Look at those glittering eyes, look at those
thousands smiles, our sisters looks so happy today. Every women in Manipur is
waiting for this auspicious day, the day we called NINGOL CHAKOUBA. A social festival of the Meiteis and many communities
of Manipur where the married women (Ningol) are invited (Chakouba-literally
calling to a meal; for dinner or lunch) to a feast at their parental house
along with their children. It is celebrated every year on the 2nd lunar day of
Heyangei (mostly during the month of November. Sometimes it falls in October).
'Ningol' means daughter and 'Chakouba'
means invitation for a lunch. 'Ningol Chakouba' is a special day
for the married daughters in Manipur. It is one of the biggest social festival
of Meitei and other communities where married women are invited for a feast at
their parental home along with their children. It is also a happiest moments
of the children as they are going to meet their “pupu” “bobok” and uncles and
other relatives at one time.
It is assume as
the biggest festival of Ningols as well as Manipur. It gives a fresh chance to
feel again all those old moments to help their mother and sisters helping in
cooking meals, helping with cutting vegetables,chatting,giggling over petty
reasons.
For this occasion, invitations are sent week
before the day usually by their brothers. This invitation is not written in a
plain paper or printed on an invitation card but a betel leave folded over a
betel nut is given as a token of invitation. When the big day arrives, the
ningols dressed themselves in their best and finest clothes and visit their
parental home with the children. They also bring sweets, fruits and other
delicacies.
On this special day, a grand feast of various
cuisines is prepared in honor of the ningols at their parental home. Fish
curries and fries are special dishes of the day specially “Sareng” which is one
of the most expensive fish and favorites of many ningols. Some other fishes are
Rohu, Catla, Grass Carp are also favorites of this day.
It is really enjoyable having meals with all
family members after so many days and so many relatives at a time. It pays
tribute to the bond between siblings and strengthens the relationship. It
enriches the close relationship, loving ties between brother and sisters who
were living together under the same roof. In short this festival honors the
love between the siblings of a household.
The lunch session is usually long as it is
always accompanied with chitchat with so many people around. After the
satisfactory meals, in the evening, parents and generally the pibas (brothers)
presented gifts to the ningols (sisters). While receiving the gifts, younger
ones are blessed by their elder sisters for their well being and prosperity.
And at the end of the day everyone bid goodbye to the happy ningol who
is made special on this occasion.
For family having many married ningols,
a grand feast prepared by a 'bamon' (the cook) is arranged and everyone
have the lunch together and it's again almost like a 'mapam chakouba'
(marriage reception).
This type festival is performed from
time immemorial. It is celebrated since the days of Almighty God. It has its
own historical background. The system of inviting for feast was introduced
since the days of Nongada Lairen Pakhangba. The exact date of
this event is not known but Pakhngba is said to have ascended the throne in
33AD. So this festival can be said to have started from fourth century. During
those days the system was somewhat different.
Pakhangba married Laisana,sister of Poreiton. They now
became the "brother-in-law" and close relatives. Nongda Leiren
Pakhangba ruled for 120 years. He appointed his wife as the Royal Queen of the
Meiteis kingdom.After coronation of Laisana as Queen, she went to his brother
Poireiton in order to observe the cultivation of his brother and also to show
her respect and gratitude. The two brother and sister met after a long time.
They were very delighted and expressed their satisfaction to meet again.
After Queen Laisana returned home from her brother house, she cooked the
scented paddy grain/rice which was gift by her brother very nicely to her level
best with due care. Her husband Nongda Lairen Pakhangba consumed the rice he
found maximum satisfaction which he has
never consumed nor tasted before in his life time.
Therefore, in sweet memory of this paddy grain presented to her wife Laisana by
her brother Poireiton, he name it as "Chakhao-Mon"; and the
black-top paddy grain as "Chakhao Poireitone", in order to remember
Poreiton. In order to express her gratitute to her brother, Laisana invited her
brother Poireiton to have a feast/dinner to her husband house.Poireiton warmly
accepted her humble proposal/request. In such a way, a happy feast was arranged
by her sister Laisana. In this way, the tradition of inviting brothers by the
sisters for having feast/dinner was started.
However with the
passage of time such tradition of inviting feast by the sisters was given up
during the reign of Maharaja Chandrakriti. He found the task of visiting each
of his sisters separately troublesome. So, he reform it from Piba Chakouba to
Ningol Chakouba by inviting all his sisters in his place as an alternative to
that trouble he would be facing in visiting all his sisters.
Today the importance and value of this ceremony is becoming more and more recognized.
The excitement in peoples buying gifts for the daughter can be seen everywhere.
People doing great shopping, melas, crowded fish stalls and mostly one can
expect the market areas to suffer major traffic jams in these days. State
government and private firms also organize fish fairs especially for this day.
It is our moral duty to gear up
our traditional indigenous festivals But it will be unwise to invest more on
conspicuous consumption, when the state is facing acute financial problem.
On the whole, observing this festival is good from a socio-cultural point of
view but too much expenditure in performing/celebrating this festival is an
unwise policy.
A VERY HAPPY "NINGOL CHAKOUBA"
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