Manipur

Autumn brings festivity in Manipur with the fragrance of season flowers, dew drops on the green grass under the starry sky at night. Lilies and lotus bloom brightly on the ponds and water bodies. The people of Manipur find it an ideal season to worship the gods and goddesses. The dominating festival here is the Kwak Jatra. This is the Manipuri version of the Durga Puja where the goddess of strength is worshipped for four or five days. The best place to visit during the week long festival is Imphal. The count down starts on the day of Mahalaya, just a week ahead of the festival.

Manipur is full of festivals. Hardly a week passes without any occasion of fun and frolic much to the delight of the tourists who visit the north eastern state during the winter season. Ningol Chakouba festival is one of the most wonderful festival of the Meiteis which comes up on second day of the lunar month of Hiyanggei (October-November). The social festival is basically a get together of the married off girls along with their children who visit their parental house to be received with feast.

The Meities in Manipur has a festival without a fixed date to be celebrated. Known as Heikru Hidongba, festival was said to have originated long before Rajarshi Bhagyachandra where Sanamahi Pakhangba is worshipped. The then king fixed the schedule. The celebration remained more or less unchanged during the time of Meiding-u Irengba. These were allowed to continue even during the time Meiding-u Maramba (Gourashyam).
 

Kut, the name of festival of the Kuki-Chin and Mizo people in Manipur plays no less role in uniting the people of all sections of the society in the north eastern state. The annual autumnal festival is basically an occasion of prayers for the Almighty for bounteous harvest and prosperity. The three colourful tribes display their age old rich culture, tradition and performance in the much-vaunted festival which falls on November 1 every year marking an end to the harvest season.

Nothing could be more holistic and interesting than a week long celebrations of color and festive fervor in Manipur. An unique six-day long Holi festival celebrated in Manipur is the one of kind festival as the rest of the country concludes it in two or three days. Devout believers of Lord Krishna, the Manipuris create an atmosphere of festive fiesta during the celebration of joys as the holy colors paint the people and the streets in a myriad of shades.