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Culture of Manipur: Mesmerizing Tradition, Art, Music, Food and Festivals

• Culture of Indian States
• Indian Culture
• Northeast India

Table of contents

The influence of korea in culture of manipur, food culture of manipur, music of manipur, dances of manipur, handicrafts of manipur, art forms of manipur, architecture of manipur, festivals of manipur.

Manipur, fondly called “the bejeweled land”, is truly one of the hidden gems of Northeast India . Relatively unexplored as compared to the other parts of the country, the culture of Manipur is full of treasures. Here, we dive deep into the rich tradition and culture of Manipur that is home to enchanting art forms, delicious food, and vibrant festivals .

The Manipuri culture is a distinct blend of Korean, Central Indian, and Northeast Indian cultures . Owing to the Hallyu or the Korean wave that has spread worldwide, the impact of South Korean way-of-life is prominent among the younger Northeastern and specially Manipuri people. Korean international competitions are also held in the state, with famous K-pop artists visiting them for music tours. Many youngsters can even converse in Korean fluently! Korean movies and dramas are seen regularly, with their CDs being sold on the sidewalk and huge stores alike. Yet, such is the beauty of Indian culture , that while integrating other aspects, the natives have not lost their traditional culture of Manipur.

The cuisine of Manipur is as diverse as the state itself. With each of the multitude of tribes of the state having their special dishes, their blend is a wonderful concoction of culture. Popular dishes include those like Eromba Chutney, Yen Thongba (chicken), Nganu Thongba (duck), Oak Thongba (pork), and San Thongba (beef). Prepared in a style of cooking exclusive to the region, their usage of the native spices gives an edge to the brilliant food culture of Manipur. Though daily home-cooked meals include rice and side dishes of vegetables or meat.

The indigenous culture often includes various aspects like melodious music skillfully produced from the instruments like Pena which have existed since centuries. The Pena, which is similar to a violin, is made of bamboo and has stood the test of time. Today, it has become one of the most popular Manipuri instruments. Nameirakpam Ibemni Devi is a highly acclaimed musician from the state who was awarded one of the country’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri. She was an accelerator of the Khongjom Parba genre of Manipuri classical music.

The dances of Manipur are often so mesmerizing that the viewers are left stunned by its beauty, grace and coordination. The distinct dance form of the state is the Manipuri dance or Jagoi which is recognized as one of India’s major classical dance forms. This dance depicts the love story of Lord Krishna and his lover Radha during the festival of Raas Leela. Unlike the popular Kathakali dance and its similar forms which heavily rely on facial expressions and eye movements, the Manipuri dance is quite lax in this forte. Instead, the dance form is more focused on the graceful movement of the entire body.

Another popular dance form of the state is the Pung Cholom, literally meaning ‘the roar of the drums’ which is a drum dance. It begins on a mild note with a few men or women playing the drum called Pung but quickly escalates to mid-air acrobatics with them whirling about, all while playing the Pung. This dance form, true to its inspiration, resembles martial arts.

The notable art and heritage crafts forms of the land include extensive usage of bamboo and Papier-mâché. The Kauna variety of reed that grows on the river banks is also used for the local handicrafts. The notable art style of the state is the Longpi pottery that originates from the two villages of Longpi. The Tangkhul Naga tribes inhabiting this region are skilled at crafting these beautiful utensils from black serpentinite stone and a special brown clay and then polishing them with the leaves of a native tree. These utensils and pottery have recently seen a rise in international sales and have become a major export.

The state’s traditional form of martial arts is the Huyen Langlon, otherwise known as Thang-Ta. This native art has both armed and unarmed versions, with weapons like spears, axes and shields. This martial-art form steers away from violence and instead focuses on self-defence.

Manipur has also produced many skilled film directors, actors and musicians. The prominent names in Manipur’s entertainment industry include Ratan Thiyam, who served as the director of National School of Drama and set up famous theatre groups in his state. Some of the acclaimed dancers of the state are Haobam Ongbi Ngangbi Devi and Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi. They both have been awarded the Padma Shri.

The architecture itself is a form of art in Manipur. The temples of the state like Kiyong, Thellon, and Laishang are the best examples of the state’s architecture. After the arrival of Hinduism, the Vaishnava influence could be seen clearly on the structures. These temples also had the holy horns or Chirongs as a distinguishing feature of the architecture. These Chirongs were also added to the tribal houses as these were believed to make the house complete. On these symbolic Chirongs, various elements relating to daily lives, like birds and flowers are carved.

Vibrant cultures often lead to numerous festivals to celebrate their diversity. Manipur too has many such events. Many Indian cultures have their unique forms of boat racing. Manipur celebrates its version in the Langbal month of their calendar annually. The lively boat races that take place in the Bijoy Govinda Canal are a spectacle to behold. The northeastern states of our country have a significant Christian population. The religion is a majority in many of these states. In Manipur, the festival takes place with great pomp and joy, and all religious communities celebrate this festival in harmony. Another festival is the Lai Haraoba, literally the festival of Gods, which revers all the lords of Manipuri Mythology simultaneously.

Suggested Read –  Festivals of Manipur, A Mesmerising Visual Treat to Your Eyes

Like most Northeastern states, Manipur is also waiting for its appropriate share of tourism and economic boost. Truly, it is an unexplored gem of our country. Tucked away in the lands of rolling hills and wading rivers, and guarded by the dragon lords, Manipur is waiting to be discovered.

Image credits: The copyright for the images used in this article belong to their respective owners. Best known credits are given under the image. For changing the image credit or to get the image removed from Caleidoscope, please contact us.

10 COMMENTS

Well, where are the culture and identities of tribal people living in the hill areas of Manipur Aren’t they part of manipur ? Why only meitei culture is exposed and why is tribal culture hidden?

We have exclusively covered the tribes of Northeast in this article, please check. https://www.caleidoscope.in/art-culture/northeastern-tribes-of-india

This is a very well written article! As someone who is not familiar with Manipuri culture, this article gave me a very good overview of how beautiful Manipur is. Looking forward to more articles from you!

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! I got awesome information from this Article.

The claim of Korean influence on the Meitei culture is wildly inaccurate. They both share in the expansion of the Tai Shan from what is now western China, but had entirely different developments of that culture.

As a Manipuri and a Meitei, I find it misleading that our culture would be appropriated in this way. While it is true that Korean culture is popular among the youngsters of the state because of the global spread of kpop and k-dramas, it is a big leap to claim that Korean culture is a part of Manipuri culture. Also, as stated in one of the comments above, this article is very one dimensional since it focuses only on the Meiteis and omits the various other tribes inhabiting our state. The writers can hopefully rectify these in the future if they do write another article about Manipur.

nice article thanks caleidoscope for this valuable informative article

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Manipuri dance is counted among major classical dance forms of India, especially noted for themes based on Vaishnavism and spectacular execution of ‘Ras Lila’, dance dramas based on love between Radha and Krishna. Other themes included in this art form associate with Shaktism, Shaivism and on the sylvan deities called Umang Lai during Manipuri festival ‘Lai Haraoba’. This dance form is named after the north-eastern state of Manipur, India from where it originated but it has its roots in ‘Natya Shastra’, the age-old Sanskrit Hindu text. A mix of Indian and southeast Asian culture is palpable in this form. The age-old dance tradition of the place is manifested from great Indian epics, ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’, where the native dance experts of Manipur are referred as ‘Gandharvas’. The Manipuris perform this religious art that aims at expressing spiritual values during Hindu festivals and other important cultural occasions like marriage.

History & Evolution 

Traditionally the Manipuri people consider themselves to be the ‘Gandharvas’ mentioned in the Vedic texts who were singers, dancers and musicians associated with devas or the deities. Southeast Asian temples of early medieval period bear sculptures of ‘Gandharvas’ as dancers. The region is also mentioned as ‘Gandharva-desa’ in ancient Manipuri texts. Usha, the exalted dawn goddess in the ‘Rig Veda’ is traditionally accredited of creating female dance art and tutoring girls in the art. Conventionally this oral tradition of dance passed down verbally to women is famous in Manipur as ‘Chingkheirol’. Manipur finds place in age-old Sanskrit texts including the great Indian epic, the ‘Mahabharata’, which mentions that one of the five Pandava brothers, Arjun met Chitrangada and fell in love with her in this beautiful valley. The ethnic majority of Meitei people call dance as ‘Jagoi’ and the traditional ‘Lai Haraoba’ festival observed in honour of the sylvan deities called Umang Lai includes several dance postures of Nataraja, an illustration of Lord Shiva as the cosmic ecstatic dancer, as also His disciple Tandu or Tangkhu. The ‘Khamba Thoibi’ dance is performed during ‘Lai Haraoba’. It is a duet dance of male and female partners that is dedicated to the sylvan deity, Thangjing of Moiran, and associated with the Manipuri folklore of two lovers an orphan boy Khamba and a princess Thoibi, daughter of King Chinkhuba, from the epic ‘Moirang Parba’. 

Development in the Medieval era 

Although texts of ancient Manipur gradually fizzled out, the oral tradition of Manipuri, records tracing back to early 18th century, have references about the place in Asian manuscripts and archaeological findings speak volumes about the art. The text ‘Bamon Khunthok’ that gives an account of migration of Hindu Brahmins and Buddhists to Manipur elucidates that the practice of Vaishnavism was embraced by Manipur Kings during the 15th century CE. Later, Vaishnavism was not only adopted by King Charai Rongba in 1704 but was also declared as the state religion. 

The Chaitanya style of devotional Vaishnavism was embraced by King Gareeb Niwaz in 1717 that saw accentuation of religious performance arts including singing and dancing based on themes surrounding Lord Krishna. Manipuri furthered its dance tradition by incorporating dance dramas based on Lord Rama in 1734. Rajarshi Bhagya Chandra also known as Jai Singh Maharaja and Ningthou Ching-Thang Khomba, the 18th century CE monarch of Meitei people who adopted Gaudiya Vaishnavism is considered an icon in the history of Manipur. The invention of ‘Ras Lila’ dance and spreading Vaishnavism in the state of Manipur is attributed to him.

He recorded and systematized the style of Manipuri dance art and is credited with composing three forms of ‘Ras Lilas’ out of five namely ‘Kunja Ras’, ‘Basanta Ras’ and ‘Maha Ras’, which were staged during his monarchy in Imphal’s Sri Sri Govindaji temple. He also elaborated the basics of the dance in the text titled ‘Govinda Sangeet Lila Vilasa’, composed the ‘Achouba Bhangi Pareng’ dance, designed the ‘Kumil’ costume and initiated the dance form in Hindu temples and ‘Ras Lila’ performances in public. It is also considered that encouraged by Bengali missionaries, he initiated the Sankirtan tradition in Manipur.

Maharaja Gambhir Singh and Maharaja Chandra Kirti Singh of the 19th century are accredited with composing the ‘Nitya Ras’. While the former composed ‘Goshtha Vrindaban Pareng’ and ‘Goshtha Bhangi Pareng’ (two parengs of tandava kind), the latter composed ‘Vrindaban Bhangi Pareng’ and ‘Khrumba Bhangi Pareng’ (two parengs of Lasya kind), along with around 64 Pung choloms or drum dances that are usually performed as a prelude to the ‘Ras Lila’.

