Venue
Shib Bazar, Madhabpur, Kamalganj Upazila, Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh
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Manipuri Raas Festival guide
Manipuri dance until dawn at Madhabpur.
In short
The Maha Raas Leela suits travellers interested in classical Manipuri dance, performed from late evening until dawn at Madhabpur Jora Mandap in Kamalganj. It usually falls in November on Rash Purnima, following the lunar calendar, with the timetable fixed a few weeks ahead. Use Sreemangal as a base and plan for a sleepless night.
Maha Raas Leela is the great night of Bangladesh's Manipuri community. On Rash Purnima, costumed dancers at Madhabpur Jora Mandap in Kamalganj act out the love of Krishna and Radha in classical Manipuri dance from late evening until dawn, and thousands of people of every faith come to watch.
It has been held at Madhabpur for nearly two centuries, in the tea country of Moulvibazar close to the Indian border. For the Manipuri villages of the area it is the year's defining occasion, and for one night they open it to everyone.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Moulvibazar, Bangladesh
Venue: Madhabpur Jora Mandap
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Arts Festivals, Religious Festivals
Currency: Taka (৳ BDT)
Time zone: UTC+6, no daylight saving
Language: Bengali (Bangla)
Map
Close to the venue
- Madhabpur Lake (মাধবপুর লেক) Attraction · 80 m
- Lawachara National Park (লাউয়াছড়া জাতীয় উদ্যান) Attraction · 5.5 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Dress, footwear and photography rules
These are religious performances, not a show put on for visitors. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and take your shoes off where asked.
- Keep the camera flash off while the dance is on. It distracts performers in a sacred moment.
- Stay seated and quiet during the dance sequences, and step out between them if you need to move.
- Follow the lead of local families on where visitors may sit.
Getting near the stage before 10 pm
After 10 pm the area near the stage gets packed. If you want a clear view of the dancers, settle in well before then, and expect to stay put for long stretches once the Raas begins.
November nights in these hills turn cool. Bring a warm layer or a shawl, plus water and a few snacks, and something to sit on for the hours ahead.
Security, ID and keeping bags small
Expect heavy security. In 2025 the army, police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh were all on duty around the venue. Carry photo ID, keep bags small to speed up checks, and be patient at the entrance.
Keep your belongings close in the crush, especially around midnight when the crowd is at its densest. Leave valuables at your hotel in Sreemangal and carry only what you need for the night.
What happens on the day
- Midday
Rakhal Nritya
The day opens on the outdoor stage with the dance of Krishna's childhood among the cowherds.
- Afternoon and evening
Songs and folk drama
Devotional singing and folk theatre fill the hours before the main night, and the crowd grows steadily after dark.
- About 11 pm
Maha Raas Leela begins
Costumed dancers take the roles of Krishna, Radha and the gopis in the temple courtyard.
- Through the night
The dance continues
The story unfolds in set sequences of classical Manipuri dance, without a break.
- First light
The last sequences
The dancers are still going at sunrise and finish in the pale morning.
Etiquette and dress
Dress modestly
Cover shoulders and knees; a shawl helps on a cool night and in the temple courtyard.
Shoes off
Remove them before entering the mandap and the ritual space.
Watch, don't interrupt
The Raas is worship, not a stage show. Sit where the volunteers direct you, keep phones silent and never cross the dance area.
Photography
No flash during the dance, and ask before photographing dancers or devotees up close.
Staying in Sreemangal and timing the late session
Treat it as a long day with a sleepless end. If you can only stay for part of it, the late session is the one to see, since it is the heart of the whole observance.
Give yourself a slow day afterwards. Sreemangal's tea gardens, forests and resorts make a calm place to recover, and a second night in the area turns a single festival into a short break. Our guide to Bangladesh helps if this is part of a longer trip around the country.
Krishna's moonlit dance told through Manipuri dance
The story is the moonlit dance of the Krishna legends, in which the god dances with Radha and with the gopis, the milkmaids of the story. On the night, costumed dancers take those roles and move through the set sequences of the Manipuri classical style. To a newcomer it can look slow and restrained. The pace is the point: the night is long, and the story unfolds in slow stages.
Two communities keep it alive. The Bishnupriya Manipuri stage the older of the two festivals, while the Meitei Manipuri hold a parallel celebration of their own elsewhere in Kamalganj. Visitors are welcome at both, and many see a little of each.
For the Manipuri people of Bangladesh this is the biggest celebration of the year. It is also a rare chance for outsiders to see classical Manipuri dance performed in its religious setting, in a temple courtyard lit for the night. The courtyard, the costumes and the singing all belong to worship, and that is what makes it worth the long night.
