Under the latest and popular online series of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya entitled “Exhibit Week” the PHINGARUK/ PHIRUK, Ceremonial Basket -Measurement — Height-46 cm, Circumference of rim -120 cm collected from 1978 Meitei community of Imphal, Manipur displayed in the audience as The Fifth Exhibit of the month of December, 2020 through official website, Facebook, Instagram and twitter page of the IGRMS.
In this regard Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of Mankind) ,Initially this series will focus on the masterpieces from its collection which are considered as unique for their contribution to the cultural history of a particular ethnic group or area. Phingaruk/ Phiruk is the special storage basket used by the Meitei community in the valley of Manipur. The etymological meaning of Phiruk came from Phi means cloth and ruk means basket.
Phiruk is used only at the time of marriage function for carrying sweets, betel leaves and nuts, fruits and flowers, clothes and ornaments, from the residence of the groom to the bride’s residence. Women folk in traditional attire carry these marriage presantations during the procession held by family of the groom during Heichingpot (a ceremony held prior to marriage function) and on the auspicious day of Luhongba (Marriage). According to a customary practice, the woman who led the marriage procession must have her parents, parent-in-laws, husband and children alive to bless with fertility and prosperity. This Phiruk should contain some quantity of rice, tobacco leaf, raw cotton containing seed, Pan-manao (a small tuber of the species arum), Shing-manao (small ginger) and two cakes of Meitei Thum (salt) overlapping one another with two coins inside.