Colonial Era

British colonial rule in the 19th century saw decline of various Indian classical dance forms which were subjected to contemptuous fun and discouragement. Manipur was annexed by the British colonial government in 1891, and with this the flourishing period of Manipuri dance art came under the clutch of colonial rule like other ancient Indian classical dance forms. The Manipuri dancers somehow survived in the temples of the region like the Govindji temple of Imphal. The Christian missionaries launched anti-dance movement in 1892 and later the Madras Presidency under the British colonial government banned the custom of dancing in Hindu temples in 1910. The Indian community disapproved such ban and as the Indian freedom movement progressed steadily during the early 20th century, an effort to revive Indian culture and tradition became strong among Indians. Many classical art revivalists joined hands between 1920 and 1950 in reviving the different ancient classical dance forms.

Association with Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian Bengali polymath and the first non-European who won the ‘Nobel Prize in Literature’ in 1913, is revered for his outstanding contribution in the field of Bengali literature and music. He rekindled the Manipuri dance art in a new way. Tagore was so fascinated by the performance of the dance composition of ‘Goshtha Lila’ in Sylhet (now in Bangladesh) in 1919 that he offered Guru Budhimantra Singh, an ace Manipuri dancer, to join the faculty of ‘Shantiniketan’, an Indian cultural and study centre. Guru Naba Kumar was also invited by Tagore who joined ‘Shantiniketan’ in 1926 to teach ‘Ras Lila’. Many of Tagore’s dance-dramas were given shape with choreography of other imminent Gurus who were offered to join the centre at certain points of time namely Atomba Singh, Nileshwar Mukherji and Senarik Singh Rajkumar.

The repertoire and basic play of this dance form revolves around different seasons. The traditional style of this art form incorporates graceful, gentle and lyrical movements. The fundamental dance movement of Ras dances of Manipur is Chari or Chali. Manipuri dances are performed thrice in autumn from August to November and once in spring sometime around March-April, all on full moon nights. While Vasant Ras is scheduled in spring when Holi, the festival of colours is celebrated by the Hindus, the other dances are scheduled around post-harvest festivals like Diwali. Themes of the songs and plays comprise of love and association of Radha and Krishna in company of the Gopis namely Sudevi, Rangadevi, Lalita, Indurekha , Tungavidya, Vishakha, Champaklata and Chitra. One composition and dance sequence is dedicated for each of the Gopis while the longest sequence is emphasized on Radha and Krishna. The dance drama is performed through excellent display of expressions, hand gestures and body language. Acrobatic and vigorous dance movements are also displayed by Manipuri dancers in many other plays.

The costumes for Manipuri dancers, particularly for women are quite unique from other Indian classical dance forms. A male dancer wears a bright coloured dhoti, also referred as dhora or dhotra that covers lower part of his body from waist. The unique style of wearing it gives the dancer the flexibility to perform his footwork. A crown decorated with peacock feather adorns the dancer’s head, who portrays the character of Lord Krishna. The costume of female dancers resembles that of a Manipuri bride, referred as Potloi costumes. These costumes were introduced for dancers characterising Gopis in ‘Rasa Lila’ dance by Meidingu Bhagyachandra Maharaj. The most distinguished of these is the Kumil costume that is an exquisitely embellished long skirt in the shape of a barrel with a stiffened bottom. The skirt is embroidered with fine gold and silver works decorated with small mirror pieces and designs of lotus and other natural items as border prints. The top border of Kumil adorns a wavy and translucent fine skirt tied in three places around the waist in Trikasta and opens up like a flower. A velvet choli or blouse adorns the upper part of the body and a translucent veil white in colour covers the head. The dancer wears round shaped jewellery or garlands of flowers to adorn her face, hand, neck, waist and legs that synchronize well with her costume. However unlike other Indian classical dance forms a Manipuri dancer does not wear a ghunghroo that is a musical anklet made of leather straps with small metallic bells attached to it. The entire get up of the dancers performing gracefully onstage complimented with devotional music gives the feel of watching floating apsaras.

The drummers who also dance while drumming are male artists. They wear white dhoti that covers the lower part of body from waist and a white turban on the head. A shawl neatly folded adorns their left shoulders while the drum strap falls on their right shoulders.

Instruments & Music   The musical instrument generally used in this art form includes the Pung that is a barrel drum, cymbals or kartals, harmonium, flute, pena and sembong. Accompanists include a singer. During the Pong cholom dance, which is normally performed as a prelude to ‘Ras Lila’, dancer-drummers perform spectacular footwork including dance jumps while drumming. Similarly in Kartal cholom dance the dancers performing in group play the kartals or cymbals and dance to its rhythm forming and moving in a circle. While Pong cholom and Kartal cholom are performed by male artists, Mandilla cholom is performed by women in group while playing cymbals that are tied with colourful tassel strings. The language of text songs of Manipuri dance lyrics are varied including Sanskrit, Brij Bhasha and Maithili to name a few while the text songs are generally taken from poetry of the likes of Jayadeva, Govindadas, Chandidas and Vidyapati.         

Famous Exponents

Imminent Manipuri performers include Guru Bipin Singh, his disciple Darshana Jhaveri and her sisters Nayana, Ranjana and Suverna, Charu Mathur and Devyani Chalia among others.

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Manipuri Culture and Literature --a refresher

2020, FPSJ Review of Arts and Politics

Manipuri Culture and Literature in a nutshell

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How Hindi helped to build a bridge to Manipuri language and culture

As early as in 1928, manipur witnessed a movement to propagate hindi that further strengthened its links with mainland india.

Updated - July 12, 2021 06:29 pm IST

Published - July 12, 2021 06:28 pm IST

Meitei devotees at the annual Lai Haraoba festival in Bhopal’s Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, June 2008.

It is an unfortunate but undeniable fact that in the imagination of most of those who live in the Hindi heartland, India is a near mirror-image of the Hindi region.

While India’s “unity-in-diversity” is routinely emphasised and its multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious character is iterated and reiterated, the sad reality is that dwellers of the Hindi region have very little familiarity with other regions of the country, especially those that lie in the south and the northeast. The reality in those regions is fortunately very different, and Manipur’s case has a distinct resonance in this respect.

Called the ‘jewel of India’ by Jawaharlal Nehru, Manipur is geographically a small valley surrounded by hills where the Nagas live. It was under the control of the Burmese kings until 1826 when under the Yandabo Treaty with the British East India Company, the king of Ava (Burma) recognised the British-supported Gambhir Singh as the king of Manipur. In 1891, Manipur came under the British rule as a princely state. When the freedom movement gathered strength in India, the Manipuri people too developed close emotional bonds with it and began to oppose the British, inspired as they were by Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose.

As early as in 1928, Manipur witnessed a movement to propagate Hindi that further strengthened its links with India. When the British decided to withdraw from the subcontinent, the Manipuri people launched a movement to put pressure on the local ruler to merge with the Indian Union and thus Manipur became a part of India on October 15, 1949.

The Meiteis — an ethnic term that distinguishes Manipur’s lowlanders from the hill people — live mostly in the Imphal Valley and make up the majority of the State’s population. While the Nagas have mostly converted to Christianity, the Meiteis are predominantly Hindus. Politically, Manipur may have been under the suzerainty of Burmese rulers but culturally it remained well-connected with mainland India. It is amply reflected in its classical dance forms that, as dance historian Kapila Vatsyayan explains, took their distinctive shape between 1300-1800 A.D. The principal form Rasa Lila is deeply influenced by the Krishna Bhakti tradition of the Vaishnava school. In modern times, Guru Amobi Singh was acknowledged as its pre-eminent exponent.

Translations helped

It is against this historical-cultural background that Hindi has acquired wide acceptability in the social and cultural life of Manipur and has, over the decades, emerged as the prime language of promoting a close interaction and a meaningful dialogue among Manipuri and other languages. Translations from Manipuri into Hindi have played an important role in taking this process forward. Since the 1980s, Dr. Devraj, who retired as professor and head of the Hindi department at Manipur University, has been contributing to drawing up plans for getting important literary works in Manipuri translated into Hindi and seeing to their successful execution.

It was the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha, that laid the foundation of the Manipuri-Hindi translation project by publishing the prose rendition of nine poems selected from renaissance poet Lamabam Kamal Singh’s poetry collection titled Leipareng (Garland of Flowers). This was the first time these two words — lei (flower) and pareng (garland) — were joined to create a new word. This Hindi translation, by Aribam Chhatradhwj Sharma, was published in a bilingual format in 1962 under the Kavishreemala series to mark the Samiti’s silver jubilee. Its introduction interestingly quotes a local belief that traces the origins of the Manipuri language (Meiteilon) and its script (Meitei Mayek) to Shiva and his sons, as the first alphabet is called Shib-aakhar.

Before this, Kaisham Kunjbihari Singh had started publishing his editorials written in Manipuri for his newspaper in Devanagari script and had in fact launchd a movement to rechristen Devanagari as Rashtralipi (national script). The bilingual edition of Leipareng was in a way carrying this tradition forward.

The Manipuri-Hindi translation projects received a boost when Dr. Devraj, in collaboration with Manipuri writers, translators and Manipur Hindi Parishad, started taking an active interest and, as a result, several books appeared from 1989 onwards. These included Adhunik Manipuri Kavitaen (Modern Manipuri Poems, 1989), Pushpmala (Garland of Flowers, 1993), Navjagarankaleen Manipuri Kavitaen (Manipuri Poems of the Renaissance, 1995), Teerthyatra (Pilgrimage, 1996), Maan Ki Aradhana (Worship of the Mother, 1998), Jit Dekhoon (Wherever I look, 1998), Sapne ka Geet (Song of a Dream, 1998), Tujhe Nahin Kheya Naav (I Did Not Sail You Boat, 2000) and Katha Ek Gaanv Ki (The Story of a Village, 2003).

Of these, two deserve special mention because they represent both Manipuri poetry and prose. Navjagarankaleen Manipuri Kavitaen , the collection of renaissance poetry offers works of eight poets — Chingakham Mayurdhwj Singh, Hijam Anganghal Singh, Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh, Hawaibam Nawdwipchandra Singh, Lamabam Kamal Singh, Ashangbam Minketan Singh, Arambam Darendrajit Singh and Rajkumar Sheetaljit Singh.

The other — Sapne ka Geet — is a translation of a collection of Khunthem Prakash’s Manipuri short stories titled Mangi Ishai . Haobam Anandi Devi translated the book as a tribute to writer-translator Aribam Krishnamohan Sharma.

There have been attempts to translate works of literary criticism. Today, Manipuri literary trends share a lot of similarities with their counterparts in Hindi and other Indian languages.

The writer is a senior Hindi poet and journalist who writes on politics and culture.

Related Topics

The Hindu Sunday Magazine / society / Manipur / language / history and culture

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Essay on Manipur

Students are often asked to write an essay on Manipur in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Manipur

Introduction.

Manipur, a jewel of India, is a state in Northeast India. Known for its diverse culture, it is rich in every sense, be it in the beauty of nature or the culture of the populace.

Manipur is bordered by Nagaland, Mizoram, Assam and Myanmar. It has a unique topography with hills, valleys, forests and several rivers.

