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Ashtami Snan at Langalbandh, Narayanganj

Every year on the bright eighth day of Chaitra, thousands of devotees take a holy bath in the Old Brahmaputra here.

Last checked: 2 Nov 2026 · 3 sources

Where is Langalbandh

Langalbandh is on the bank of the Old Brahmaputra in Narayanganj district, near the Dhaka-Chattogram highway and about 20 km south-east of Dhaka city. The holy site is about 2 km long. (Source: Banglapedia, Langalband)

Banglapedia lists 13 bathing ghats and 10 temples, plus several ashrams. The ghats include Premtala, Annapurna, Baradeswari, Gandhi, Joykali, Kalidah, Shankar and Shikhri. (Source: Banglapedia, Langalband)

When the Ashtami Snan is held

The bath is held every year on the bright eighth day (Shukla Ashtami) of Chaitra. The English date changes each year, so check a panjika. According to Wikipedia, the 2015 Ashtami Snan fell on 27 March. (Source: Wikipedia, Langalbandh)

In 2018 The Daily Star reported that the Ashtami Snan is a two-day event. That year it was due to start at 10:14 am on 23 March and run until 7:52 am on Sunday. More than 1,200 police were deployed. (Source: The Daily Star, Holy Ashtami Snan starts tomorrow (22 March 2018))

The Parashurama legend

In the legend, Parashurama killed his mother Renuka on his father Jamadagni's order, and his axe stuck to his hand. He bathed in the Brahmaputra to be freed, and the axe fell away. He then tied the axe to a plough and led the river's water to the plains, stopping at the place that became Langalbandh. (Source: Banglapedia, Langalband)

Banglapedia's account says the river lost its power to wash away sins all year but kept it on the eighth lunar day of Chaitra, which is why the bath on this day matters most. (Source: Banglapedia, Langalband)

The fair and the crowds

A fair of three to four days is held during the festival, where visitors buy handicrafts and other goods. (Source: Banglapedia, Langalband)

Wikipedia says devotees come from Bangladesh, India and Nepal in the hundreds of thousands. Citing bdnews24, it puts the 2015 bathing at over 1.5 million devotees. (Source: Wikipedia, Langalbandh)

During the 2015 Ashtami Snan, 10 devotees were killed and 30 injured. Wikipedia says the unexpectedly large crowd and a lack of preparedness by the authorities contributed. (Source: Wikipedia, Langalbandh)

In 2018 The Daily Star's reporter found the arrangements for women devotees inadequate, with a few unclean rooms. (Source: The Daily Star, Holy Ashtami Snan starts tomorrow (22 March 2018))

💡 The crowd is huge on bathing day. Hold small children and elders by the hand, and agree a meeting point with your group.

💡 Watch your step on slippery ghats while bathing, and bring a spare set of dry clothes.

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