Imphal (Manipur) [India], April 2 (ANI): The traditional festival of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba was celebrated in Manipur on Saturday to mark the beginning of a new year with religious fervour and gaiety.
The festival heralds the advent of the New Year and strengthens the bond of love and brotherhood among the members of each family.
The festival is mainly observed on the first lunar day of the lunar month Sajibu (March/April) by the Meitei community, a majority ethnic group of Manipur. On this day, people arrange a joint family feast in which traditional cuisines are offered to local deities at the entrance gates of the houses.
After meals, people start climbing the Cheiraoching located in Chingmeirong or the top of nearby hills in the afternoon to offer prayers. As per the belief, they think that it would elevate them to greater heights in their worldly life.
The day begins with ritual offerings of fruits, vegetables, rice and other uncooked food items to the Meitei deity Lainingthou Sanamahi during the early morning of the festival.
After getting blessings from Lainingthou Sanamahi, an even number of dishes are prepared using the offerings. Traditionally, the males of the house makes the dishes, with the females helping in chopping and washing the ingredients.
After the dishes for the feast are made, they are ritually offered at two different traditional locations around the house: one at the front gate of the house and the other at the rear gate of the house. These locations are specially cleansed and sanctified before the offering by cleaning an area (around 2×2 feet) and decorating it with mud, flowers and leaves.
Traditionally, the eldest son of the house will make the offering to these three deities Kumsana Kumliklai (Lord of the golden year), Lamsenba Tusenba (Guardian of the Land) and Lammaba Tumaba (Lord of the land) at this sanctified area. The offering traditionally includes: an odd number (chang taaba) of dishes surrounding a small mound of steamed rice, a token currency, fruits, flowers, a candle, and an incense stick, all of them placed upon a plantain leaf. This ritual is performed in the late morning.
After this ritual, the dishes prepared for the feast are exchanged with relatives /neighbours and this custom is called “Mathel Laanba” after which the feast will start. It is believed that on the day of new year anything that happens on that day will happen for the rest of the year i.e. if you are happy and healthy on that day, you will be happy and healthy for the rest of the year.
After the feast, it is a tradition that family members climb a small hillock specially prepared by the community near the locality to pay homage to the hill deity, signifying the elevation of the spirit to reach the divine. The “Chin-nga” at Singjamei and “Cheirao Ching” at Chingmeirong are such hillocks that are specially prepared for the hillock climbing ritual. Toy shops, eateries, and other varied small shops will line the road to the hillock on that day to attract the ritual climbers to buy their items. The Ching Kaba is usually done during the afternoon to early evening, before the sunsets.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh conveyed their greetings to the people of Manipur on the occasion of Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba on Saturday. Similarly, Manipur Governor La Ganesan extended his greetings on the auspicious occasion of the new year for the state’s Meitei community. (ANI)
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