About Manipur Culture

Culture of Manipur

Manipur people are a culturally passionate. They celebrate many festivals and perform many cultural shows in theatres. Theatre in Manipur can be broadly divided, based on their texts, into religious and secular. Gouralila, Sanjenba and Udukhol are seasonal performances commanding spiritual devotions among the audience. Though audience deeply appreciates the religious genre, the torch of theatre is being held up by the secular ones. Among the latter also Shumang lila commands a very wide rustic popularity among the audience though the stage drama still doesn't lack its serene and dignified position mostly because of its community based themes and styles.

Festivals celebrated in Manipur include Ningol Chakouba, Yaoshang, Ramjan ID, Kut, Gan-ngai, Chumpha, Christmas, Cheiraoba, Kang and Heikru Hidongba. Most of these festivals are usually celebrated on the basis of lunar calendar. A social festival of the Meiteis where the women (Ningol) are invited (Chakouba) to a feast at their parental house along with their children. Along with the feast, gifts are given for them as well as the children. This fiesta unites the family relations between the girls married away and the parents. It is held every year mostly during the month of November. Sometimes it falls in October.

Important feature of Yaoshang festival is the Thabal Chongba (Dancing in the Moonlight). The boys from various places will come to the site of the festival and dance with the girls by holding on to their hands and moving in circles. It is celebrated for five days starting from the full moon of Phalguna (February/March). Another community comprising of the Kukis, the Nagas, the Tangkhuls, the Marings in Manipur are all Christians and rejoice Christmas for two days with prayers, reading of gospels, eating, singing of hymns, lectures on Christ, sports etc. It is usually observed on December 24 and 25.The Kuki is the second largest people in population of Manipur. Gaan-Ngai is the best festival of the Zeliangrong people. It is celebrated in five days and is usually performed on the 13th day of the Meitei month of Wakching as per the Meitei Calendar of the lunar year. This festival symbolizes the beginning of the harvest season and is celebrated with folk songs and cultural dance contributing to Almighty (Tingkao Ragwang). The Manipuri Muslims observed Ramjan ID in the very spirits of joy and festivities as in other Muslim world. To celebrate Cheiraoching Kaba, the people of Manipur clean and decorate their houses and make a sumptuous variety of dishes to buffet upon after offering the food to the deity on this day. After the feast, people climb the nearest hill tops (Cheiraoching Kaba) because it is believed that it would shine them to greater heights in their sophisticated life. It is observed during the month of April. Ras Lila is an important classical form of Manipuri dance which is based on the theme of Lord Krishna and his beloved, Radha love story and the devotion of the Gopis towards Lord Krishna. This elegant and slow movement of the dance is one of the most highly praised classical dances of India. The costume of this dance is that depicts exquisiteness of the art.