The 30-day long Wari Leeba festival (Narrative art) cum workshop organised by Rural Development Foundation, Yairipok Bamol Leikai, Thoubal under the culture function and scheme of the Ministry of Culture, India government concluded on Monday.
Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy Imphal director Pukhrambam Bilash, Rural Development Foundation president Khadangbam Ingocha and State kala akademi awardee Laikhuram Mani attended the event as presidium members.
Speaking at the event, director Bilash said that wari leeba (narrative art) festival was held very often when he was young. He added that the festival was usually held for seven to 10 days and stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata were narrated.
He said that during his three and half years as director of JN Dance Academy, he has been organising lectures on the history of nat sankritan, lai haraoba, Thang-Ta, Jagoi, kortan, Pung cholom and many more. He added that he came to attend the event in the aim to uplift the classical art form of Manipur like wari leeaba, Waari haiba thiba and khongjom praba.
Rural Development Foundation Yairipok Bamol Leikai has been organising the festival cum workshop to preserve the art form since the last 10 years. Gifts were presented to elderly people and stories were also narrated in the closing ceremony.