Getting there
Flying in
International flights land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) in Dhaka. For the shortest road trip, fly Dhaka to Sylhet and drive south to Sreemangal.
By train
Sreemangal station is on the Akhaura-Kulaura-Chhatak line, with trains from Dhaka and Sylhet; pick up your car and driver there.
To Madhabpur
Madhabpur Jora Mandap is at Shib Bazar in Kamalganj upazila, which borders Sreemangal. Adampur, the Meitei venue, is in the same upazila, so a car makes it easy to see both.
On the night
Hire a car and driver for the whole night, since rides are hard to find at dawn, and agree a pickup time and place. Expect slow traffic and security checks near both venues.
Where to stay during the festival
Most visitors base themselves in Sreemangal, the tea-country town next door, and drive to Madhabpur in the early afternoon. The festival fills rooms across the area, so book a resort or guesthouse well ahead and choose one that will not mind you coming back at sunrise.
Weather and what to pack
November is the start of the dry season in the tea country. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Srimangal give an average high of 29.7°C and a low of 16.6°C, with about 30 mm of rain in the month.
Days are warm and clear, but the temperature drops sharply after dark, and the small hours of an all-night festival feel cold. Morning mist is common in the tea gardens.
Worth packing
- A warm layer or shawl for the small hours
- A mat or cushion to sit on
- Slip-on shoes
- A torch
- Mosquito repellent
- Cash in small notes for the fair and tea stalls
Car hire in Moulvibazar
Private car with driver to Manipuri Raas Festival
Door to door from Osmani International Airport (ZYL) to Madhabpur Jora Mandap, with stops where you like.
- Osmani International Airport (ZYL) → Madhabpur Jora Mandap
- 103 km · 1 hr 30 min
Restaurants and food in Bangladesh
Places to eat in Bangladesh before or after the celebrations.
Featured
5.0 (1 review)
Chilekotha Restaurant
House 16, Road 4, Block F. Banani Chairmanbari Moshjid Road. Beside Banani Police Station Dhaka, 1213
Cuisine:BengaliBangla-Chinese
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Featured
5.0 (1 review)
Sky Pool Restaurant
15th Floor, Six Seasons Hotel, House 19, Road 96, Gulshan 2, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
Cuisine:InternationalBuffet
- Dine-in
- Buffet
- Outdoor seating
Featured
Picasso Restaurant
Level 12-13 & Rooftop, Rahman Regnum Center, 191/B Gulshan Link Road, Tejgaon, Dhaka 1208, Bangladesh
Cuisine:ContinentalChinese
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
5.0 (1 review)
Kathbadam Restaurant
Dasura Tower (2nd Floor), Mirpur Road, opposite Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216
Cuisine:BangladeshiChinese
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
5.0 (1 review)
Real Thai Sky Cafe
Khan Tower (Level 13-14), Plot 14 & 16, Sonargaon Janapath, Sector 11, Uttara, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
Cuisine:ThaiContinental
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Rozak Rooftop Restaurant
Road 11, Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cuisine:BengaliSteaks
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
5.0 (1 review)
3.0 (1 review)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
The Bishnupriya community's records counted the 2020 festival as the 178th, which dates the first to roughly 1842. The 2025 edition was the 183rd, so 2026 will be the 184th.
Kamalganj upazila alone is home to about 15,700 Manipuri people, according to the 2022 census, which makes the upazila one of the main centres of Manipuri life in Bangladesh.
The fair that runs outside the ritual space during the festival. It sells handicrafts and local goods, and it is the place to find food and tea while you wait for the night session.
Devotional singing, performed in the afternoon and evening between the daytime dances and the start of the all-night Raas. It sets the religious tone for what follows.
A tea poured in seven separate coloured layers, said to have been invented in Sreemangal, the town known as the tea capital of Bangladesh. Try it in town while you are staying for the festival.
The institute stands on BTRI Road about 4 km south-east of the town centre. It researches and sets standards for tea quality in Bangladesh.
Baikka Beel, a wetland north-west of town, is the place to start, alongside Madhabpur Lake. Early mornings are best, which suits the day after an all-night festival poorly, so plan it for another day.
Timing & weather
In 1986. The Meitei community holds its own Raas at the Manipuri Cultural Complex in Adampur, also in Kamalganj, alongside the older Bishnupriya festival at Madhabpur.
Yes. Kamalganj upazila borders the Indian states of Tripura and Assam, so the festival takes place within sight of the hills that run into India.
Getting there
About 17 km east of the town. The lake sits inside a tea estate and is the only confirmed site in Bangladesh for the rare great white-bellied heron, so bring binoculars.
Umrah packages from Dhaka