The state is a melting pot of culture. It is renowned for its dance forms like Manipuri dance, festivals like Yaoshang, and art forms.

The economy is primarily agrarian, with significant contribution from handicrafts, handlooms and tourism sectors.

250 Words Essay on Manipur

Manipur, a jewel of India, is a northeastern state known for its diverse culture, rich history, and breathtaking landscapes. It is an epitome of harmony, blending various tribes, communities, and cultures.

Geographical Significance

Nestled amid high ridges, Manipur is surrounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south, and Assam in the west. Its eastern frontier borders Myanmar. The state’s topography is unique, with 90% hilly terrain and a central valley, home to Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India.

Cultural Diversity

Manipur’s cultural diversity is its hallmark. It is home to various ethnic groups like Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis, and Pangals, each with its distinct traditions, dialects, and art forms. Manipuri dance, also known as ‘Ras Lila’, is a classical Indian dance form recognized globally.

Economic Aspects

Manipur’s economy primarily relies on agriculture, handicrafts, and handloom. The state’s sericulture industry is notable, producing a unique variety of silk, Moirang Phee. However, the state’s economic potential remains untapped due to infrastructural challenges and geographical isolation.

Manipur, the ‘Switzerland of India’, is a state of immense potential. Its geographical beauty, cultural richness, and unique biodiversity make it a treasure trove. However, it requires focused efforts to overcome its economic and infrastructural challenges to fully harness its potential.

500 Words Essay on Manipur

Nestled amidst verdant hills, Manipur is bordered by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west, while sharing an international border with Myanmar to the east. The state’s topography is characterized by a central valley surrounded by mountain ranges, with the Barak River being a significant water body. The unique Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, is a significant geographical feature of Manipur, housing the only floating national park in the world – Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Manipur is a mosaic of traditions and cultures. The majority of the state’s population comprises the Meitei, who follow Sanamahism, a form of animism, alongside Hinduism. Other ethnic groups include the Nagas, Kukis, and Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), each with their unique customs and traditions. The state’s rich cultural tapestry is reflected in its traditional dance forms like Manipuri Raas Leela and martial arts like Thang-Ta.

Economy and Development

Manipur’s role in indian history.

Manipur played a significant role in India’s freedom struggle and World War II. The Battle of Imphal, fought in Manipur, was a turning point in World War II. Manipur was also a princely state during the British Raj and merged with the Indian Union in 1949.

Manipur, with its diverse cultures, rich history, and scenic beauty, is a microcosm of India’s diversity and resilience. The state, despite its challenges, continues to contribute significantly to India’s socio-cultural fabric and economic growth. Its unique blend of tradition and modernity serves as a beacon of cultural preservation and progressive change. As such, understanding Manipur is crucial for comprehending the complexities of India’s Northeast and its role in shaping the country’s identity.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Happy studying!

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मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी

आज हम बात करने वाले मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी के बारे में जो भारत का पूर्वोत्तर राज्य है और मणिपुर जो अपनी सुंदरता के लिए और अपनी संस्कृति के लिए जाना जाता है |

अगर आप मणिपुर जायँगे तो आपको मणिपुर की प्राकृतिक सुंदरता के साथ यहाँ का नृत्य भी आपको मणिपुर की तरफ खींच लेगा मणिपुर को प्रकृति ने बहुत सुन्दर तरीके से सजाया है और सवारा भी है|इसलिए इसे ‘पूरब का स्विट्जरलैंड’ भी कहा जाता है मणिपुर जाकर आपको जीवन की भागदौड़ और तनाव पूरी तरह गायब हो जायगा क्युकी यहाँ का मौसम आपके अनुकूल रहता है

मणिपुर राज्य की सीमा भारत के पड़ौसी देश म्यांमार की सीमा से लगती है इस राज्य की राजधानी इम्फाल है क्या आप जानते है मणिपुर को भारत में “साउथ एशिया के प्रवेश द्वार” का रूप में भी जाना जाता है पूर्व के प्रधानमंत्री पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरु ने मणिपुर को “भारत का गहना” नाम दिया था आज हम जानेंगे मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी के बारे में –

Table of Contents

1.मणिपुर की भोगोलित परिस्थिति

म णिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी -णिपुर भारत का एक पूर्वोत्तर राज्य है। मणिपुर की राजधानी इंफाल है । मणिपुर राज्य के पड़ोसी राज्य इस प्रकार है उत्तर में नागालैंड और दक्षिण में मिज़ोरम, पश्चिम में असम, और पूर्व में इसकी सीमा म्यांमार देश से लगती है।.

मणिपुर का कुल क्षेत्रफल 22,347 वर्ग कि.मी (8,628 वर्ग मील) है। मणिपुर राज्य में कुल 9 जिले है, इस राज्य की जनसँख्या 2011 की अनुसार 2.722 मिलियन थी| मणिपुर का सबसे बड़ा ज़िला इम्फाल वेस्ट है जिसकी आबादी ५१७९९२ की आसपास है और क्षेत्रफल में चुराचांदपुर सबसे बड़ा ज़िला है |

यहां के मूल निवासी मेइती जनजाति के हैं,मेइती जनजाति के लोगो द्वारा मेइतिलोन भाषा बोली जाती है,इस भाषा को मणिपुरी भाषा भी कहा जाता है|इस भाषा को १९९२ में भारत के संविधान की आठवीं अनुसूची में जोड़ी गई थी और और इसको राष्ट्रीय भाषा का दर्ज़ा हांसिल है |manipur full information Hindi

2. मणिपुर राज्य का इतिहास

मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी – मणिपुर की इतिहास की बात की जाये तो यहा काफी राजाओ ने शासन किया है ,यहाँ के राजवंशो का का लिखित इतिहास सन 33 ई. में पाखंगबा के राज्याभिषेक से शुरू हुआ है। उसके बाद अनेक राजाओं ने शासन किया। जैसे मणिपुर के महाराज कियाम्बा ने 1467, खागेम्बा ने 1597, चराइरोंबा ने 1698, गरीबनिवाज ने 1714, भाग्यचन्द्र (जयसिंह) ने 1763, गम्भीर सिंह ने 1825 में शासन किया।

का आधुनिक इतिहास 19वीं सदी में प्रारम्भ हुआ उसके बाद इस जगह बर्मा के लोगो ने (1819 से 1825 तक कब्ज़ा कर लिया और शासन किया, लेकिन उसके बाद मणिपुर 24 अप्रैल, 1891 के खोंगजोम युद्ध (अंग्रेज-मणिपुरी युद्ध) में मणिपुर अंग्रजो के अधीन आ गया और फिर देश की आजादी तक मणिपुर में अंग्रजो ने शासन किया|

21 सितम्बर1949 को विलय संधि के बाद 15 अक्टूबर 1949 से मणिपुर भारत देश का अभिन्न अंग बन गया | उसके बाद 1962 को मणिपुर को एक केंद्रशासित प्रदेश का दर्ज़ा दिया गया उसके बाद 21 जनवरी, 1972 को मणिपुर को भारत का पूर्ण राज्य का दर्जा मिल गया |

Read also https://hindifreedom.com/culture/114/culture-of-himachal-pradesh-in-hindi/

3.मणिपुर के जनजातियां

मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी – मणिपुर में चार प्रमुख जनजातीय निवास करती है , इसमें घाटी में मीतई जनजाति और बिष्णुप्रिया मणिपुरी निवास करती है |मणिपुर के पहाड़ी क्षेत्र नागा जनजातियों और कूकी जनजातियों निवास करती हैं। हर जनजाति की अपनी संस्कृति रीती रिवाज़ है |

मणिपुर आदिवासी समुदाय के साथ 29 और आदिवासी जनजातीय है,जो इस प्रकार है आइमोल, अनल, अंगामी, चिरु, चोटे, गंगते, हमार, कबुई, कचनागा, कैराव, कोइरांग, कोम, लामगंग, माओ, मारम, मारिंग, मिजो, मोनसांग, मोयोन, पैइट, पुरुम, राल्ते, सेमा, सिमटे, सब्टे, तंगखुल, थाडौ, वैफा और ज़ो आदि प्रमुख है |

इन् जनजातियों में नागा समूह की जनजाति आइमोल, अंगामी, कबुई, कचनागा, कैराव, कोइरांग, लमगांग, माओ, मारम, मारिंग, मिजो, मोनसांग, मोयोन, राल्टे, सेमा, सबते, और तंगकुल आदि प्रमुख है। और बाकि बची शेष जनजातियाँ कूकी समूह से बिलोंग करती हैं।

यहाँ के लोग बहुत सुन्दर और कलाकार होते हैं और सृजनशील भी होते हैं | यह कला हम उनके द्वारा बनाये उत्पादों में देख सकते है मणिपुर की लोगो द्वारा बनाये उत्पाद पुरे विश्वभर में अपनी डिज़ाइन, कौशल व उपयोगिता, और गुणवत्ता की के लिए पहचाने जाते है।

4. मणिपुर की वेशभूषा

मणिपुर की वेशभूषा की बात किये बगैर मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी अधूरी होगी क्युकी यहाँ की वेशभूसा यहाँ की संस्कृति को दिखाती है | मणिपुर के लोग जितने आकर्षक होते है उतनी आकर्षक यहाँ की वेशभूषा भी होती है| अगर बात महिलाऔ की करे तो महिलाए विशेष प्रकार की ड्रेस पहनती है जिसको मणिपुर में इंनाफी कहा जाता है और यह शोल की तरह होती है |.

इस पोशाक के चारो और आकर्षक रंग के बॉर्डर के साथ बहुत सुन्दर डिजाइनकिया होता है और साथ ही महिलाओ की पोशाक में एक फेनक और स्कर्ट भी होता है अगर पुरुषो की बात करे तो सफ़ेद कलर की धोती कुरता और सफ़ेद पगड़ी शामिल है यह पहनावा मणिपुर का पारम्परिक है और आधुनिक पहनावा आज की युवा पीढ़ी में देख सकते है और वो हम सब जानते है कैसा होता है |

Read also hindifreedom.com/culture/856/अरुणाचल-प्रदेश-की-कला-और-स/(opens in a new tab)

5. मणिपुर का लोक नृत्य

मणिपुर का नृत्य पुरे भारत में प्रसिद है एक तरह से मणिपुर भारत में अपने नृत्य के लिए भी जाना जाता है यहाँ के लोग बहुत ही धार्मिक प्रवृत्ति के होते है और यह उनके नृत्य में भी साफ़ झलकता है । मणिपुर में शास्त्रीय और लोक नृत्य यह भक्तिमय होते है और सिर्फ भगवान के मंदिरों में ही होते है।

मणिपुरी नृत्य विशेष रूप से राधा-कृष्ण को समर्पित होते है। क्यकि प्राचीन काल में मणिपुर से ही रासलीला उत्पन हुई मणिपुरी नृत्यों में मुख्य रूप से पुंग चोलम नृत्य, माई नृत्य, खम्बा थाबी नृत्य और नूपा नृत्य प्रमुख है|

6. मणिपुर के उत्सव

मणिपुर में उत्सव यहाँ की संस्कृति में खास स्थान रखते है उत्सव मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी से जुड़े हुए है इसलिए इस राज्य को उत्सव की भूमि भी कहा जाता है | मणिपुर में सभी त्यौहारों को बहुत उत्साह से मनाया जाता है। मणिपुर राज्य के त्योहार हिंदू पौराणिक कथाओं और पुरानी सांस्कृतिक परंपराओं से सम्बंद रखते है।

