Traditional festival of Manipur “Mera Houchongba”, which symbolises the oneness between various ethnic communities of hill and valley, was celebrated on Sunday at Sana Konung and Kangla organised by State Level Organising Committee on Mera Houchongba, 2022.
The programme began with a ritual ceremony in the morning where delegates and participants carried out a procession from Sana Konung to Kangla followed by a ritual ceremony ‘Men Tongba’ and ‘Yenkhong Tamba’.
The after session of the ceremony primarily consists of exchanging gifts between hill and valley people and presentation of cultural items of different ethnic groups.
Attending the function as chief guest, Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba said that Mera Houchongba is one of the unique festivals which may be hardly found in other countries of the world.
The festival itself exemplifies the unity and solidarity and sense of eternal bonding between various ethnic communities of the state.
The future generation of the state should continuously observe the festival until the earth exists, he advised.
He further said that the festival has been celebrated since time immemorial of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba.
The state wasn’t able to observe the function for some years due to many reasons where financial constraint is one of the major factors. But fortunately, considering the essence of this festival, the state government had revived the festival as one of the state festivals from 2018, the MP said, adding that such initiative of the state government gave the impetus to observe it at much greater height.
“Let this age-old festival bind the relation of all ethnic communities as one in the days to come,” he wished.
Gift was exchanged between chief of Thawaijao Hungpung Village under Ukhrul District, AS Wungayung Peter and MP of Rajya Sabha who is also the titular king of Manipur, Leishemna Sanajaoba.
The programme was attended by cabinet ministers, MLAs, village leaders from various hill districts and leaders of Sana Konung.
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