The wood-breaking festival of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) has been celebrated in Sylhet for almost seven hundred years with the teachings of establishing the dignity of labor and destroying the glory of nobility. This festival is celebrated every year on the 26th of Shawwal month of Hijri year. On the occasion of the festival, a colorful procession of thousands of devotees rushes from the premises of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) Dargah Sharif to the Lakkatora Tea Garden. There is no discrimination of caste, religion or race in this procession.
People of all religions, castes and races come together in one line. They collect wood from the Lakkatora Tea Garden and carry the collected wood on their shoulders and return to the Dargah premises with the procession. Exactly twenty-one days after the wood-breaking festival, the annual Ursh Sharif of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) is cooked with these sticks. This is a unique tradition of almost seven hundred years.
Every year on 26 Shawwal, this procession of breaking wood starts from Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) Dargah Sharif. Every year, when the front part of the procession reaches Lakkatura Tea Garden, located about five kilometers away from Dargah Sharif, the back part remains until the Dargah Sharif premises.
People and people in the procession. On this day, the road from Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) Dargah premises to Lakkatura is practically blocked due to the flow of people. Every year, even though the Dargah authorities do not do any kind of publicity on this day, at least thirty to forty thousand people gather for this traditional Lakkatura festival. Every year, this oldest ‘secular and non-communal’ Lakkatura festival of this town is celebrated in this way.
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The history of this ancient festival is known to us that on 26 Shawwal of 730 AH, Sultanul Bengal Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) conquered Sylhet. On this day, the ancient city of Srihatra was conquered by the Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) after defeating the tyrant King Gaur Govinda of Sylhet. Therefore, this day is also celebrated as ‘Srihatra Bijay Diwas or Sylhet Bijay Diwas’. Again, this day is also the death anniversary of Hazrat Shahjalal’s (RA) maternal uncle and murshid Hazrat Syed Ahmed Kabir (RA) in 725 AH.
Fatherless Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) was raised by his maternal uncle Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (R.A.) during his childhood. Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (R.A.) raised his nephew Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) and also educated him in spiritual education. As he reached a high level of perfection, he engaged his nephew in the Dawah of Islam. Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (R.A.) gave his nephew a handful of soil from Mecca Sharif and told him to complete his Dawah mission in a place compatible with this soil.
Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (R.A.) was the son of the world-famous Sufi saint Hazrat Jalaluddin Surrukh Bukhari (R.A.) and the father of Hazrat Makhdum Jalaluddin Jahanian Jahangasta Bukhari (R.A.). On the day of the victory of Sylhet, 26 Shawwal 725 AH, Hazrat Syed Ahmad Kabir (RA) passed away in Uch Nagari, Bhawal district of Punjab province. Therefore, this day is also celebrated as the holy Urs Sharif of the Murshid of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
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The legend that is prevalent about the traditional Lakdi Bhanga festival of Sylhet is historically related to Hazrat Shahjalal (RA). After defeating King Gaurgovinda, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) sent his companions to spread Islam in different parts of this region. He was the leader or Murshid to his companions.
Therefore, every year on this day of the victory of Sylhet, his companions and saints would come to the Murshid from different regions. They would come near the Murshid and express their gratitude to Allah for this glory of the victory of Sylhet. After the victory of Sylhet, this victory day was celebrated with great pomp almost every year. Saints from different regions would come to the court of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA).
Thus, one year, a few days before the celebration of the victory day of Srihatta, a neo-Muslim woodcutter brought a complaint to Hazrat Shahjalal (RA). The woodcutter’s complaint is that he has five marriageable daughters. But since he is very poor and belongs to a low caste, no marriage proposal or talk comes for his five daughters. Despite his many efforts, he is unable to get them married.
The poor woodcutter seeks a remedy from Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in this matter. Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) was deeply moved by this humane complaint of the woodcutter. He assured the woodcutter that he would remedy the matter after a few days, i.e. on the ‘day of the victory of Sylhet’.
On the day of the conquest of Sylhet on 26 Shawwal 725 AH, everyone gathered as usual and Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and his companions offered the Zuhr prayer. After the prayer, he continued to walk towards the deep forest of the northern edge surrounded by hills and hills (presently located in the Lakkatora tea garden). His companions also followed Hazrat Shahjalal (RA). When he reached a place, he started collecting wood with his own hands. His disciples also followed the Murshid. Everyone collected wood.
After collecting wood, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) sat in Morakaba (meditation). After the Morakaba, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) informed everyone present with tearful eyes that his maternal uncle and Murshid Syed Ahmed Kabir (RA) had passed away some time ago in ‘Uch Sharif’. He recited Fateha for his murshid along with his companions. Then, carrying the stick on his shoulder, he returned to his quarters with his companions. The stick was piled up in one place. Then, he offered the Asr prayer with the congregation.
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After the prayer, he asked his companions, ‘What did we do today?’ The companions present said, ‘Sir, we broke wood today.’ He then said, ‘If those who break wood are woodworkers, then from today we are woodworkers too because today we have broken wood.’ Then he presented the message of equality of Islam and the dignity of labor to the gathering and told about the plight of the poor woodworkers. Then many among the gathering expressed their interest in marrying the woodworkers’ daughters.
The woodworkers now selected suitable grooms from among the interested grooms. After 21 days of celebrating this victory festival, Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) passed away. On the news of the passing away of the Murshid, disciples and devotees started gathering from far and wide. This wood was used in cooking the food of the people gathered. In continuation of this memory, the practice of ‘wood breaking or wood chopping’ continues to this day to establish the dignity of labor and destroy the glory of nobility.
People of different castes, religions and races have been participating in this event for almost seven hundred years. Religious differences have no effect on this festival. Every year, all people, regardless of caste, religion and race, participate in this Lakdi Bhanga festival.
The streets of Sylhet city become colorful in this festival without any kind of publicity. All the devotees of Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) participate spontaneously in this Lakdi Tora (Bhanga) Fair or Lakka Tora Urs, regardless of caste, religion and race. This secular and non-sectarian festival is a unique example of the traditional communal harmony of Sylhet. This procession, which runs in the scorching sun on a hot afternoon, waits with cold water from the well for the thirsty devotees of Hazrat until it reaches a certain hill in Lakka Tora Bagan.
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This festival, celebrated every year in the traditional manner, has no inaugurator, chief or special guest. There is no competition to stand in front of the procession. After the procession reaches a certain hill in the Lakkatora tea garden after passing through Ambarkhana-Majumdari-Khasdbir-Chowkidekhi in Sylhet city, Fateha-Khani is first held. After that, everyone starts collecting wood in their own way. Carrying that wood on their shoulders, everyone returns to the Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) Dargah premises before Asr prayers.
People’s representatives, senior officials of the administration, the rich and the poor all carry the burden of wood on their shoulders. There is no glory of nobility here. When thousands of people carrying wood on their shoulders return to the city along the highway, from a distance it seems that the forest is walking towards the city.
Upon reaching the Dargah, this wood is first washed in the Dargah pond and stored in a specific place. The holy Urs Sharif of Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.) is held 21 days after this festival of breaking sticks. Preparations for Urs Sharif begin on the day of the Lakdi Bhanga festival. This festive wood is used in cooking the Shinni of Urs every year.
