Ningol Chakouba

     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"