Manipuri: The Classical Dance of Manipur

The oldest root is Lai Haraoba. It is a festival of the Meitei people of Manipur. The word means merry-making to please the gods. Meiteis honour their deities and ancestors in it.

What does Lai Haraoba show?

It re-enacts how the world came into being. Priestesses called maibis dance in it. Later dances drew gestures from this ritual.

How did Krishna enter the story?

Vaishnavism, the worship of Vishnu and Krishna, reached Manipur in the 15th century. Radha and Krishna themes were laid over the older ritual dances.

What is the memory hook?

Old Lai Haraoba first, Radha and Krishna later.

Sankirtana is a temple art of the Vaishnava people of Manipur’s plains. Singers and drummers perform it together. They retell the life and deeds of Krishna.

Who performs it?

A typical show has two drummers and about ten singer-dancers. Devotees sit and watch.

What is Pung Cholom?

Pung is the Manipuri drum. Cholom means dance. Pung Cholom is the drum dance. It is called the soul of the Sankirtana tradition.

Is it only cymbals?

No. Cymbals are used, but the Pung drum is equally central.

What is the memory hook?

Song, drum and dance, all for Krishna.

Ras Leela tells of Krishna dancing with the gopis, the cow-herding women of Vrindavan. Manipur has five kinds of it. They are Maha, Kunja, Vasanta, Nitya and Diba.

What is Maha Ras?

Maha Ras is danced on the full-moon night of Kartik, in October or November. It follows the Rasapanchadhyaya, five chapters of the Bhagavata Purana. It was introduced in 1779 CE.

Who brought it?

Maha Ras was introduced by King Rajarshi Bhagyachandra. Kunja Ras is also credited to him. Nitya Ras came in the late 1800s. Diba Ras came in the 1940s.

What is the memory hook?

Five Ras kinds; Maha Ras came first, in 1779.

The dance is gentle and flowing. Movements are restrained. The dancers do not stamp or leap. They glide with soft hand gestures.

What do the women wear?

The costume is called the Kumin or Potloi. It is a stiff, barrel-shaped skirt with small mirrors. Tradition says the king saw it in a dream.

Do dancers wear ankle bells?

No. Manipuri dancers do not wear ankle bells. This sets it apart from many other classical dances.

What is the memory hook?

Barrel skirt, mirrors, no ankle bells.

In December 2013, UNESCO listed Sankirtana of Manipur. It joined the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Intangible means living traditions, not buildings.

Who prepared the file?

India nominated it. The Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for the performing arts, is credited with the nomination file. It is also in India’s national inventory.

Why was it chosen?

The Committee said it passes skills across generations. It also binds the Vaishnava communities of Manipur together.

What is the memory hook?

Sankirtana, 2013, UNESCO list.

King Rajarshi Bhagyachandra is the key name. He introduced Maha Ras in 1779 CE. He is also credited with Kunja Ras. Tradition links the dance costume to a dream of his.

Did he make all five Ras forms?

No. One university text says he composed three of the five. The CBSE scheme credits Maha and Kunja Ras to him. Later rulers added Nitya and Diba Ras.

Why do dates differ?

Books give his reign differently. Some say 1759 to 1798. Others say 1755 to 1789. Use the 1779 date for Maha Ras.

What is the memory hook?

Bhagyachandra: Maha Ras, 1779, the dream costume.

Exams ask what Sankirtana involves, what Pung Cholom is, and who started Maha Ras. They also ask which dance has no ankle bells.

What was asked in UPSC 2017?

The answer is (b). Statements 1 and 3 are true. Statement 2 is false. The Pung drum is equally central.

What traps do exams set?

Exams credit all five Ras forms to one king. They add ankle bells. They call cymbals the only instrument. Check each claim against the facts above.

What is the memory hook?

Song, drum, Krishna; five Ras; no bells.