अलग अलग उत्सव इस राज्य की विविध संस्कृति को दर्शाता है यहाँ के कुछ प्रमुख उत्सव जैसे यात्रा, रथ यात्रा, कुट, लाइ हरोबा, चुमफा तथा दशहरा आदि है।यह उत्सव पर्यटकों की लिए अलग अनुभव देते है |

7. हथकरघा उद्योग

मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी – मणिपुर राज्य का सबसे बड़ा कुटीर उद्योग है। यह उधोग बहुत प्राचीन समय का है और साथ ही यह मणिपुर में सबसे अधिक रोजगार पैदा करता है। मणिपुर के कुछ प्रमुख हथकरघा उत्पाकद जैसे साड़ी, चादर, पर्दे, फैशनवाले कपड़े, स्काधर्फ व तकिए के कवर इत्यादि शामिल है।जिनको हुनर व महीन डिजाइनिंग के लिए जाना जाता है।

वे वांग खाई बायोन कांपू, कोंगमान, खोंग मैन उल्लालऊ आदि से सम्बंद रखते हैं और यह उत्कृष्ट सिल्कन उत्पादों के लिए प्रसिद्ध हैं। मणिपुरी कपड़े व शॉलों की भी देश और विदेश में बहुत डिमांड है । तीन सरकारी एजेंसियां हथकरघा उत्पाोदन का काम करती हैं ये हैं इनमे निम्न सरकारी एजंसिया काम करती है | जो इस प्रकार है –

1.मणिपुर डेवलपमेंट सोसायटी (एमडीएस) 2.मणिपुर हैंडलूम एंड हैडीक्राफ्ट डेवलपमेंट कॉपोरेशन (एमएचएचडीसी) 3.और मणिपुर स्टेट हैंडलूम वीवर्स को-ऑपरेटिव सोसायटी (एमएसएचडब्यूज सीएस)

राज्य के हस्तशिल्प उद्योग का देश में प्रमुख स्थान है हस्तशिल्प में बेंत व बांस के बने उत्पादों के साथ-साथ मिट्टी के बर्तन बनाने की कला भी शामिल है। मणिपुर में मिट्टी के बर्तन बनाने की कला बहुत प्राचीन है और यह मुख्यत : एंड्रो, सिकमाई, चैरन, थोगजाओ, नुंगवी व सेनापति जिले में प्राचीन समय में बनाये जाते थे इसके साथ ही टोकरी बुनना भी यहाँ की लोगो का प्रमुख व्यवसाय है |

Read also hindifreedom.com/culture/687/असम-की-कला-और-संस्कृति-और-अ/(opens in a new tab)

8.मणिपुर में पर्यटन

मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी – के बाद अब हम आ पहुंचे है मणिपुर के पर्यटन के बारे में –, मणिपुर अपनी प्राकृतिक सुंदरता और विविध वनस्पतियों एवं अनेक प्रकार जीव-जंतुओं के कारण भी जाना जाता है |मणिपुर को ‘भारत का आभूषण’ भी कहा जाता है।मणिपुर में पर्यटन की बहुत सम्भावनाये है पर्यटकों को लुभाने लिए प्राकृतिक दृश्यों, दुर्लभ एवं विलक्षण पेड़-पौधे, निर्मल वन, बहती नदियां, झरने, हरे भरे पहाड़ शामिल है। इतनी खूबसूरती देखकर ऐसा लगेगा की हम स्विजरलैंड आ गए है लेकिन यकीं मानिये हम अभी मणिपुर में ही है|.

इसके अलावा पर्यटकों के लिए कई घूमने की जगह है जैसे श्री गोविंद जी मंदिर, खारीम बंद बाजार (इमा कैथल) युद्ध कब्रिस्तान, शहीद मीनार, नुपी सान (महिलाओं का युद्ध) मेमोरियल कॉम्लेार क्सा, खोंघापत उद्यान, आईएनए मेमोरियल, लोकटक झील, कीबुल लामजो राष्ट्रीय उद्यान, विष्णुपुर स्थित विष्णु मंदिर, सेंड्रा, मोरेह सिराय गांव, सिराय की पहा‍ड़ियां, डूको घाटी, राजकीय अजायबघर, कैना पर्यटक निवास, खोंगजोम वार मेमोरियल आदि घूमने के स्थल से मणिपुर भरा पड़ा है।

मणिपुर में पर्यटन की अपार सम्भवानये है इसके साथ ही यहाँ परनिवेश के भी बहुत अवसर है |

मणिपुर के अन्य दर्शनीय स्थलों में इम्फाल, उख्रुल प्रमुख हैं। इम्फाल शहर में कांग्ला पार्क, गोविंद मन्दिर वहां के बाजार, टीकेन्द्रजित पार्क प्रसिद्ध हैं इसके साथ ही उख्रुल की पहाड़ियां प्रसिद्ध हैं।

9.मणिपुर की यात्रा करने का अच्छा समय

मणिपुर की यात्रा करने का सबसे अच्छा समय नवम्बर से अप्रैल तक माना जाता है | क्युकी इस समय हल्की सर्दी आपकी यात्रा को यादगार बना देती है क्यकि इस समय आप प्रकृतिक सुंदर का अच्छे से आनंद ले सकते है हालाँकि आप गर्मी में या साल के किसी मौसम में जा सकते है गर्मी में भी यहाँ इतनी गर्मी तो नहीं होती है |

ज्यादातर बारिश का मौसम रहता है आप बारिश के शौकीन है तो आपको अप्रैल से अक्टुम्बर आपके लिए अच्छा रहेगा बारिश आपकी यात्रा को चार चाँद लगा देगी |

मणिपुर कैसे जाए – How To Reach Manipur

भारत के दूसरे हिस्सों से मणिपुर सड़क ,रेल ,और हवाई सेवाओं से अच्छी तरह जुड़ा हुआ है आपको वहा जाने में कोई दिकत्त नहीं होगी

हवाई यात्रा :- हवाई यात्रा से मणिपुर की कैपिटल इंफाल जो पूर्वोत्तर का दूसरा बड़ा हवाई अड्डा है।इस हवाई मार्ग से आइजोल, गुवाहाटी, कोलकाता, सिल्चर तथा नई दिल्ली से आसानी से यात्रा कर सकते है |

रेल मार्ग : -रेल मार्ग से भी मणिपुर अब जुड़ चूका है आप रेलवे द्वारा गुवाहाटी से आसानी से इम्फाल जा सकते है |

सड़क सेवा : -मणिपुर सड़क मार्ग से भी अच्छी तरह जुड़ा हुआ है मणिपुर तीन राष्ट्रीय सड़क मार्ग 39 ,53 ,और 150 विभिन्न सहरो से जुड़ा है | से असम और गुवाहटी से सीधे बस सेवा उपलब्ध है भवष्य में प्रस्तावित मोराह-माइसॉट (थाईलैंड) राजमार्ग से मणिपुर दक्षिण-पूर्ण एशिया के थाईलैंड से जुड़ जायगा और यह दक्षिण-पूर्ण एशिया का गेटवे बन जाएगा।जिससे थाईलैंड की यात्रा कई किलोमीटर कम होकर कुछ घंटो की रह जाएगी ।

इतने खूबसूरत मणिपुर में आपको एक बार जरूर जाना चाहिए यह मेरा आप से अनुरोध है सच में आपको मणिपुर जाकर आपको स्विज़रलैंड की याद जरूर आएगी

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अत आपको मेरी पोस्ट मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति की पूरी जानकारी कैसी लगी कमेंट करके जरूर बताये साथ ही कोई चीज़े छूट गयी हो या कुछ कमी लगती है तो भी कमेंट करके जरूर बताये

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Meitei language

Meitei language ( Meitei lon ), also known as Manipuri language ( Manipuri lon ), is a Sino-Tibetan language of Tibeto-Burman linguistic sub-branch. It is the official language as well as the lingua franca of Manipur state of Northeast India , besides being the native tongue of the Meitei people . It is also one of the official languages of Assam as well as one of the 22 " scheduled languages " , officially recognised by the Constitution of India as well as the Union Government of India . It is the most widely spoken Indian language of its linguistic family. It is the primary liturgical language of the holy scriptural texts as well as of the sacred ritualistic chantings of Sanamahism , the traditional Meitei religion. It is one of the few Indian languages valued worthy to be learned in order to study the primary material texts dedicated to the classical dance and musical traditions of the Indian subcontinent (or South Asia).

Besides being the court language of the historic Manipur Kingdom , it is also the only Indian language of its linguistic family, whose ancient and medieval literatures're nurtured and developed under the patronage of the royalties. During antiquity, Meitei language was the classical language of high culture of its Meitei civilization .

• The Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021 (Amendment to the Section 2 of the "Manipur Official Language Act, 1979", for clause "f")
• Dr Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Kirata-Jana-Kirti, Calcutta, 1974, p. 158.
• Glimpses of Manipuri Language, Literature, and Culture. (1970). India: Manipuri Sahitya Parishad.
• Dr Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Kirata-Jana-Kirti, Calcutta, 1974, p. 157.
• "Why Amit Shah thinks Manipuri language is even more expressive than Sanskrit". India Today NE. 1 June 2023.
• Bhaumik, S. (2009). Troubled Periphery: The Crisis of India′s North East. India: SAGE Publications. page no. 57
• Chaube, S. K. (1985). Electoral Politics in Northeast India. India: Universities Press. page no. 102
• Ansari, S. A. (1985). Some Aspects of the Geography of Manipur. India: B.R. Publishing Corporation. page no. 95
• N. Chakravartty. (2003). Mainstream - Volume 41, Issues 30-52. page no. 25
• Moonis Ahmar, Violence and Terrorism in South Asia: Chronology and Profiles, 1971-2004. (2005). India: Bureau of Composition, Compilation & Translation, University of Karachi. page no. 764
• Manihar Singh, C. (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. India: Sahitya Akademi. page no. 6
• Paul K. Benedict, Sino-Tibetan, A Conspectus, 1922, p. 10.
• Manihar Singh, C. (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. India: Sahitya Akademi. page no. 8
• Parratt, J. (2005). Wounded Land: Politics and Identity in Modern Manipur. India: Mittal Publications. page no. 63, 64
• (in reference to Meitei language) By Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh (originally in Manipuri) in "To a Solitary Flower" , English translation by L. Joychandra Singh, published in Singh, R. M. (2002). Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh. India: Sahitya Akademi. page no. 18
• (in reference to Meitei language) By Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh (originally in Manipuri) in "Meetei Kavi" , English translation by B.S. Rajkumar, published in Singh, R. M. (2002). Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh. India: Sahitya Akademi. page no. 18
• By Salam Michael Singh and Thoudam Doren Singh, Soft Computing and Signal Processing: Proceedings of 3rd ICSCSP 2020, Volume 1. (2021). Germany: Springer Nature Singapore. page no. 204
• Singh, L. D. (2000). L. Kamal Singh. India: Sahitya Akademi. page no. 27
• By Laishram Bimolchand Singh, My Father and the Street Vendor of Khwairamband Bazaar. (2023). (n.p.): Blue Rose Publishers. page no. 246
• Geeta Dharmarajan, Katha Prize Stories: 13. (2004). India: Katha. page no. 238
• By Khwairakpam Chaoba Singh (originally in Manipuri), in "Meetei Kavi" , English translation is published in K. M. George, Masterpieces of Indian Literature: Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu & Urdu. (1997). India: National Book Trust. page no. 839
• Graham Thurgood, Randy J. LaPolla, The Sino-Tibetan Languages. (2016). (n.p.): Taylor & Francis. page no. 289
• Sessional Papers. (1904). United Kingdom: H.M. Stationery Office. page no. 270
• Matthias Brenzinger, Language Diversity Endangered. (2008). Germany: De Gruyter. page no. 322 , 323
• Suresh Singh, T. (2014). The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Vicious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India. India: Quills Ink Publishing. page no. 20
• Suresh Singh, T. (2014). The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Vicious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India. India: Quills Ink Publishing. page no. 21
• Venkata Rao, V. (1994). Essays on North-east India: Presented in Memory of Professor V. Venkata Rao. India: Indus Publishing Company. page no. 312
• Dr Suniti Kumar Chatterji, Kirata-Jana-Kirti, Calcutta, 1974, p. 166.
• Ningthouja Lancha (speaking to the India TodayNE) "Why Amit Shah thinks Manipuri language is even more expressive than Sanskrit". India Today NE. 1 June 2023.

