By Phaomei Ganmeilu
IMPHAL, October 20: As a move to promote the dying indigenous musical instruments of Manipur, a 15-day workshop on indigenous Musical Instruments of Manipur under the theme “Echoes from the Tunes and Thunder of Manipur,” is being held at Sagolband Bijoy Govinda Akham Leikai, from October 14 to 28.
The workshop is being organized by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahlaya National Museum of Mankind, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India, Bhopal in collaboration with Tribal Museum and Research Centre, Imphal.
The objectives of organizing the workshop are to preserve and promote the traditional musical instruments in order to make a knowledge bank for younger generations, to increase awareness of such instruments to researchers and young musicologists, to perform the musical tunes with the instruments by the musical virtuosos, innovation of the musical instruments at a standard level while preserving their ethical values, to build the capacity of historical researchers/grass root workers/musicians in the use of such instruments to create teaching and learning materials, said Yumnam Gyaneshwar, Director, Tribal Museum and Research Centre, Imphal.
There are more than 33 separate tribes speaking many languages. Some groups have migrated over the centuries from places as far as South East Asia, they retain their culture tradition but are beginning to adopt to contemporary lifestyles, he further said.
In recent years, modern education had brought in new concepts of life and attitude. The Old ways are giving way to pressures of modern ways of living and needs arising out of the new fashionable life. This impact is quite visible in the social and cultural life of the Manipuris, whether of the hills or of the plain, he said.
These musical instruments are very rare. Influences of globalization and captivation in Christianity by most hill tribes make abandonment of such traditional musical instruments except in a few occasions. It is the right time of conduct a workshop programme on making the traditional music instruments, he added.
Participants are traditional musical instrument makers, musicologists, researchers and grass root workers.
Speaking with one of the artisan, 52-year-old Kaihotdin from Tamei, who was making a Liangmei tribe’s drum name “N.Chom,” gave a little description about the drum.
He said the Liangmei’s drum ‘N.Chom’ is played in grand festivals of Liangmei tribe like Chaga, Maliang Bou, etc. The drum is played by the headman among the youths of the respective village and he is known as ‘Khangchiupi.’
It can produce very loud sound and it is not allowed to be used in other times except during festival time. In olden days it was sold at a price of only rupees two or three but now a days it is sold at rupees 5000 to 10000. It takes around 15 days to complete making the drum, he added.
Speaking with another artisan, 76-year-old Konthoujam Tomba from Sangaiporou, who was working on a 6 feet long drum locally known as ‘Sabou Lanbou Pung,’ said the drum was used during the time of kings as an alarm against enemies intrusion. The drum was not played in other times; it was strictly against the rule during the time of king.
Meanwhile, 58-year-old K Timothy from Nungpi Khullen in Ukhrul, was working on making traditional cooking pots of Tangkhul Tribe locally known as ‘Hambai’, ‘Chamham’ etc.. He said the pots are made by mixing black stone and soil. These pots are still at use in Ukhrul.
“Cooking with these pots makes the food testier,” he said. No chemicals are used in making the pots and as such it is not harmful to health too, he added.