The Origin of "Chatigam"


There is a popular legend among the Tipra Community of Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts –


“The Buidesis (a Kokborok version of the word foreigner) sought some land from the Maharaja of Tripura to expand their business in the Chittagong region of the independent Tripura Kingdom. They told the Maharaja of Tripura that they would only go as far as the light of the lamp goes".

But the Maharaja of Tripura Kingdom did not understand that the light limit of the lamp is exactly how much!! He thought how far a lamp would light!! So he approved.

The Buidesi lit a large lamp (literally several lamps in a row, as electronic lamps had not yet been invented) on a hill, and occupied as far as the light of the lamp could be seen their business territory. And from that time the territory passed into the possession of the Buidesi.”



It is clear from the map that at that time the name of present "Chittagong" was "CHATIGAM" which fully similar to the words spoken and used in Tipra Language "Kokborok".

In Kokborok Language “Chati” means "Lamp" and “Gam” means “Good”, i.e. the word “CHATIGAM” means “Good lamp” or “Developed Lamp”.