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Manipuri language

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• Omniglot - Manipuri

Manipuri language , a Tibeto-Burman language spoken predominantly in Manipur , a northeastern state of India . Smaller speech communities exist in the Indian states of Assam , Mizoram , and Tripura , as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma). There are approximately 1.5 million speakers of Manipuri , which is used as a lingua franca among the 29 different ethnic groups of Manipur. In 1992 it became the first Tibeto-Burman (TB) language to receive recognition as an official, or “scheduled,” language of India.

Manipuri has its own script, locally known as Meitei Mayek. Manipur state and its surround are the locus from which the Tibeto-Burman family spread and diversified, making the genetic assignment of the region’s languages very difficult. During the 19th and 20th centuries, different linguists conjectured that Manipuri belonged to one of several TB subdivisions. In the early 21st century the consensus view placed Manipuri in its own subdivision of the so-called Kamarupan group—a geographic rather than a genetic designation but one that must suffice until more definitive information becomes available.

Nonetheless, Manipuri clearly has the genetic features of the Tibeto-Burman group. These include three positional occurrences of the velar nasals, widespread stem homophony , semantic bleaching of verbs, duplication or elaboration, final particles, the predominance of aspect rather than tense , a lack of gender marking verb–final word order, and agglutinative verb morphology , with extensive suffixation and more limited prefixation.

I. History and Linguistic Classification

1. details from proto stage to current stage..

Sino Tibetan> Tibeto-Burman>Arakan Burmese>Kuki-Chin> Manipuri /Meithei /Meitei Manipuri, popularly known as Meiteilon / Meithei is historically one of the sister languages of Kuki-Chin groups of Arakan Burmese branch of Tibeto-Burman sub-family of Sino-Tibetan family of Language. However, W. Ibohal Singh (1986) opines that old Manipuri, which was developed in 900 A.D., was a product of Pre historic Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman of 800 A.D. Medieval Manipuri, which was developed in 1200 A.D., was again a product of Indo-Aryan and Old Manipuri (1000 A.D). Modern Manipuri (1600 A.D.) is the offshoot of Tibeto-Burman Kuki-Chin group and Medieval Manipuri.

In fact, from the new research findings it is learnt that Tibeto-Burman languages began to develop from about the early Christian era and became fully characterized from about 7th Century A.D. Early Poireis (the early inhabitant of Manipur) were a group of people belonging to a bulk of new-Tibetans. However, the founder of Poirei belonged to another Himalayan tribe called Chakkha (Sakiya/Sakya) who was the ruling clan of the Sakiya kingdom of Tagaung in the Upper Irrawady valley founded by Abhi Raja, the Sakiyan king in the second century B.C. Poireiton is believed to be a descendant of Abhi Raja. The dialect of Sakiyan tribes mixed with the Tai’s, particularly with Tho and Do. Thus, the dialect of the early Poireis was basically a mixed dialect. The Sakiyan dialect seems to contain much Pali words or words that became Pali. Hence, there is a view that the Pali or the old Sanskrit word found in Old Manipuri was mainly from the Sakiyan dialect. The nucleus of Manipuri is therefore the dialect of the Poireis.

i) The birth date of Manipuri is estimated to be about 800-850 A.D. Prior to this, Manipuri was the dialect of some ancient tribes. It appears from Manipuri accounts that the mixed dialect of Chakha (Sakiya), Khu (Khu-nu), Lei (Lei-nu), Nga (Nga-nu) and Nung (Nung-ba) are the basic foundation of Manipuri. In a similar way, the dialects of different tribes like Marem, Mahui (Moirang), Nongyai, Khamba, Keirem Khunjal, Senbi Kabo, Shelloy-Langmai etc. have been mentioned occasionally. By about 950 A.D., Shelloy-Langmai and Chenglei began to mix. It further expanded its mixing with the dialects of Leihou, Mahou, who spoke a neo-Tibetan mixed with Bodo elements or Sub-Himalayan dialects, Kharoi, Ngāngoi, Hangoi etc. who spoke Tibeto-Burman of neo-Burmese origin and Heirem Khunjāl etc. who spoke a Tai dialect etc. It also felt the impact of the dialects of the tribes like Haokap, Chingsāng, Khunpham, and Ngāngcheng etc. who spoke Tibeto-Burman of neo-Burman origin.

2. Script/Scripts used to document the language

During 1225 A.D. when Proto-Bangal, Bangals and Mayangs settled at Lamangdong, some form of modern Indian writings perhaps appeared on the Imphal valley. These scripts are considered the predecessors of Bengali and Assamese scripts which are said to have developed from about 13th century A.D. Again, W. Ibohal (1986) opines that Brahmi script was in use from about 2nd century B.C. in Moriya city and the Kabow valley. In 15th century A.D. similar type of Bengali script and Devanagari script were in use. In 1616 A.D., King Khagemba introduced a new script altogether different from those earlier scripts used by different scholars. Henceforth, uniformity in script had been maintained up to certain limitation, and many people were taught the new script and several books had been produced that year. This new script is called Meitei script. It is the researchers’ unanimous view that Meetei script is the combination of modified Brahmi scripts with indigenous components. Again, from about the latter part of the 18th century A.D. modern Bengali and Assamese scripts began to replace slowly owing to the influence of British relations and absence of foundry and printing press in Meetei script.

3. Stages of Development

A) earliest reference in different sources:.

In the history of Manipuri texts or literature, there are two scripts being widely used at different stages. From the early period when written works had been developed, Meitei script had been used for documenting records, texts etc. Then it was replaced by Bangla-Assames scripts. The changes and development of Meitei script and the place of Bangla –Assamese in Manipuri writing is briefly explained below. a) Meetei script /Manipuri script.

It is the native script of the state and takes the model of Indian writing. The writing has Vertical stroke, Horizontal stroke and Curves, and generally hand movement starts from left to right. In the earlier period, it was developed well as a literary language. However, it suffered, as Assamese and Bangla script were adopted in and around 18th century. At present, the revivalist movement of the script gradually strikes the mind of the natives and revivalist campaigns have been in progress in the state. The stage of development of Meetei script may be highlighted as:

i) Earlier stage (9 century A.D.to 1616 A.D.): The Manipuri language was originated in the 9th century A.D. It was adopted as a written language from about the 12th century A.D.

ii) Medieval stage (from 1616 A.D to 1890 A.D.): In this stage, the shape and number of the script had been fixed up to a certain extent. All the historical events including chronicles are recorded from this stage.

iii) Modern stage (1890 to onwards): In this stage, many changes like, voiced sounds merging in Meetei script have been found. Earlier voiced sounds were not in use. Some of the specimens written using this script, starting from the early phase to the modern period, are given below:

a) Copper plate Grants issued by the kings,

b) Royal stone Edicts erected by the kings at the important places of the country,

c) Royal Chronicles like Cheitharol Kumbaba,

d) Records, documents etc. preserved in the state Achieves, under the supervision of the Amaiba Loisang (Department of priest/scholars of the king).

b) Bangla-Assamese script in writing Manipuri.

It is a loan from Bangla and Assamese scripts, an offshoot of Ashokan Brahmi of 3rd century B.C. From the latter part of 18th century when the modern education system started prevailing in the state, the writing of the text books and school curriculum had been done in these scripts for the convenience of the non-native teachers and to meet the requirements of printing technology. Another reason for adopting Assamese-Bangla script is the non-availability of Meitei script printing machine. From then on Assamese and Bangla totally replaced Meitei Mayek in writing texts, articles, magazines, journals and other documents and publications.

a) Earliest reference in different sources:

According to W. Ibohal Singh (1986) the development of Manipuri language, can be divided into three phases.

i) First phase (from 800 A.D to 1200 A.D): Manipuri continued to grow, in spite of the incoming of various dialects.

ii) Second phase (from 1200 A.D to 1400 A.D): Manipuri assumed a new dimension in this phase.

iii) Third phase (from 1400 A.D to 1600 A.D): The new language continued to grow with the absorption of some of the words or the dialects of Senbi-Kabow, a mixed dialect of Tai and Asiatic tribes.

From 1600 A.D, the root of present Meiteilon has been firmed. However, the language of the 17th century A.D. as seen today contains much obsolete words. The written accounts so far available, belonged to 17th century A.D. writings. There were not many impacts of other groups of tribes like Chakpa (arrived on 12th Century A.D.), Austric (arrived on 14th century A.D.) and Indo-Aryan (16th century A.D.). However, the early Poirei dialect was greatly influenced by other Tibeto-Burman speakers than the Aryan speakers.

From the viewpoint of phonetics and vocabulary, Manipuri literary language, which has begun from 800 A.D. onwards, may be classified into four periods:

i) Old Manipuri Period (OMP) 800 A.D. –1070 A.D., is characterized by archaic forms of language. The literature of the copper plate was found in this period. The literature found in this period was written in both verse and prose styles. The main literary work of this period was religious literature. (For details refer In Literature)

ii) The Early Medieval Manipuri Period (EMMP) 1709 A.D to 1970 A.D is characterized by the conglomeration of archaic and derived contemporary Manipuri along with other borrowed or loan words e.g., Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Sino-Tibetan languages. In this period, there were no much literary works except few. This was the period when people were mainly engaged in warfare.

iii) The Late Medieval Manipuri period (LMMP) 1709 A.D. to 1819 A.D., is characterized by Manipuri, English and other Indo European, and Indo-Aryan languages and a bit of Dravidian languages either. In this period Bengali and Sanskrit literature waved into Manipuri literature. The literary texts of this period may again be classified into two,

(a) Literature influenced by Hindu tradition, theme and story. Some of the texts include Ram Nongaba, Birat Sathuplon, Luxmi Charit, Bidhi Nongdamba, Dhanajoy Laibu Ningba, Sana Manik etc.

