Manipur, IMPHAL, August 31: The ‘Phayeng Haraoba’ a Manipuri festival celebrated to please the traditional deities, was held today organized by the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA), Imphal at its auditorium.
The function was attended by Ng Kerani Singh, Pandit Achouba, Pandit Loishang, Imphal and visiting guru, JNMDA, N Toyai Singh, Khulakpa, Phayeng Awang Leikai and Prof N Tombi Singh, vice-chairman, JNMDA as the chief guest, guest of honour and president respectively.
Speaking at the function, Prof N Tombi Singh said that the philosophy of Lai Haraoba, a traditional Manipuri festival celebrated to please the traditional deities, is the same for any Lai Haraoba. The differences we are seeing today are separated by time. We should not consider this differentiation as a good symbol.
He said that the scope of Lai Haroba is too large that students find it hard to study the subject only in the classrooms. We should assign field work to learn more about the subject, he added.
He further said that it needs proper training to learn the original form of Lai Haraoba as it is quite tricky. And this is the reason why we are organizing this festival of Phayeng Haraoba at the academy after a lot of discussion in this matter. By letting the students see it with their own eyes along with a lecture on the theoretical concepts of Lai Haraoba, he added.
He continued that the Meitei community was formed with a combination of various peoples. Among it, Chakpa Phayeng is one. Chakpa Phayeng people are one of the oldest people of Manipur. The invasion of Hindu religion did not affect this people; it stood with its original form and it continued to preserve the Lai Haraoba festival, he said.
The later part of the programme saw a lecture-cum-demonstration of Phayeng Haraoba by Ningthoujam Toyai Singh, Khulakpa, Phayeng Awang Leikai, which was followed by presentation of Phayeng Haraoba along with selected traditional dance numbers.
