of iron, the distillers of spirits, the makers of earthen vessels, manufacturers of salt, builders of boats etc. Distribution The Daingnet people are found in and around Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Paletwa and Mrauk-U. Many Daingnets also live in the Arakan Yoma mountains, close to the Chin state and Chittagong Hill Tracts. Culture The Daingnets are culturally similar to the Chakmas and Rakhines in Bangladesh and Northeast India. Rice, fish and vegetables are their favorite foods. They prefer hot food. Daingnet people consider cow as a sacred animal and as such they do not eat beef. Men sport lungi and women sport sarong (Pinuin) like dress thami. Usually men do the agricultural work and women look after children and cook for the family. They usually like to settle near rivers. Some of them also live in mountains whose livelihood is slash and burn cultivation. Daingnet people usually marry early, but never before the age of 17. Their original language was Tibeto-Burman. Due to prolonged interaction with the Assamese language, their language gradually became a mix of Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman. Majority of the Daingnets are multi-lingual. Apart from their own Chakma language, they can speak Rakhine, Burmese. Religion Daingnets are followers of Theravada Buddhism and for centuries the Daingnets have strictly adhered to its teachings. Almost every village has a Buddhist temple. A Daingnet male at least once in his lifetime becomes a Buddhist monk. However most of them do not remain Buddhist monks for life. Wedding and funeral ceremonies are performed by Buddhist monks. Besides wedding and funeral, the Daingnet people flock to Buddhist temples on major Buddhist festivals which usually fall on full moon days. Economy Majority of the Daingnets are farmers. Some of them are traders. Their economy is highly dependent on agriculture and hence vulnerable to weather pattern. However, due to lack of economic development there is widespread poverty among the Daingnets. Religious conviction of Buddhism forbids them to work as fishermen or butchers. There are 2 kinds of farmers among the Daingnets, those who farm land on permanent basis and those who farm hills and mountains by slash and burn or shifting cultivation technique. References Ethnic groups in Myanmar