Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya is organising ‘Lai Haroba festival’ at its premises from October 22 to 26. Traditional ritualistic activities will the main features of this five-day programme. Lai Haroba is one of the biggest festivals of the Meitei community of Manipur.
On this occasion N Sakamacha Singh (Museum Associate, IGRMS) told that Lai Haraoba is one of the biggest festivals of the Meitei community of Manipur. The literal meaning of ‘Lai Haraoba’ is to please the God and goddesses. It is celebrated by different communities and clans to their respective Umang Lais (guardian deities) to seek blessings and wishes by performing dance and music, costumes, rites and rituals etc. It is celebrated in every nook and corner of Manipur from the month of October/November to May/June once in a year. The Lai Haraoba embodies all the cultural ingredients reckoned in the form of a ritual theatre expressing the indigenous belief of the creation of the Universe. It is an annual festival for appeasement of the ancestral God and goddesses where the creator is pleased for his creation of every life forms on this earth.
A day before the commencement of Haraoba (festival), a ritual of Lai Barton Touba (inviting the Gods) is performed. The first day commences with the opening of shrine (Lai Thong Hangba) in the early morning where people gathers and make necessary preparation for decoration of the shrine and all the cultural belongings and altar of the deities under the strict guidance of the religious functionaries the Amaiba (priest) and the Amaibis (priestess). The day is prepared for summoning the soul (Lai Ikouba) of the Lainingthou (God) and Lairembi (goddess).
The devotees present in the ritual function adorns traditional attires; carries the belongings of the deities and move towards the water bodies in two rows. One row represents the male deity while the other row represents the female deity.