site design & created by :
rtr. sanjay das, on behalf of rotaract club of
imphal
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site design & created by :
rtr. sanjay das, on behalf of rotaract club of
imphal | |||||||||
ADVENTIJRE
SPORTS
What used to be a national pastime
has taken on great importance for Manipur in
the field of national
sports and promoting adventure activities to tourists.
Today, nodal agencies
have been set up to promote
different adventure sports as well as to
impart
training. The indigenous martial arts and games of Manipur have become
world-renowned and are an important feature of the tourist experience
in this lovely
state. Some of these are:
The Manipur
Mountaineering and Trekking Association, Lamdan (Sudarshan
Peak),
near Loktak Hydro-electric Power Project.
The Manipur Adventure
and Allied Sports Institute, Keirao, and Tourist Home in
Siroi Hills near Ukhrul.
The Adventure Academy of
Manipur, RIMS, South Gate, Imphal- offers
courses and
assistance in white water rafting in the
state.
GAMES AND MARTIAL
ARTS
The itinerant wars with Burma and the
competitive
edge amongst the small kingdoms of Manipur
became a
springboard for its martial arts. In time these have become an integral
part of its cultural ethos.
Tracing its history back to the 33 AD,
the lively game of Sagol Kangjei can be seen
as
the mother of modern polo. The Pana-style polo of Manipur is played with the
famous Manipuri pony (not more than 4.5' tall) and involves 7 players on
each side.
This particular version of polo is swifter than the modern
game played in
international arenas. Players use a cane stick with an
angled wooden striking head
and the ball is made of bamboo root. Both
the indigenous version and the
international styles of polo are popular
in Manipur.
The Manipuri version of hockey Khong Kangjei is played with 7
players on each side.
The game, vigorous and volatile, is an admixture
of hockey, football, rugby and
wrestling.
The last day of the
Lai Haraoba festival is punctuated with Mukna, the Manipuri
version of
wrestling. The opponents are matched by physical built and weight, but
have no other rules- so it's a general free for all. The game once enjoyed
royal
patronage.
The lively game of Yubi-Lakpi (akin to
modern-day rugby) is played with an
oil-smeared coconut and has its
roots in Hindu mythology. It is considered a
re-enactment of the
celestial snatching of the pot of nectar after the Samudra
Manthan. It
is played with 7 players on either side and to score a goal, the player has
to pass the goal line with his greased coconut.
Between the Manipuri
New Year Day and the Rath Yatra festival, contestants meet
up on the
mud floor of a mandap to play Manipur's famous indoor game, the Kang.
This game of skill involves living fixed targets with a flat, oblong disc
(kang) made of
ivory or lac, and 7 players on each side. A game of
mixed doubles allows women to
participate as well.
Two of
Manipur's very popular ritualistic martial arts are the Thang-ta and
Sarit-Sarak. A great deal of dexterity and practice are needed to perform
the
elaborate and precise rituals of this battle-craft, which involves
spears, swords and
shields. Rules have to be abided
strictly.
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Manipur |
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Manipur |
