Introduction:
The Marma, often known as the Mugh or Mogh are the second-largest indigenous group in Bangladesh. They primarily live in the districts of Bandarban, Kagrachari, and Rangamati Hills. Some of the Marmas reside in Bangladeshi coastal communities like Cox’s Bazar and Patuakhali. While other marmas reside in Tripura, India, and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, there are approximately 324,261 Marma, of whom 35,722 dwell in India. From the sixteenth century the Marma have lived in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bengal, when they founded the Beau Hmong and Hmong rings (chiefdoms).
Marmas feature a high cheekbones and are rather short. Another way to indentify them is they have snub noses, tiny eyes, black hair, and yellow skin tones.
History:
The Marmas are the descendants of Rakhine whom are still present in Rakhine State in Myanmar, along the the Arakan Mountains and coastal area between Chittagong. Due to widespread pirate activity in the Bay of Bengal, the Rakhine tribe gained popularity for piracy in the 15th and 16th centuries along with the Portuguese.
The Marma tribe moved from their native area to the Chittagong Hill Tracts because of it’s dense forest and cramped space during the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, just when the king Mrauk-U conquered Chittagong. The Marma moved from the Mrauk-U Kingdom to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, according to documents from the East India Company and other organizations.
Language:
The Marma tribe’s language is written in Burmese characters and they speak in the Arakanese accent. Within the many different groups of Tibet-Burma languages, the Marma language is a member of the Burma-Arakan group. Currently, Marmas in cities and surrounding neighborhoods speak the modified Chittagong language.
Religion of the Marma:
Theravada Buddhist institutionalism, a kind of structured Buddhism prevalent in Sri Langka, Burma, Thailand, and other regions of Southeast Asia, has long been intimately identified with the Marma ethnic population.
Marmas are Theravada Buddhists, same as the Buddhists in South and South-east Asia. The Tripitaka, which was written in Pali, is the holy text of the Marmas. They have been split into two factions for religious matters: the Laity and the Monastic Community. The Laity enjoys a family life with a wife, children, and other relatives, whereas the Buddhist monks maintain virginity, wear the yellow “Civara” robes, and reside at the temple.
they use rituals and ceremonies in an effort to please the supernatural force they think is responsible for their birth, death, reincarnation, and all other aspects of existence. They hold animistic beliefs, which are a believe in paganism, magic, and supernatural forces that they try to please via their rites and rituals, like other tribes and subtribes do.
They take part in all of the major Buddhist rituals as well as numerous rituals and worships for the benefit of different spirits. Their daily decision-making is greatly influenced by their dreams.
Social or Regular marriage:
The couple’s parents or guardians carry out the marriage according with their societal expectations.
These kinds of weddings can also be arranged by the bride and groom themselves, with their guardians’ or parents’ authorization.
Mog social marriage involves a numerous of processes. The groom takes the lead to start this whole process. Deliver the marriage proposal to a close or distant relative who is known and trusted by the pair. Bring one bira betel, binni rice, candies, sugar, and one pair of coconuts to the bride’s home. There, they make a marriage proposal and present the bride’s parents with a bottle of wine.
The daughter’s decision is taken once the bride’s parents have given their approval. The bride’s party will accept the bottle of wine from the groom’s party if the daughter’s approval has been obtained, and the bride’s family will also present the groom’s party a different bottle of wine that is identical. With the aid of jokes and tea, the marriage was now being addressed on both sides.
The bride and groom bow to the elders and ask for blessings when all is lucky. A thami, a silver or gold ring, and lastly the “lawthai-poye / lawchung poye” are given to the bride at this point by the groom’s party as a blessing
The same siblings born to the same father, cousins, uncles, nephews, sister, aunt, niece, mother-in-law, son-daughter of different mothers born at the same age, wife of niece, relative of aunt, etc. are examples of blood relations, clan relations, or kinship in Mag society that cannot exist at the stage of marriage at any circumstances and it is forbidden.
Additionally, relatives from the same clan are not permitted to remarry until the guy has gone away. In Mag civilization, a lady joins her husband’s family after being married and departs her father’s family first. Marma society forbids marriages between people who are related to one another in an illegal way. Although multiple and approved weddings are common in Marma society, these marriages are not regarded to be valid marriages.
Rituals during the birth of the Marma newborn:
In some parts of the Marma community, as soon as the newborn is taken out of the mother’s womb, in order to prevent the evil eye from falling on the mother and the newborn, they go to the healer (Voidya) and evaluate/calculate the mother’s misfortune based on the mother’s zodiac sign. For the fulfillment of these divinities, various worship items are used as needed. Sometimes, pregnant women are allowed to possess amulets or charms.
Living Condition:
The marma people build their houses out of bamboo, wild grass, and straw. These are built on high platforms made of bamboo or wood (machang). The entire house functions as a bedroom/store. Keeping animals, storing fuel wood, or setting up handcrafted items for weaving are just a few uses for the area under the machang. However, other dwellings lack machangs and are constructed of mud.
