Ningol Chakouba Festival:
Every year, the Department of Fisheries, Manipur, organises the Annual Fish Fair cum Fish Crop Competition on the day ahead of the Ningol Chakouba festival.
- The festival is celebrated every year on the second day of Hiyangei month of the Meitei calendar.
- Ningol means ‘married woman’ and Chakouba means ‘invitation for feast’; so the festival is the one where the married women are invited to their parents’ home for a feast.
- It dates back to the time when King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba ruled in Manipur.
- The Queen Laisana used to invite her brother Poireiton to the King’s palace for a feast once in a year. So, it was known as Piba (brother/son) Chakouba rather than Ningol Chakouba.
- The tradition changed during the time of King Chadrakirti Singh (1831-1886) in the 19th century. He invited his sisters for the feast as it was difficult for him to visit their places in one day.
- Thus, the tradition changed to Ningol Chakouba since then and continued to become an integral part of Manipur’s rich culture and heritage.
- The main component of the festival is the visit of married sisters to their maternal homes for grand feast and joyous reunion followed by giving away the gifts.
- It is customary for the son of the family to extend a formal invitation to his sister for Ningol Chakkouba a week before the gathering.
- The festival is held today outside Manipur where Manipuris are settled.
- The essence is to strengthen the bond of affection among the brothers and sisters, daughters and parents of a family.