(b) Purely Native theme and story: Some of them are Chothe Thangwai Pakhangba, Sanamahi Laikan, Samsok Ngamba, Takhel Ngamba, Langlon etc. The emergence of 19th century marked a change in the grammar and sound system of the language. Notable books of this time are Khagi Ngamba, Awa Ngamba, Gambhir Singh Nonggaba, Chahui Leirongpanba, Gobinda Lingkhatpa etc.

iv) The Modern Manipuri Period (MMP) 1819 A.D. till date). The literature of this period can be grouped into four groups basing upon the language used.

i) Prose/poetry written without any foreign/exotic vocabulary.

ii) Literary pieces written by using foreign, archaic and modern words.

iii) Poems written by using a language mixed with Bangla and Brajaboli.

iv) Prose/poetry written by using completely modern language.

Chronologically the period again could be classified into three stages:

v) The early stage (covers the ending years of medieval period extending upto 1813 A.D.).

vi) The middle stage (1813-1947 A.D.)

vii) The late stage (1947- til the current time)

b) Significant level/points of Planning

Manipuri is the only Language among the different groups and sub-groups of Tibeto-Burman Language family in the Trans-Himalayan regions of India, which has developed as a potent and effectual instrument for the promulgation and nourishing of rich Indian Cultural heritage among the Tibeto-Burman People dwelling in the North Eastern frontier regions of India. Profound literary works of India like Mahabharata, Ramayana, a portion of Rigveda, Bhagavata Purana, Bhagavad Gita, the dramas of Bhasa and Kalidas, Kadambari of Vanabhatta Manusamhita, Gita Govinda etc. have been translated into Manipuri. Thus, Manipuri is linking with the rest of the Country. This language was included in the 8th schedule of the constitution on August 20,1992, as one of the national languages of India. As of the state, according to 2001 census report, Manipuri is spoken by approximately 23,88,634 people of which 13,61,521 are Meeteis population, 1,67,204 are Meetei Pangal (Muslim); 7,13,813 are Tribal communities and 1,46,096 are outsiders/Non-Manipuris.(Source: 2001 Census).

As an important note, this language has the following significant levels of planning;

• Manipuri is a lingua franca amongst the people of hills and plains in the state. For instance, in pursuance of section 56 of the Hill area Act.1956, the proceedings of the village authorities are kept in Manipuri.

• From the time immemorial, Manipuri has been the state language of Manipur. The Government of Manipur used this language as the medium of communication with other foreign powers like East India Company during the 18th and 19th centuries.

• Manipuri has been used as a court language in the state. Judgment of law courts are delivered and summons to the partial serve in Manipuri.

• The Government of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recognizes Manipuri as a regional language of the state. About 70% programs of AIR&TV, Imphal are devoted to the Manipuri medium.

• Manipuri is used as a medium of instruction in schools and colleges. The University of Dibrugarh (Assam) has recognized it as a medium of instruction upto B.A. level and Kolkata has recognized Manipuri as a Modern Indian Language. The Board of Secondary Education, Delhi has recognized it for the High School Leaving Certificate Examination. Manipur University offers courses of M.A., M. Phil, and Doctoral Studies in Manipuri.

It is one of the National Languages, which has been recognized as a methodology subject for the B.T., B.Ed., and UPSC Examinations. Although, Manipuri is mainly spoken by the Manipuris as their native tongue, it is also spoken in outside the state and country. In India, it is spoken in Assam, Tripura, Uttarpradesh and West Bengal. In Burma, it is spoken in the areas of Mandalay, Bhamo, Rangoon, Mytkiana, Kalemyo, Tamu, Samjok, Kalewa, Heijang, Mangun, Mingin, Tuangji, Moklai, Tenanyung, Hemjada, Homelin, Maniwa, Sagain etc. In East Pakistan, it is spoken in the areas of Dacca and Sylhet.

At the National level, Manipuri writers are awarded with the titles of Padmasri and Sahitya Akademi.

4. Change of status.

In the beginning, say from 800 A.D. to 1890 A.D., Meetei scripts had been used by the native Manipuris of Manipur to record literary accounts. The downfall of this script, due to Bangla dominion, started from the end of 18th century. From this period, Assamese-Bangla script (Brahmi) totally replaced Meetei script and this influenced the literary mode and education system. From 1890 to 1973 A.D., the fate of the indigenous script was not in a favorable position. The wave of revivalist movement emerged later. Finally in the year 1973 A.D., Meitei Mayek Advisory committee was set up. In 1982, the Government of Manipur announced its decision to include Manipuri in the school education.

B. Linguistic Classification.

Genetically Meiteilon/Meithei or Manipuri is a member of New Tibeto-Burman language that has evolved from Proto-Tibeto Burman language and mixed with Indo Aryan language. W.Ibohal Singh (1986) opines that old Manipuri, which was developed in 900 A.D., was a product of Pre historic Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman of 800 A.D.-C-Type.

Manipuri has been gradually developed from the Proto -Tibetan. (Benedict.1972.)There is maximum number of similarities of vocabulary at the morphological level. (Haudricourt 1966:4)

2. Typological

Typologically, Manipuri is an agglutinative analytic language.

• Manipuri sentence pattern is SOV.

• Manipuri is a flexible language (as long as verb ends the sentence). In most of the phrases, the heads and qualifying words are interchangeable at various occurrences.

• Typical order of a VP is NP+V.

• Typical order of a NP is Adj./V+NP ~NP+Adj/V

• Manipuri is a tone language. It has two tone levels with allotones. They are level tone and falling tone. Manipuri makes use of register tone system.

• Manipuri has monomorphemic to polymorphemic structures.

• Manipuri is an agglutinating language.

Mainly Tibeto-Burman languages are spoken in East Asia (EA) and South East Asian countries (SEACs). In India, maximum numbers of Tibeto-Burman language speakers are settling down in the North Eastern fringes of India (more than 80 lgs.). Manipuri is one of them. Really speaking, Manipuri is a Northeastern Indian language in South East Asia surviving with a number of Tibeto-Burman languages like Angami, Ao, Gallong, Garo, Konyak, Lotha, Sema and Tibetan. It also borders other Non-Tibeto Burman languages like Assamese in the West and North Western region, Tibeto-Burman languages like Naga languages in the northern region, Burmese in the south and Mizo in the southwestern region.

Copyright CIIL-India Mysore

• India Languages
• Secondary School

Essay on Manipur in sanskit​

Manipur (/mʌnɪˈpʊər, mænəˈpʊər/)[10][11] is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital.[12] It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi) and has a population of almost 3 million, including the Meitei, who are the majority group in the state, the Meitei Pangals (Manipuri Muslims), Naga tribes, Kuki/Zo tribes and other communities, who speak a variety of Sino-Tibetan languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years.[13] It has long connected the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, China (or East Asia), Siberia (Russia), Micronesia, and Polynesia, enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.[14][15]

The word "Manipur" is made-up of two Sanskrit words "मणि"(Maṇi), which means jewel and "पुर"(Purǝ), which means land/place/abode, Manipur is translated as "Jewelled land". Manipur is mentioned in historic texts as Kangleipak (ꯀꯪꯂꯩꯄꯛ) or Meeteileipak.

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मणिपुर की संस्कृति: परंपरा और जीवन शैली

मणिपुर भारत के पूर्वोत्तर राज्यों में से एक है। मणिपुर दो शब्दों मणि + पुर से मिलकर बना है जहाँ “मणि” का अर्थ है जवाहरात और “पुर” का अर्थ है स्थान। तो, मणिपुर का शाब्दिक अर्थ “ज्वेल लैंड” है। मणिपुर का अर्थ केवल अक्षर में ही नहीं बल्कि आत्मा में भी सत्य है। मणिपुर वास्तव में एक अनमोल रत्न है जो भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप में अपनी संस्कृति और प्राकृतिक सुंदरता के साथ चमक रहा है। मणिपुर की कला और संस्कृति बहुत समृद्ध है और मणिपुरियों के जीवन में इसका बहुत महत्व है। सांस्कृतिक दृष्टिकोण से मणिपुर हमेशा भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप, मध्य एशिया और दक्षिण पूर्व एशिया के बीच एक क्रॉस-सेक्शन बिंदु रहा है। मणिपुर की श्रेष्ठ संस्कृति मणिपुर के पर्यटकों के लिए हमेशा एक उच्च आकर्षण रही है।धार्मिक क्रिया , रीति-रिवाजों, परंपराओं और अंधविश्वासों ने हमेशा दुनिया भर के कई लोगों को आकर्षित किया है। इस लेख में, आप मणिपुर की कला, संस्कृति, लोगों, संगीत नृत्य, व्यवसाय और व्यंजनों के बारे में जानेंगे।

तो आइए मणिपुर की संस्कृति और परंपरा की खोज शुरू करें

मणिपुर के लोग और संस्कृति.

मणिपुर में कई आदिवासी समूहों का निवास है, जिनकी अपनी अनूठी संस्कृति और कला है, जैसे कि नागा जनजाति, कुज़्को। बहुसंख्यक आबादी मेइट्स जातीय समूह से संबंधित है। मणिपुर राज्य की मुख्य भाषा मणिपुरी या मीटिलॉन है। मणिपुर के लोगों को एक बहुत समृद्ध संस्कृति विरासत में मिली है और उन्होंने अपनी परंपराओं, धार्मिक क्रिया और रीति-रिवाजों का पालन करके अपनी विशिष्टता बनाए रखी है। प्रत्येक जनजाति अपने स्वयं के अनुष्ठानों और रीति-रिवाजों का पालन करती है और सामाजिक संरचना धर्मों के आधार पर विभाजित होती है। लेकिन लोगों के बीच सद्भाव मणिपुर को एक “खूबसूरत पेंटिंग” बनाता है जिसमें विभिन्न रंगों का अपना आकर्षण होता है। हिंदू धर्म मुख्य धर्म है जिसका पालन मणिपुर के लोग करते हैं। यहां आदिवासी इलाकों में आप लोगों को अपनी पारंपरिक पोशाक पहने हुए देख सकते हैं। इन्नाफी और फानेक मणिपुर में महिलाओं के पारंपरिक परिधान हैं। मणिपुर के पुरुषों को ‘सफेद पगड़ी’ पहने देखा जा सकता है जो उन्हें अपनी संस्कृति के प्रति सम्मान और अपनेपन की भावना देता है।

मणिपुर का नृत्य

किसी भी राज्य की संस्कृति की झलक दिखाने के लिए नृत्य एक  सुंदर कलात्मक रूप है। मणिपुरी नृत्य भी मणिपुर की श्रेष्ठ संस्कृति की झलक दिखाता है। कई नृत्य रूप हैं जो राज्य में प्रचलित हैं, जिनमें से प्रत्येक अपनी निष्ठा रखता है। रासलीला, पुंगचोलोम, नुपा पाला, माईबी, खंबा थोबी कुछ प्रसिद्ध नृत्य रूप हैं जो विशेष अवसरों और कार्यक्रमों पर किए जाते हैं। ऊपर वर्णित नृत्य रूपों में, रासलीला कृष्ण और राधा के बीच प्रेम को व्यक्त करने वाला सबसे प्रमुख नृत्य रूप है। उनका नृत्य प्रदर्शन मणिपुर के लोगों के लिए केवल मनोरंजन का स्रोत नहीं है बल्कि यह उनके रीति-रिवाजों, परंपराओं और धार्मिक क्रिया का सम्मान करने का उनका तरीका है। इसलिए, इन नृत्य रूपों का मणिपुर के लोगों के जीवन में बहुत महत्व है।

