The Chakma Yuvaraj, or crown prince, Rajkumar Tribhuvan Aryadev Roy (born 11 Feb, 1990) was ordained as a novice monk – following Chakma and Theravada Buddhist traditions – at Raj Vana Vihar, Rangamati, Chittagong Hill Tracts, on 3 January, 2012. His cousin, Orko Talukdar, son of Major Tarun Talukdar (retired) and Chaitali Chakma-Talukdar (Munni; a maternal first cousin of Raja Devasish), was also ordained at the same time. As custom demanded, the Yuvaraj’s father, the incumbent Chakma Chief, Raja Devasish Roy – as the sole parent (the Rani having passed away in 1998) – had to provide the mandatory parental consent. Chaitali represented the two parents of Orko.
A motorcade, led by a Dhamma band and some of the Raja’s guards, reached the monastery premises early in the morning. The Raja’s sole surviving paternal uncle, Rajkumar Nandit, accompanied. The ordinand prince and his elders travelling in the rear of an open van, to be open to public view. They were followed by Chaitali and other relatives, well-wishers and attendants.
The preceptor was the Ven’ble Gyanopriyo Mahathera, a senior disciple of the Most Venerable Sravakabuddha Sadhananda Mahathera (Bono Bhante), the abbot of Raj Vana Vihar. The monk ceremonially touched a razor to the ordinands’ head (they had shaven their hair the night before). All present took the five precepts, and later, the ten precepts, which are compulsory for all members of the Buddhist order of monks (Bhikkus). Soon they changed into the monks’ saffron robes. Following a 2,500 year-old custom, they were given new names, as monks are supposed to renounce everything worldly, including their identities. Aryadev and Orko were given the names of Mahakasyapa Sramana and Gyanakasyapa Sramana, respectively.
Two days later, on 5 January, 294 men and boys – hillpeople and plains Baruas – were ceremonially ordained in the custom followed in Thailand, a Buddhist-majority country. The ordination process was arranged by the Dhammakaya Foundation of Thailand. These were part of a programme to honour the Ven’ble Bono Bhante, whose 93rd birthday would be celebrated on 8 January.
According to Chakma custom, novice monks stay fort at least a week in the monastery. Mahakasyapa Sramana and Gyanakasyapa Sramana are expected to stay more than a week. Thereby, they would also benefit from novice monks’ training being imparted by monks from the Dhammakaya Foundation.
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