| Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male and
female partners, a dance of dedication to the
sylvan deity, Thangjing of Moirang , is the
depiction of the dance performed by Khamba and
Thoibi, the hero and heroine of the Moirang
episode of the hoary past. This, with the
"Maibi" dance (Priestess dance) , the
"Leima Jagoi" etc. form the
"Laiharaoba" dance. The
"Laiharaoba" dance , in many ways, is
the fountainhead of the modern Manipuri dance
form.This dance is a part and parcel of Moirang
Lai-Haraoba. It is belived that the legendary
hero - Khamba and heroin - Thoibi danced together
before the Lord Thangjing, a celebrated deity of
Moirang, a village in the South-West of Manipur
which is known for its rich cultural traditions,
for peace and prosperity of the land. |
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Pung or Manipuri Mridanga is the
soul of Manipuri Sankritana music and Classical
Manipuri Dance. It assumes an important ritual
character, an indispensable part of all social
and devotional ceremonies in Manipur, - the
instrument itself becoming an object of
veneration. Pung Cholom is performed as an
invocatory number preceding the Sankirtana and
Ras Lila.
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| It is hignly refined classical
dance number characterised by the modulation of
sound from soft whisper to a thunderous climax.
There is the interplay of intricate rhythms and
cross rhythms with varying markings of time from
the slow to the quick with graceful and vigorous
body movements leading to ecastic heights. |
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| During the festival of Lai-Haraoba which is
an annual ritual festival of the Meiteis, the
inhabitants of the valley of Manipur, the Maibis,
the priestesses considered to be spritural
mediums, trace through their dances the whole
concept of cosmogony of the Meitei people and
describe their way of life. Begining with the
process of creation, they show the construction
of houses and various occupations of the people
to sustain themselves. It is a kind of re-living
of the way of life of the past. |
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| Nupa Pala which is otherwise known as Kartal
Cholom or Cymbal Dance is a characteristic of the
Manipuri style of dance and music. The initial
movements of this dance are soft and serene ,
gradually gathering momentum. It is a group
performance of male partners, using using cymbals
and wearing snow white ball-shaped large turbans,
who sing and dance to the accompaniment of
Mridanga, an ancient classical drum
"Pung" as it is called in Manipuri. The
Nupa Pala acts as a prologue to the Ras Lila
dances, besides an independent performance too,
in connection with religious rites. |
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| The Ras lila, the epitome of Manipuri
classical dance is inter-woven through the
celestial and eternal love of Radha and Krishna
as has been described in the Hindu scriptures and
reveals the sublime and transcendental love of
Krishna and Radha and the Gopies' devotion to the
Lord. It is generally performed in an enclosure
in front of the temple throughout the night and
watched with a deep sense of devotion. Ras
performances are seasonal and varied and
performed at the temple of Shree Shree Govindajee
in Imphal on the nights of Basanta Purnima,
Sarada Purnima and Kartik Purnima and at local
temples later. As to the composition, the
performance is a combination of solo, duet and
group dances. This highly stylised form of dance
has sublimity, subtlety and grace. The richness
of the costumes gives lustre to the beauty of the
art. |
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