"Let Palestine Be Free": Message flies on Prabarana lanterns in Cox’s Bazar

On the night of Prabarana Purnima, Ramu’s sky became a canvas for hope. At this year’s festival in Cox’s Bazar, a call for peace soared across the night sky: “Let Palestine Be Free”. The Buddhist festival, celebrating peace and humanity, touched the hearts of all attendees as illuminated paper lanterns carried this message of solidarity. The vibrant festival came a decade after Ramu’s Buddhist temples were set ablaze during communal violence, shattering not just the walls of the temples but the belief in peaceful coexistence. On Monday evening, thousands joined in to release vibrant lanterns into the sky in a powerful transformation as compassion and unity rose from the ashes of its troubled past. Ramu Seema Bihar’s head monk Pragyananda...