The Tangmai Festival 2022, also known as Cucumber Festival, was celebrated on Friday at YPA GHQ Hall located at Hiangtam Lamka, Churachandpur, Manipur , with a massive cucumber feast. The festival aims at preservation of Paite tradition and promotion of cultivators in the hills.
"Cucumber Festival was started by YPA in 2018 with the main aim to promote the cultivators in the hills and preserve the Paite tradition which are forgotten by the present generation and to thank God for the harvest," organising committee chairman V Vungzapau said.
As part of the festival, 12,500 cucumbers were distributed free of cost to the participants at the festival.
Vungzapau said that the the cucumbers were procured with funds from the government as well as donations from wishers to make the festival a reality.
As many as 4,000 cucumbers were sold to the public at affordable price and 10 per cent of the total cucumber were earmarked to be distributed at Orphanage homes, old age homes, etc. of the district on Saturday.
ALSO READ: Prayers for bountiful harvest marks Somkhap Phanit celebration in Ukhrul
About seven stalls were also set up where the participants could buy and have traditional food and drinks, including different varieties of porridge and traditional attire of the Paite tribes.
Singngat AC MLA Chinlunthang, Saikot AC MLA Paolienlal Haokip, leaders of different tribes and village chiefs attended the festival which was organised by the Tangmai Festival Committee, 2022.
Chinlunthang hailed the organisers and said that cucumber originated in India over 3000 years ago. Hence, this festival can be made a district level festival then to national and international level as Cucumber is a staple food in many countries due to its medicinal value, the MLA said.
ALSO READ: Comic book burnt, banned for portraying Paona Brajabasi as tribal freedom fighter of India
Saikot AC MLA said that he was happy to be a part of the Tangmai festival which is his favourite, more so because it is an organic product of the hills and called the occasion a proud moment. He also opined that the festival could be a mass festival, not confined just to one community and called for all to capitalize on the festival, saying 'we have land where every seed grows naturally sans fertilizer’.
The MLA said that we complain but don’t try to help asking people to question themselves if the best we are putting in is enough.
Also Read: India becomes world's largest exporter of cucumber, gherkins
