for all first three-day of the festival. Merit making, Son-Fra a water ceremony of pouring and bathing Buddha statues...
The Tai Khampti Revised Tonal Script was unveiled at a function organsied at Chongkham, Kongmu Kham, the Golden Pagoda in the Namsai District. Arunachal Pradesh  Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, HMLA & PS Chow Tewa Mein alongwith a huge gathering of the Tai Khampti elites, Officers, Public leaders, GBs and senior citizens, NGOs and the youth groups witnessed the event. Earlier, Chairman of the Tai Literature Committee C.I Mannou, , under the aegis of the Tai Khampti Singpho Council, had explained and highlighted about the four year long hard work done by the committee and the significance of the improved version of the scripts which would cater the present need at par with the...
Mai-Ko-Som-Phai the traditional religious festival of Tai community of Theravada Buddhist religion was observed with much enthusiasm in Namsai dist and Changlang dist with day long programme on February 23 last. The Theravada Buddhist Society Itanagar also celebrated the day with great festivity at the Temple premises. Tall hayricks made of wood and straw were constructed and set on fire early in the next morning by observing certain religious customs and traditions by the Tai community. This festival offered the devotees a primetime entertainment moreover this occasion also marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the summer of the lunar year. Mai-Ko-Som-Fai festival is a...
A day-long Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) Screening Camp was held at the Town Club Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh on Monday by Artificial  Limb Manufacturing  Corporation  of India (ALIMCO) which is a Government  of India undertaking  under Department  of Disability  Affairs  of the Ministry  of Social  Justice  and Empowerment. The programme was supported by local NGO, Socio-Economic  Welfare  Association (SEWA) and Mrinaljyoti Rehabilitation Centre ,Duliajan (Assam). About 128 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) from all over the district were screened. The fresh screening and registration were done online. A Medical Board...
Senior Microbiologist oDr Mika Umpo has been appointed as Registrar cum Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh Medical Council (APMC). The appointment is made w.e.f November 17, 2015 as per the published extraordinary gazette notification no 260, Vol XXII Naharlagun dated 18 November 2015.  He also presently holds the charge of Microbiologist of Intermediate Reference Laboratory in the state under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).   Dr Umpos appointment as Registrar cum Secretary in APMC is for the term of the 2nd regular AP Medical Council or till further order whichever is earlier. The term of the members under Arunachal Pradesh Medical Council is as per Section 4...
The upasampada (ordinance) of two monks marked the end of 8th Sacred Kathina Civara Dana cum Acharya Kanto Poi at a small hilly town along the Indo-Myanmar border, Rima Village under Rima-Putok Circle of Nampong, Changlang district on November 22.  The 8th Sacred Kathina Civara Dana cum Acharya Kanto Poi with a motto of “All Buddhist Sects under one umbrella” was celebrated at Asoka Vihara, Rima Village from November 20 to 22. The Deputy Commissioner of Changlang dist W.Khimhun and ZPC Marina Kenglang attended the religious event as chief guest and guest of honour respectively along with host of dignitaries that included ADC Jairampur Kento Riba, Director IPR C.M.Longphong, DDSE...
A small hilly town along the Indo-Myanmar border, Rima Village under Rima-Putok Circle of Nampong, Changlang district is all set to host the 8th Sacred Kathina Civara Dana cum Acharya Kanto Poi at Asoka Vihara from November 20 to 22 next. The Legislator of Changlang dist Shri Laisam Simai and ZPC Marina Kenglang will attend the religious event as chief guest and guest of honour respectively. The poi is expected to draw thousands of Theravada Buddhist and other Buddhist sects at Rima Village in Changalng district to witness the auspicious occasion during the three days of celebration. Buddhist Monks from Myanmar and from other Indian states will also attend the religious occasion. ...
The grand Dedication Ceremony of Bamboo Crafted Buddha Statue (Poi Lu Phra Long) cum Poi Potwa Panchong Festival at Golden Pagoda Monastery, Noy-Chenam (Tengapani), Chongkham in Arunachal Pradesh ended today on colourful note with Golden Pagoda Cultural Exchange Programme stealing the limelight on the two day festival. The two day religious celebration was also an auspicious occasion of Maha pavaranna ceremony, the procession carrying Holy relics of Buddha from Sri Lanka and the cultural presentation. The bamboo crafted Buddha statue was also later named as Phra Ingta-shaan. The Maha Pavaranna is a solemn ceremony and is generally celebrated by the Theravada Buddhist to mark the end of...