The husband serves as the head of the traditional households that make up Marma villages. Respect is given to generational family and community ties, and sons and daughters can both inherit their parents’ property, but not always equally. The Marmas do farming for survival and also specialize in basket weaving and crafting, their main sources of nutrition is rice and vegetable.
Food Habits of the Marma:
The main foods eaten by the Marma’s are rice and boiled vegetables. A favorite is “Nappi,” a dried-fish paste. They eat rice bear and puff on native cigars. The marmas consume rice with a variety of veggies, seafood, and meat. They make a delicious chicken and Dillenia indica soup.Tohza, a dish made of boiled vegetables and chilies, is a favorite among them. To prepare curries, they utilize nappi/awangpi prepared from dried fish.
They also eat vegetables, fish and meat as an adjunct to rice. Vegetables include farm-grown vegetables as well as a variety of herbs and fruits that grow naturally in the forest. The young tips of bamboo and a few species of wool are very favorite food of the Marmas.
They often use different types of “Shutki”(dry fish), “Nappi” (a paste of dried fish,) in their curry. In addition to fish inaquatic animals, crabs, oysters, snails, cuckoos and amphibians, golden frogs and turtles are theirdelicacies. Meat includes domesticated chickens, cows, goats, buffaloes, pigs, ducks and pigeons.Marmaras also eat wild boar, deer, guisap, hedgehog, pigeons etc.
Culture:
The culture of the Marma’s is similar to that of the Rakhine people, including their language, food, clothes, religion, dance, and funeral rites. The Marma tribes is mostly depends on agriculture, traditionally practicing slash-and-burn cultivation on the hills. Their belief in Theravada Buddhism is as deep as the Rakhine society’s, with an emphasison ritual practices in spirits. Some of them also practice animism and Islam
The Burmese calendar is used by the Marma. Sangrain, their version of the New Year, starts on the first day of Bohag. They make sangraimu on this day which is a type of conventional cake. Young Marma men and women splash each other with water during the Sangrain Relong Pwe (Water Festival/Water Pouring) ritual. The first day of Sangrai, Painchwai or Akro, is when dwellings are decked with flowers. Sangrai is a three-day festival.
Sangrai Akya and Marmas engage in cultural events including dances and traditional sports on the second day, as well as meetings about local concerns. On this day, they also visit monasteries to take part in the ritual bathing (cleaning) of the Buddha statue.
They celebrate various festivals throughout the year, but Sangrai is considered to be the main one. It has become custom for people to ring in the New Year using the Buddhist lunar calendar. The second and third days of this event, which lasted three days, are known for the custom of people splashing water on one another.
They practice greeting others (even strangers) by sprinkling water on them because they think that doing so washes away all of our sadness and purifies both our spirit and body. However, the marma culture is unique. Marma culture has its own unique way of life, language, customs, which are genuinely impressive.
You know like Mag tribe Chakma tribe also have some uniquely astonishing culture and heritage. here is our another Chakma Tribe article for you if you are interested.
Traditional Dresses of the Marma:
Shirts and long skirts known as “Lungi” or “Sarong” are what Marma men often wear. Coarse-woven pants and a shirt with several pockets but no collar are included. Senior members of the community dress properly for festivals by wearing a close-fitting coat called a “Prakha Angyi” over a shirt that is buttoned at the throtle, and a white kerchief called a “Goung Poung” to cover their heads. Some Marmas choose “Matoray” (tattooing) to enhance their physical appearance. Sections with education wear shirts, pants, and shoes.
The typical costume for Marma women consists of a “Thami” covering the lower body up to the ankle and a “Ngyi” (blouse) covering the upper body. The female keeps a “Chaing Thung” tuft on her head to make herself appear lovely and appealing. They occasionally decorate their heads with flowers and jewelry. Young Mara girls frequently wear “Saloar and Kamiz” clothing.
Social Administration of the Marma:
In the Marma community, a three-tiered political administration structure is standard. The village’s administrative body is led by a Karbari. A Headman leads the Mouza level, while “Raja”—the Circle level’s chief—leads the Circle level. Jhum tax collection is the primary duty of the village Karbari, Headman, and Raja.
Additionally, each of them is charged with a various kind of sociocultural duties. From resolving conflicts, rendering conclusions to maintaining law and order within their separate levels of operations these karbari, headman, and Raja plays an important role in Marma communities.
unlike many other government stuff mog community also faces some problems with home conflict preserving their culture, language and leadership. here is an article to know more
source: https://news.mit.edu/2023/mission-uplift-others-and-save-marma-0714
Conclusion:
Marma tribe is on the the moset amazing tribe in Bangladesh. They have a rich culture, vibrant festival and unique lifestyle. they live in Bandarban, Kagrachari, and Rangamati Hills, Cox’bazar which are also the most popular tourist destinations in bangladesh. Every year numerous individuals travel these tousrist spot and experience their way of life which are calm, simple and soothing. tho some marmas are resposible for recent confilict with the bangladesh government but most of them simply wish to co-exist peacefully.
