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Padma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi working to revive dying Leeba art of Manipur

Eighty-year-old Padma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi, defying her old age and poor health condition, has been making great efforts to revive the dying appliqué art of Manipur called “Leeba, which art is used in making Monmai, a decorative circular appliqué art piece used in covering both ends of a Manipuri traditional bolster pillow.

ByB Rakesh Sharma

Updated 4 Feb 2022, 3:52 am

Padma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi displaying her Leeba art work
Padma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi displaying her Leeba art work

 

YEARS AGO, Lourembam Bino Devi had restored the flag of Maharaja Chandrakirti by using the appliqué art of Manipur called Leeba at the Manipur State Kala Academy. She also repaired two pairs of rare velvet shoes used by Maharaj Kulachandra Singh (1890-91) which are now displayed at the Kangla Museum. This time, on Republic Day 2022, 80-year-old Bino Devi was conferred with a Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian award in the country, for her distinguished services in Arts. She was recognized for her work of Leeba art—Monmai, a decorative circular appliqué art piece used in covering both ends of a Manipuri traditional bolster pillow.

Leeba, the ancient appliqué art of Manipur, was popular during the royal era. In the olden days, Leeba was practiced at ‘Phiribi Loishang’, which is a house for maintaining clothes worn by the deities and royals. Most of the apparels used by the royals, including shoes, are mostly designed using the Leeba technique. However, in the present days, the art form Leeba is slowly dying as there are only a few like Bino, who have inherited the skill of the art form with its authentic original motifs.

In the effort to revive the dying appliqué art of Manipur called “Leeba”, 80-year-old Padma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi, defying her old age and poor health condition, has been providing training in the art to many willing women in collaboration with the Heritage Foundation of Mankind.

“I am worried that Leeba will die out. So I am giving my best regardless of my health condition to preserve the arts from conducting various training programmes by joining hands with the Heritage Foundation of Mankind,” said Bino while speaking exclusively to the Imphal Free Press.

Also Read: The journey of Moirangthem Muktamani Devi: From a humble mother to Padma Shri

Born to late Thokchom Mani and late Th ongbi Ibemhal at Singjamei Mathak Thokchom Leikai, Imphal West, Bino inherited the art of Leeba from her mother-in-law, late Lourembam Ibetombi Devi who was a national awardee. She started using the art since she was 17.

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The Padma Shri said she along with the retired director of Arts and Culture, K Sobita has been doing research work together for almost five-six years to publish a book on Leeba with detailed demonstrations along with diagrams.

“Publishing the book is my dream as the dying art will be documented, and the art form will be secured and preserved at least in the form of a document,” Bino added.

According to the retired director of Arts and Culture, who accompanied Bino, during the interview, “Research work is almost completed. The book is likely to be released by 2023”.

The unique skill Bino has is that she never draws any outline before cutting the design of the Leeba. She directly cuts the design using a scissor and stitched it to the base cloth using a needle and a thread.

Pointing to the unique skill, Sobita said, “Though Bino’s working technique seems very simple, all her products are a masterpiece.”

According to Sobita, Bino is the oldest person alive who had mastered the art of Leeba and she had even produced three state awardees in the arts of Leeba.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 30, while addressing the nation in the 85th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, had lauded Bino for patronising the Leeba textile art of Manipur for decades.

“She is an unsung hero of our country, who has done extraordinary things under normal circumstances,” Modi said of Bino Devi.

Bino Devi was married to late Lourembam Kunjabihari of Keishamthong Moirang Ningthou Leirak, Imphal West at an early age of 17. She has a daughter and a son who are now married. She is currently living at her parental house in Singjamei.

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On hearing the news of conferment of Padma Shri Award on her, Bino expressed her profound happiness of getting the prestigious title in her advancing years.  “I am very happy that the country has recognised the dying ars form of Manipur (Leeba),” she added.

She informed that Leeba has various patterns, however some specific patterns were restricted from use by common people as per the customs of Meitei, those can be used only by the royals and those people rewarded with the clothes by the kings.

Also Read: 'Laiphadibi' maker Padma Shri K Ibomcha dreams of opening doll gallery

“So in order to make the common people get the opportunity to use all the Leeba clothes, I slightly modify the pattern to make a win-win for all,” she added.

Those authentic and original patterns meant for the royals are stored at the museum of the Heritage Foundation of Mankind located at Sangaiprou, Imphal West, informed Bino.

The Heritage Foundation of Mankind, an institution working on enhancing and preserving Manipuri culture, especially in the field of handloom and handicrafts.

Bino, in collaboration with the foundation, has started to insert Leeba works in different modern products like deco clothes, bed sheets, cushions, hand bags and others. However those products are not made available to the public yet.

 

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LeebamonmaiPadma Shri Lourembam Bino Devi

B Rakesh Sharma

B Rakesh Sharma

Staff Reporter, Imphal

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