मणिपुर का संगीत

मणिपुर का संगीत बहुत ही सुंदर तरीके से मणिपुर की प्राचीन संस्कृति से मिलता जुलता है। मणिपुर के लोग संगीत के बहुत शौकीन हैं। मणिपुर राज्य में कई लोक गीत प्रचलित हैं। लोक गीत विशेष अवसरों, कार्यक्रमों और त्योहारों पर किए जाते हैं। लोक संगीत आदिवासी लोगों का अपने भगवान से जुड़ने का तरीका है। सबसे प्रसिद्ध लोक गीतों में से कुछ हैं लाई हराओबा इशी, पानाइशी, खुल्लोंग इशी।

मणिपुर के हस्तशिल्प

मणिपुर के हस्तशिल्प के प्रशंसक पूरे भारतीय उपमहाद्वीप में हैं। मणिपुर के लोग प्रतिभाशाली, कलात्मक और रचनात्मक हैं। राज्य के हस्तशिल्प इस बात का प्रमाण हैं कि मणिपुर के लोगों को न केवल समृद्ध संस्कृति विरासत में मिली है, बल्कि उत्तम शिल्प कौशल भी है। मणिपुर के बांस के काम को पूरे देश के लोग मानते हैं। मणिपुरी साड़ी, आदिवासी शॉल, बांस का काम मणिपुर की समृद्ध संस्कृति के चित्रण हैं।

मणिपुर के व्यंजन

मणिपुर का पारंपरिक भोजन स्वादिष्ट होता है जो आपके दिल की धडकन को रोक देता  है। पारंपरिक भोजन जटिल संस्कृति की सादगी का सच्चा सादृश्य है। मणिपुरियों का मुख्य भोजन चावल है। मणिपुर की नगरी फर्मेंटेड फिश मणिपुर के सबसे पसंदीदा और अनुशंसित व्यंजनों में से एक है।

मणिपुर का व्यवसाय

कृषि मुख्य व्यवसाय है जो मुख्य रूप से मणिपुर के लोगों द्वारा किया जाता है। कृषि के अलावा, कई लघु उद्योग हैं जो मणिपुर के लोगों द्वारा संचालित किए जा रहे हैं। मणिपुर के लोग कई तरह की फसलें उगाते हैं जैसे गेहूं, मक्का, दालें आदि।

मणिपुर के त्यौहार

त्यौहार ऐसे अवसर होते हैं जब किसी भी राज्य की संस्कृति को उसके वास्तविक रूप में देखा जा सकता है। मणिपुर में त्योहारों पर, लोग अपनी संस्कृति से मिलते-जुलते पारंपरिक कपड़े पहनते हैं और अपने जातीय समूह के प्रतिनिधि के रूप में इन त्योहारों में भाग लेते हैं। ऐसे कई त्यौहार हैं जो समय-समय पर आयोजित किए जाते हैं जहां आप मणिपुर की संस्कृति की सराहना कर सकते हैं। कुछ त्योहार कुट त्योहार, लाई-हरौबा, गंग-नगई, याओसांग हैं। अनुष्ठान और रीति-रिवाज उत्साह और जोश के साथ किए जाते हैं और इन अनुष्ठानों, रीति-रिवाजों और घटनाओं से पता चलता है कि संस्कृति की नवीनता और शुद्धता मणिपुरियों के लोगों द्वारा संरक्षित है। मणिपुर के पर्यटकों के लिए ये त्यौहार हमेशा से आकर्षण का केंद्र रहे हैं।

मणिपुर के प्रसिद्ध त्योहारो के बारे में जाने के लिए निचे दिए गए लिंक पर क्लिक करें:-

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English Sanskrit Dictionary | आंग्लभाषा संस्कृतम् शब्दकोशः

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Manipur - Meaning in Sanskrit

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Definitions and Meaning of Manipur in English

Manipur noun.

Manipur is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km 2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language. Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.

मणिपुरराज्यम् (Manipur) भारतस्य किञ्चन राज्यम् । ईशान्यभारते स्थितम् अस्ति एतद् राज्यम् । अस्य राज्यस्य राजधानी इम्फाल् नगरम् । मणिपुरस्य उत्तरदिशि नागाल्याण्ड्राज्यं, दक्षिणे मिझोरां, पश्चिमदिशि असमराज्यं, पूर्वसीमायां [[बर्मा|बर्मादेशः] च विद्यते । अस्य विस्तारः विद्यते २२, ३४७ चतरस्रकिलोमीटर्मितः ।

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What is Manipur meaning in Sanskrit, Manipur translation in Sanskrit, Manipur definition, pronunciations and examples of Manipur in Sanskrit.

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Delicious Delicacies Of Manipur That You Should Not Miss!

The food of Manipur is considered to be very healthy. Their preparations are simple and yet, tasty. Most of the ingredients they use are organic which again, contributes to the health factor. Of course, the food here has to be healthy, as there are so many hills and peaks in this area that require a good deal of strength and agility to scale! Manipuri food is also supposed to be spicy and contains less oil. Their secret is that they make use of chilli pepper instead of the usual garam masala powder that the rest of the country uses. That is why their food is considered healthier.

In a nutshell, the people of Manipur eat rice, fish, leafy vegetables, etc. Also, they grow their vegetables in their gardens or farms and breed their fishes in their backyard ponds. So, everything is pretty much organic. They also make use of a lot of herbs in their preparations, ranging from mint and chives to pepper and basil. Keep reading for a list of Manipuri delicacies to try!

1. Chamthong or Kangshoi – A healthy vegetable stew - Famous Food of Manipur

Courtesy: Flickr

This dish is very popular in Manipur. It is a vegetable stew. It consists of seasonal vegetables that are boiled and flavoured with sliced onions, cloves, salt, garlic, maroi and a bit of ginger. This stew is served with rice or fish and is supposed to be consumed piping hot.

2. Eromba – A delightful combination of boiled vegetables and fish

Courtesy: Wikimedia

Here is another favourite dish among the Manipuris. Their cuisine almost always includes a type of fish called Ngari. Eromba is prepared by boiling a tonne of vegetables along with some fermented fish. It is mixed until the texture becomes like a paste. Finally, it is garnished with maroi and a sprinkle of coriander leaves.

3. Morok Metpa – A spicy and delicious chutney

Just like coriander chutney is popular in Mumbai city, the Morok Metpa chutney is a hit in Manipur! It is prepared using dried green chillies. The chillies are mashed into a paste and then boiled with some Ngari fish. Once again, it is mashed and then sprinkled with salt. Enjoy it with all kinds of meals.

4. Singju – A Famous Manipuri Salad

Singju is a type of salad that is bursting with vegetables. It does not contain only a few standard vegetables like tomatoes or onions. Quite to the contrary, it includes cabbage, coriander leaves, onions, ginger, lotus stems, the singju leaf and other similar vegetables. The variations of dish include  raw papaya, cabbage, banana flower, lotus root.  The Singju is either flavoured with besan, powdered perilla seeds, chilli powder and other herbs.

Similar to a pancake, Paaknam is a savoury cake which is prepared from a thick batter of besan, herbs, vegetables and further flavoured with chilli and the traditional Ngari. It is finally wrapped up in a banana leaf and steamed. It is considered to be quite a delicacy and is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike!. It is a perfect dish for evening time snacking!  

6. Chak-hao Kheer – The most popular dessert in Manipur

Chak-hao Kheer is a delicious kheer that is prepared on many special occasions in Manipur. It is a pleasing shade of purple and is made using rice, milk and cardamom powder. It is generally garnished with dried fruits like raisins or other nuts. The flavour of this kheer is delicious.

 7. Alu Kangmet

Alu kangmet is a very simple dish, usually consumed as a side dish. Boiled potatoes are mashed wonderfully and mixed with fried red chilli, salt and drizzles of mustard oil. This is surely a simple but a wholesome dish.

8. Nga-Thongba – A classic fish curry

Fish curry is often considered to be comfort food. In Manipur, this couldn’t be more appropriate. Fish is used in most of their preparations. Nga-thongba is a dish included in most non-vegetarian meals, especially by the Meitei community. The fish is cut into bite-size pieces and crushed to a certain degree. It is often flavoured with crushed pepper and other spices, to give it an added taste.

Merely reading about Manipur food is not enough! Their cuisine deserves to be tasted. Besides, it’s also super healthy, so you won’t have to worry about binge eating while you’re on your holiday, either. So, when you head off to revel in the natural beauty of the North East, make sure you visit Manipur and indulge in their delicacies.

This post was published by Sanjana Subramanian

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How Minorities Voted in the Indian General Election

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Results show that Muslims and Christians largely consolidated behind the Congress and its allies.

On June 4, after the results of the Indian parliamentary elections were clear, Mayawati, who heads the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) that once ruled Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, blamed Muslims for her party’s poor electoral performance.

The “Muslim community has not been able to understand the BSP despite the party giving them adequate representation in the past several elections,” she  said  in a statement after her party failed to win a single seat in the general elections. She was especially hurt by the voter response her party received in Uttar Pradesh, which is home to India’s largest Muslim population.

Drawing lessons from this experience, Mayawati said her party would henceforth think twice before fielding Muslims in elections to avoid the repetition of such “a terrible loss.”

It is evident from the results in Uttar Pradesh that Muslims consolidated behind the Congress-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance, picking them as the strongest contender to defeat candidates of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Congress is India’s main opposition party and the SP is an Uttar Pradesh-based regional party. In the 2019 election, the BSP and SP were allies and won 10 and five seats, respectively. Contesting separately, Congress won only one seat.

In 2024, the SP won 33 and the Congress bagged four. The BSP, which contested separately, drew a blank.

In 2019, a split in Muslim votes helped the BJP win seats like Muzaffarnagar, Kairana, Meerut, Baghpat, and Aligarh, where Muslims form about or over one-fourth of the population, as the BJP managed to polarize Hindu votes in their favor.

In 2024, the Congress-SP alliance wrested Kairana and Muzaffarnagar from the BJP, while the BJP won Meerut and Aligarh by slim margins.

A similar shift in the northeastern state of Assam led to the rout of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which represents Muslim interests.

Across five parliamentary seats in Assam where Muslims constitute from one-third to two-thirds of the population, most of the AIUDF’s traditional votes shifted to the Congress , as the Muslims picked it as the best contender to take on the BJP.

Muslims in Assam face multiple challenges. The state is a hotbed of Islamophobia being spread by the BJP, which rules the state. Muslims have even faced terror charges for setting up a humble private museum on their identity.

However, a large number of Muslims thought the AIUDF’s religion-oriented politics were aiding the purpose of the Hindu nationalists, and that a secular force like the Congress was a better option.

Similarly, Christian votes consolidated behind the Congress in the southern state of Kerala as well as the small northeastern states of Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.

This led senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who heads the Assam government, to allege that the BJP’s partners in northeastern states lost because “[i]n this election, in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur, a particular religion was openly against our government. They openly worked against the NDA.” Although he did not name the religion or mention the Christian church, he said that the “religion has a tremendous following in those states.”

