Duck catching competition in the process, Imphal

Interesting duck catching competition witnessed at Yaoshang Annual sports Meet in Manipur.

Annual Yaoshang Sports Meet has become a part of the Yaoshang/Holi Festival. Annual sports meets are organized in each localities all over Imphal by the localities' youth organizations and clubs.

The Annual Yaoshang Sports meet has become a part of the Holi Festival in Manipur.

Lathmar Holi of Brijbhoomi - Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana -- is very well known. The seven day long festivity of Holi in Brijbhoomi gets emulated in another Vaishnavite region in far off Manipur as Yaoshang.

Though like inhabitants of Brij, Manipuris too are close to the folklore of Krishna, Radha and the Gopis, but the local sensibilities married to 'Holi' are quite unique and makes the festival more Manipuri than alien. From calling it Yaoshang to singing 'holi' at Govindajee and Mahabali temples and localities to Nakathengba (asking for money from different households) to Shelmunba (asking for money by young girls mainly in outdoor) to Thabal Chongba to Yaoshang sports, the festival carries both religious and secular fervour.

Yaoshang festival is celebrated on the full moon day of phalguna purnima and it is one of the most important festivals of Manipur. Sports festival is organised in every locality as a part of celebrating the festival since the last four to five decades. Main highlight of the festival is the Thabal Chongba (a folk dance).

The literal meaning of thabal is 'moonlight' and Chongba means 'dance', thus 'dancing in the moonlight'. In earlier times, this dance was performed in the moonlight accompanied by folk songs. The only musical instrument used was a dholakar drum.

Upto the last one century, this folk dance was performed only in the moonlight. Later, lanterns were introduced in the Thabal Chongba back in 1950s. Besides dholak, even dishes and metal tubs were also used as drums during that time. Gaslights were also brought into use in the Thabal Chongba as a source of light.

Source :-http://www.millenniumpos/NewsContent.aspx?NID=53788

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