A person should never portray his or her identity as defined by others but should depict or present themselves as whom they really are as per the perspective of cultural and tradition inherited from their fore-fathers, Hill Areas Committee chairman Dinganglung (Dipu) Gangmei on Tuesday said and added that one should “Be proud of your own culture and tradition.”
Further stressing the need of safeguarding and preserving one’s significant cultures and traditions by ways of inheriting it to the younger generations, he said, it is the history which will define a group as indigenous.
Dipu was delivering the chief guest speech during the inauguration of Tingkao Ragwang Kalum Kai at Ragailong in Imphal East.
Unveiling of inaugural stone, flying of a banner with balloons, hoisting of flag, cutting of ribbon, reciting of the traditional ‘Ho-hoing’ and offering of holy wine to Tingkao Ragwang marked the opening ceremony of the inauguration.
He said, “May the Kalum Kai (house of worship) fill with the spirit of Tingkao Ragwang (Supreme God) and give a blessing to the villagers a good health, prosperous life.”
General secretary of Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak Phom (TRCP), AMN Chaoba Kamson, in his speech said the impressive house of worship of Tingkao Ragwang is designed and constructed based on the model of traditional ornamented ritual house (Taraang Kai) of Kabui Rongmei community for regular worship on every Sunday and every full moon day for preservation, protection and promotion of indigenous TRC religion.
Narrating the history of the Kabui Rongmei community, he said that the construction of temple culture was neither traditional nor prevalent in olden days.
Construction of temple for Tingkao Ragwang was started by Jadonang after a divine revelation was conveyed to Jadonang in his dream by Tingkao Ragwang for constructing a number of temples during his life so that his indigenous religion could be saved, he said, adding that accordingly Jadonang constructed four temples at different places (Puilon, Longkao, Tazeikaiphun and Binnakandi) in 1927.
Unfortunately, the temples were damaged by the British administration, he added.
He stated that the Bisnu Rakai Committee of three states (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) first constructed a temple for community level at Bhuvan Hills and was inaugurated on June 6, 1982.
Subsequently, the Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak Phom (Religious Council) Assam, Manipur and Nagaland was formed on April 16, 1994 at Imphal by a huge public meeting attended by delegates from the Northeast states, he added.
The next inauguration of temples will be held at Uchiwa by December, 2022 and Ragailong (Maskhal) Assam after Gaan-Ngai festival 2023, he said, adding that efforts are now being made to publish the holy book of TRC called "Tingkuradin” by a committee with the supports of TRC people within a short period of time.
The function was attended by permanent invitee of TRCP (AMN) Kadum Kamson as president; president of TRCP Ragailong Longmei Pouvharel as chief host; while MLA Th Arunkumar; former minister O Henry; vice-president of ABV Kalyan Ashram Ma Satyendra Singh; nampou of Ragailong Pei Golthangmei Kakhangai and namgakpou of Ragailong Pei Kamei Gaingamlung Kabui as guests of honour.