Christians form the overwhelming majority in the tribal-dominated states of Meghalaya and Nagaland and are also the majority religion among tribal people in Manipur. The Congress wrested four seats from the BJP’s allies in Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Manipur.

“It is not a political defeat. We can’t fight a religion,” Sarma claimed.

“Usually, they [Christian missionaries] do not interfere in politics but this time, for whatever reason, they interfered. We did not get their votes in Assam either,” he added.

Why minority votes polarized against the BJP and its allies is anyone’s guess. The Hindu nationalists’ aggressive majoritarianism made minorities  feel insecure , a fact  widely reported – due to incidents ranging from cow vigilantism  to the  spread of Islamophobia  and vandalism of churches in  Delhi ,  Maharashtra , and  Chhattisgarh .

In India, the largest number of Christians live in the southern state of Kerala, where they form 18 percent of the population. Muslims constitute over 26 percent of the state’s population. Together, minorities make up nearly 45 percent of the state’s demography.

In a  minority consolidation  behind the Congress-led alliance in the state, the Congress and its allies bagged 18 of the state’s 20 parliamentary seats.

However, the BJP’s Christian outreach program in Kerala – banking on Christian-Muslim conflict in parts of the state – seemed to have yielded results, as a section of Christians likely voted for the BJP candidate in Thrissur, leading to his victory.

In the eastern state of Bihar, such polarization behind the Congress helped it retain the Kishanganj seat, where Muslims make up over 55 percent of the population, despite a formidable challenge from the All India Majlis Ittehad E Muslimeen (AIMIM), a party that represents Muslim interests. However, Muslims overwhelmingly backed a Hindu independent candidate in neighboring Purnia.

In the eastern state of West Bengal, where India’s second-highest number of Muslims live, their voting pattern  changed  from region to region.

In the northern and central part of the state, the three Muslim-majority districts of Murshidabad, Malda, and Uttar Dinajpur have been traditional Congress strongholds where the state’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), made inroads in recent years. With Muslim votes splitting between the Congress and the TMC – both champion secularism – the BJP was able to win two of the six parliamentary seats in these districts. Of the rest, the Congress won one and the TMC won three.

However, in the southern part of the state, where the Congress has been weak, Muslims consolidated behind the TMC, helping it win every seat in constituencies with more than 30 percent Muslim population, including Diamond Harbour, Krishnanagar, Birbhum, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, and Basirhat, with big margins.

In the union territory of Ladakh, where Muslims are the majority, followed by Buddhists, voters rejected the BJP. Modi’s party had won two consecutive terms from Ladakh, fielding Buddhist candidates, but this time a Muslim contesting as an independent won. Political observers, however, see  recent agitations , rather than communal polarization, playing a greater role in this victory.

While the election saw the presence of Hindu nationalists in Parliament reduce and those of the parties championing secularism increase, Muslim representation in Parliament has not improved much.

As  pointed out in an April 2024 article in The Diplomat, Muslims do not receive a fair share of nominations from secular parties, a trend that continued this year as well.

While different parties had fielded 119 Muslim candidates in 2019, the number  dropped to  only 78 in 2024. Many parties feared Muslim candidates had less winnability due to the prevailing atmosphere of majority polarization.

Therefore, despite such Muslim consolidation behind secular parties, the Muslim representation in the current Parliament matches the lowest-ever strength – 24 in the 543-seat House. This is the same as in 2014 and two fewer than in 2019. This is less than 5 percent, whereas Muslims constitute over 14 percent of India’s population.

The new Parliament will have 10 Christian MPs: five from Kerala, two from Meghalaya, and one each from Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram. Christians make up about 2.3 percent of India’s population.

Among other religious minorities, the Sikhs, who live mostly in the northern state of Punjab, sent back the BJP empty-handed yet again.

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Six non-fiction books you can read in a day

Resolved to read more there may be no more rewarding genre than the short book.

T HE SHORT book, long underestimated, has a lot going for it. To start with the prosaic: if you want to get through more volumes, short is shrewd. Slender books can be slipped into a bag or coat pocket and plucked out again in an idle moment, so you’ll be more likely to finish them. For adventurous readers the format allows for casual experimentation with new styles, topics and authors. For indecisive ones it can make a bookshop’s universe of possibilities feel less daunting: just scour the shelves for slim spines. Most of all, there is a rare satisfaction in reaching the final pages of a book while still holding the full sweep of its story in your mind. Taut prose is intense and immersive, like a distilled fragrance. These books offer that, too. They must; they don’t have long to make their point. In an era of many distractions, that is a great virtue.

These six non-fiction books include memoir, journalism, essays and pictorial essays. They take you into the bedroom of a grieving husband in imperial China; into the courtroom where a sensational murder trial split New York’s Bukharan Jewish community in the late 2000s; and, classically, into a room of one’s own. In short, they get plenty done in just 150 pages.

Six Records of a Floating Life. By Shen Fu. Translated by Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-Hui. Penguin Classics; 144 pages; $16 and £9.99

A meditation on extraordinary love and an ordinary life, this memoir was written at the beginning of the 19th century in Qing-dynasty China by a widowed scholar. Despite the lapse of time, Shen Fu’s joys and sorrows feel comfortingly familiar. He was a civil servant who, though highly educated for his time, did not manage to rise up the ranks. He quarrelled with his parents, played drinking games and went on picnics. He also married the love of his life (they had known each other since they were 13 years old) and, as Shen’s memoir reveals, he treated Chen Yun like an equal, admiring her practicality and sparring with her in ad lib poetry competitions. The book has long been cherished in China as a true account of deep love. For modern readers the records may hold some surprises, too. Shen loved flower arranging. And although he and Yun adored each other, she matter-of-factly sought out a concubine for him—with whom, the text implies, she also had sex (lesbian relationships were not especially frowned upon at the time). The translators’ judicious footnotes make the reading all the more pleasurable.

Oranges. By John McPhee. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 149 pages; $16. Daunt; £9.99

Are there 150 sparkling pages to be written about the everyday orange? John McPhee proves there are. “Oranges”, which evolved from an essay published in the New Yorker in 1966, established a new form of journalism: one that marries whimsy with forensic explanatory reporting. Mr McPhee examines the rise of frozen orange-juice concentrate after the second world war—already then a $700m industry and “the boomiest boom since the Brazilian rubber boom”. He interviews Florida’s orange barons, pickers, packers and pomologists. His essay flows from the fantastic sex life of oranges to the Sanskrit origins of the word ( naranga ) to oranges’ role in the Norman invasion of Sicily. It is sweet to read about Botticelli and Degrees Brix (the standard measure of sugar) in a single sitting. This is also dissection at its sharpest, and eating an orange will never be the same again.

A Room of One’s Own. By Virginia Woolf. Mariner; 128 pages; $16.99. Penguin Modern Classics; £5.99

Among the most influential essays of the 20th century, “A Room of One’s Own” was based on a lecture that Virginia Woolf gave at Newnham College and Girton College, the first two for women at Cambridge University. Woolf lands her best-known line by the second page: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” That sends her down new routes of inquiry. As she relays the train of thought she has while walking around “Oxbridge” (a barely fictitious composite) and London, her wry humour develops a fierceness that builds to anger. “Why are women poor?” she asks. “What effect has poverty on fiction?” And “What conditions are necessary for the creation of works of art?” She summons the work of women over the centuries, from Aphra Behn to the Brontë sisters, to find the answers. The lot of women in Britain has improved dramatically in the century since Woolf wrote her essay. Yet it still feels like essential reading, in particular as a manifesto on the right to form one’s own opinion and express it.

Iphigenia in Forest Hills: Anatomy of a Murder Trial. By Janet Malcolm. Yale University Press; 155 pages; $13.95 and £9.99

If the aim of journalistic inquiry is to provide answers, Janet Malcolm shows, with devastating rigour, that observation can be enough. “Iphigenia in Forest Hills” tells the story of a murder trial in New York in 2009. Mazoltuv Borukhova, a 35-year-old doctor, is accused of paying an acquaintance to kill her husband. Malcolm lays out the facts of the case, then raises the question at the heart of most true-crime stories: “She couldn’t have done it, and she must have done it.” Yet the title, a reference to the Greek myth of Iphigenia, sacrificed daughter of Agamemnon, says it all. This too is a tragedy; its end certain. Malcolm does not offer suspense. Instead, from many small procedural details at the Queens Supreme Court she coaxes bigger, more unsettling questions. Such as, is bias inevitable? “Borukhova’s otherness was her defining characteristic,” notes Malcolm. Observe, her text urges, how decisive the opinion of an expert witness can be. Notice the seduction of certainty—how courtrooms revel in it. See what small tyrannies the judge permits himself. Unshowily, Malcolm makes her point: a trial is perhaps nothing more than “a contest between competing narratives”.

Ways of Seeing. By John Berger. Penguin Modern Classics; 155 pages; $11 and £9.99

Adapted from a four-part BBC television series of the same name that aired in 1972, John Berger’s book will probably change how you think about art. Four essays consider the reproduction of art; the female form and the male gaze; how ownership influences art; and publicity and the illusion of authority. These are delightfully complemented by three wordless pictorial essays, bold visual arguments for Berger’s incantatory opening—which purposely appears right on the cover of this edition—that “seeing comes before words”. He shows how the meaning of art is always influenced by how and where it is viewed. Berger’s book is naturally a product of its time, too: Marxist, radical and preoccupied with the ruling class. But it made complex ideas about a closed world accessible and engaging. Its influence is lasting: read the review we wrote for its 50th anniversary .

A Man’s Place. By Annie Ernaux. Translated by Tanya Leslie. Seven Stories Press; 96 pages; $13.95. Fitzcarraldo Editions; £7.99

Annie Ernaux made her mark with autobiographical fiction in which, as we wrote when she received the Nobel prize in literature in 2022, she remakes “the private and the ordinary into something profound”. But to write a radically short biography of her father the French author had to strip away all pretence; she abandoned a first attempt at a novel with “feelings of disgust”. “If I wish to tell the story of a life governed by necessity,” she writes, “I have no right to adopt an artistic approach.” The result is a spare, starkly beautiful memoir. Its studied restraint, almost ethnographic, is the work of a daughter at pains to do justice to the life of a father whom she felt she could no longer truly know: “Although it had something to do with class, it was different, indefinable. Like fractured love.” Like many others of his era, he first laboured on a farm, then entered a factory and finally worked for himself, as a shopkeeper in rural Normandy. Ms Ernaux strove, she writes, to convey both his happiness and “the humiliating limitations” of his class. It is the story of a generation, but also firmly her father’s own.

Ms Ernaux wrote a short biography of her mother, “A Woman’s Story”. It is as accomplished as that about her father, and secured her reputation with French readers . If you enjoyed Janet Malcolm’s “Iphigenia in Forest Hills”, try “Still Pictures”, a short book published posthumously that is also perhaps her most personal. We reviewed it last year here . New to John McPhee’s writing? He has written more than 30 books. After “Oranges”, why not try his most recent, “Tabula Rasa”—it comes in at under 200 pages. We offered our appraisal here .

From the June 8th 2024 edition

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