Manipur : Jewel of India

As perfect as a painting, Manipur is described rightly as the Jewel of India . Manipur lies south of Nagaland & North of Mizoram.

It shares the international boundary with Myanmar on the western & Southern side. Legand has it that the discovery of Manipur was the result of delight that the gods took in dancing.  Still practiced today, is a classical dance form marked by graceful & restrained movements and delicate hand gestures known as ‘Manipuri’.

Manipur is a chest of tradition and cultural patterns, best represented by its dance forms. The Lai-haraoba a traditional stylized ritual dance performed for appeasing gods and goddess. The Lai-haraoba festival is generally celebrated between April and May.

The “raas” songs and dances express the “Leelas” (play) of Lord Krishna as a child with “Gopis” of Brindvan and depict their yearning for communion with the lord. The tribal dances of Manipur are the expression of love, creativity and aestheticism of the tribal people of the state. Manipuris were earlier recognized as skillful warriors and still practice the arts of wrestling sword fighting and martial arts. Songol kangjej (manipur Polo) is the principal sport of the state, for polo is believed to have originated here.