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Manipuri: The Classical Dance of Manipur

A king didn’t just promote this dance. He designed its costume himself, a barrel-shaped mirrored skirt that makes dancers look like they’re floating.

Sankirtan performance at Govindajee Temple, Manipur

Sankirtan performance at Govindajee Temple, Manipur. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

MCQ Questions

Manipuri Dance

From Ritual Roots to World Heritage

Prehistoric roots

Lai Haraoba ritual dance

A pre-Vaishnavite Meitei tradition, “the merrymaking of the gods,” led by priests and priestesses.

15th century

Vaishnavism arrives

Radha-Krishna devotional themes layer onto the older Meitei folk tradition.

1759-1798

King Bhagyachandra

Formalises the Raas Leela, composes three of its five forms, and designs the kumil costume.

Dec 2013

UNESCO recognition

Manipuri Sankirtana is added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

What makes it distinct: Manipuri favours continuous, flowing movement over sharp poses. Dancers express emotion through the whole body, not just the face.

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📑 Contents

1Must Know
2Good to Know
3Test Yourself
4Great to Know
5Previous Year Questions

✊ Must Know

What Manipuri Dance Actually Is

Manipuri is a classical dance form from Manipur, in Northeast India.
It is deeply rooted in Vaishnavite devotion, centred on the love story of Radha and Krishna.
Its best-known repertoire is the Raas Leela, performed as devotional theatre.
It is one of the eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

📘 Good to Know

The Look, Sound, and Feel of a Performance

Manipuri dance favours continuous, flowing movement over sharp, angular poses.
It uses “sarvangabhinaya,” expressing emotion through the whole body, not just facial expression.
The style blends “lasya” (gentle, graceful movement) with “tandava” (a more vigorous, energetic mode).
Female dancers wear the “kumil,” a barrel-shaped, mirror-embroidered stiff skirt with a white muslin overlay.
A translucent veil and a fitted velvet blouse complete the traditional female costume.
Live singing and drumming (Sankirtana) usually accompany the dance, rather than pure instrumental music alone.

Test Yourself

🌟 Great to Know

From Ritual Roots to World Heritage

Manipuri dance’s oldest root is Lai Haraoba, a pre-Vaishnavite Meitei ritual dance tradition.
Vaishnavism reached Manipur in the 15th century, layering Radha-Krishna devotional themes onto these older roots.
King Bhagyachandra, who ruled Manipur from 1759 to 1798, formalised the Raas Leela into a classical art form.
He composed three of its five main forms: the Maha Raas, the Basanta Raas, and the Kunja Raas.
He also designed the kumil, the dancers’ distinctive mirrored skirt costume.
In December 2013, UNESCO added Manipuri Sankirtana to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi itself prepared UNESCO’s nomination file for that recognition.

📝 Previous Year Questions

What Does Sankirtana Actually Involve?

Answer: (b) Statements 1 and 3 only are correct.
Statement 1, correct Manipuri Sankirtana genuinely is a song and dance performance.
Statement 2, wrong Cymbals are not the only instrument used. The Pung (drum) is equally central, with its own “Pung Cholom” drum-dance.
Statement 3, correct Sankirtana genuinely narrates the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
View this question on the full 2017 paper →
For Sattriya, another regional classical dance form, see ArtnCulture0101 — Sattriya: The Monastery Dance of Assam.