The biggest traditional festival of the manipuries, popularly known as " Ningol Chakouba", Ningol means married or unmarried women and Chakouba means Grand feast - is celebrated throughout the state. This kind of festival is a unique one of the Manipuries and it is celebrated on the second day of the new moon of the Manipuries calender month "Hiyangei", which occasionally falls in November.

On this auspicious day married women are invited along with their children to enjoy a grand feast, thereby reviving old family ties and affection once every year. After the feast is over, gifts are presented to parents or guardians. Now-a-days the festival also, which used to be celebrated at community level by various social organisations at different places, where "Ningol" belonging to various communities are invited for the Grand feast.

Yaosang :

Celebrated for five days commencing from the full moon day of Lamta (february/March), Yaoshang is the premier festival of Manipuri people Hindu by religion. The Thabal Chongba dance form- a kind of Manipuri folk dance, where boys and girls hold hands and sing and dance in a circle, is particularly associated with this festival. Boys, girls and old women gather donations from house to house and the money so collected is spent in a number of parties and feast. Indeed, Yaosang to Manipur is what Durga Puja is to Bengal, Diwali in north India and Bihu to Assam.

Cheiraoba : (New year day of Manipuris)

During the festival, people clean and decorate their houses and prepare special festive dishes which are first offered to various deities. Celebrated during the month of April, a part of the ritual entails villagers climbing the nearest hill tops in belief that it will enable them to rise to greater heights in their worldly life. The Pangals (Manipuri Muslims) also observe it.

Kang (Ratha Jatra of Manipur):

One of the greatest festivals of the Hindus of Manipur, the festival is celebrated for ten days(July). Lord Jagannath leaves his temple in a car known as 'Kang' in Manipur pulled by pilgrims who vie with one another for this honour.

Kut:

Observed on the 1st of November every year this is an autumnal festival of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur. The festival has been variously described at different places amongst different tribes as Chavang-Kut or Khodou, etc. The festival is celebrated as a symbol of gratitude to God, the giver of an abundant harvest.

Gang- Ngai ( Festival of Kabui Naga)

Celebrated for five days in the month of Wakching (December/Janaury) GANG-NGAI is an important festival of the Kabui Nagas. The festival opens with the omen taking ceremony on the first day and the rest of the days are associated with common feast, dances of old men and women and of boys and girls, presentation of farewell gifts etc.

Chumpha (Festival of Tangkhul Nagas )

Celebrated for seven days in the month of December, the Chumpha festival is a great festival of the Tanghul Nagas. The festival is held after harvest. The last three days are devoted to social gatherings and rejoicing. Unlike other festivals women play a special role in the festival. The concluding part of the festival ends with a provession within the village.

Go to top