Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 November 1946 Singjamei Sapam Leikai, Manipur, India |
| Occupation | Classical dancer |
| Known for | Principal, Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance academy |
| Spouse | Late Kshetrimayum Nawang Singh |
| Children | Ksh. Ragini Devi, Ksh. Rajen Singh, Ksh. Ranibala Devi |
| Parent(s) | Leishangthem Tampha Singh Leishangthem Ongbi Ibetombimacha Devi |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Manipur State Kala Akademi Award Nritya Ratna Award |
Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi (born 3 November 1946) is an Indian classical dancer and author, specialising in the Indian classical dance form of Manipuri. [1] [2] She was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award. [3] [4]
Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi was born on 3 November 1946 at Singjamei Sapam Leikai, a small hamlet in the Indian state of Manipur to Leishangthem Tampha Singh, a polo player and Leishangthem Ongbi Ibetombimacha Devi, a known Nata Sankirtana exponent [5] as their third daughter. [6] She started stage performances at the age of 6, before she underwent any formal training. Later, she trained Ras Leela at Govindaji Nartanalaya (Government of Manipur Dance College) from the age of 10, passing the degrees, visharad and acharya and also trained under gurus such as Maishnam Amubi Singh, Amudon Sharma, H. Tomba, A. Tomba Singh, Lourembam Tombi Devi and R. K. Tomalsana before starting to perform professionally. [5] [6] She has performed at many art festivals in India and other countries such as Canada, West Germany, London, Dubai and USA. [5] [6]
Thouranisabi Devi is associated with Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy and has directed one of its ballet productions, Radha Sati. [5] She taught at the academy for several years as Guru Rasdhari, Guruhan and Pradhan Guru till her retirement in 2006. [5] [6] She is also credited with two books, Diva Ras (2 volumes-1993) and Ras Makha Amsung Nungi Masahk (2006), both based on Manipuri dance and has recorded six albums for HMV. [5] [6]
Devi is a recipient of the Royal Robe from Maharaja Okendrajit Singh and a gold medal from the Government of Manipur. [5] [6] Manipur State Kala Akademi awarded her their annual award in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi followed suit with an award in 1980. [5] [6] Manipur Sahitya Parishad conferred the title, Nritya Ratna on her in 1981. [5] [6] The Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Government of India awarded Senior Fellowship to her in 1987 and she received a Certificate of Honour from the Government of Manipur in 1991. [5] [6] The Government of India honoured her with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 2003. [1] [2] [6] She was also shortlisted for Padma Bhushan in 2011 though unsuccessfully. [7]
Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi is married to Kshetrimayum Nawang Singh and the couple lives in the Manipuri capital of Imphal. [5] [6]
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Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh was an Indian writer, lexicographer and historian, known as the author of Manipuri to Manipuri and English, the first modern general dictionary in Meitei language, which was published in 1964. He was a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987.
Kongbrailatpam Ibomcha Sharma, popularly known as Abhiram Shaba, is an Indian singer and performer from Manipur, who is known for Sankirtan singing of Raseshwari Pala, a part of the traditional Manipuri dance. His role as Abhiram Shaba in the Manipuri show, Goura Lilas is reported to have earned him the nickname. He is a former Guru at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy and a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1981. He was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of the Padma Shri by the Government of India, in 1998.
Rajkumar Jhalajit Singh was an Indian writer, historian, Gandhian and academic. He was known for his book, "A Short History of Manipur", which was banned from publishing or selling by his own family members, because the book misleads the readers that the Manipuris are the descendants of Arjuna of the Mahabharata.
Sougaijam Thanil Singh is an Indian classical dancer, known for his proficiency in the classical dance forms of Manipuri and Nata Sankirtana. Born to S. Ksher Singh, a Manipuri dancer, in the Northeast Indian state of Manipur, he received his early training from his father as well as Guru Tombi Sharma, Guru Bhaigchandra Singh and Guru Koireng Singh. Later, he studied Manipuri dance and Nata Sankirtana, under Maisnam Amubi Singh, renowned dancer and Padma Shri awardee, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal, securing a diploma and a post graduate diploma, respectively, in the disciplines.
Yumlembam Gambhini Devi is an Indian singer of Nata Sankirtana and dancer of Manipuri Raas. She is a member of faculty at Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA) and a recipient of the 1988 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2005, for her contributions to Manipuri dance and music.
Thingbaijam Babu Singh was an Indian classical dancer, academic and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Manipuri. He was the Pradhan Guru of Pung and Raas traditions of Manipuri dance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Born on 8 February 1936 at Lairensajik, a small village in the state of Manipur, he was known to have been one of the notable choreographers and teachers of Manipuri dance and had a long line of renowned performers such as Elam Endira Devi, Ibemubi Devi, and Priti Patel, as his students. Singh was the author of a book, Meitei Punglon Raga Ahouba, and was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 1990. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for his contributions to Manipuri dance.
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Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi was a writer from the Northeastern Indian state of Manipur. She wrote in Meiteilon under the mononym Binodini. She was best known for her 1976 historical novel Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi, which won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979. Its English translation, ThePrincess and the Political Agent, was published as a Penguin Modern Classic in 2020 by Penguin Random House India.
Lamja Parshuram is a 1974 Indian Meitei language film directed by Aribam Syam Sharma and produced by G. Narayan Sharma for N.S. Films. The script was written by Elangbam Dinamani Singh and story by G.C. Tongbra. The movie features Kangabam Tomba in the title role, and Wahengbam Bedamani as the lead female protagonist. It was released on 24 April 1974 at Pratap Talkies, Paona Bazar. The film ran for more than 100 days and became the first Manipuri hit feature film.
Lourembam Bino Devi is a practitioner and a popularizer of the appliqué art of Manipur called Leeba in the Meitei language. The Leeba art is used in creating Monmai which is a decorative circular appliqué art piece used in covering both ends of the traditional Manipuri bolster pillow. In the olden days, Leeba was practiced at "Phiribi Loishang", which is a house for maintaining clothes worn by the deities and royals. The apparels used by the royals, including shoes, were mostly designed using the Leeba technique. Bino Devi has devoted her life to practice this art form and to revive it by trying to transmit her skills to younger generation of interested women. She has been providing this training in collaboration with the Heritage Foundation of Mankind, a Non-Governmental Organization located in Imphal. She has also conducted several workshops at Imphal and at various other places in India.
