Marjing Sagol Kangjei Mitam [1] | |
![]() Marjing Polo Statue, the world's tallest statue of a polo player, during the G20 summit, commemorating Meitei civilization, as the Cradle of "modern polo" [2] | |
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24°52′46″N93°57′15″E / 24.87937°N 93.95405°E | |
Location | Marjing Polo Complex, Heingang Ching (Marjing hills), Heingang, Imphal East District, Manipur |
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Designer | Professor Somnath Ghose of Jadavpur University [3] [4] |
Type | equestrian statue |
Material | steel (inner material) and bronze (outer material) [3] [4] |
Height | 122 feet (37 m) [lower-alpha 1] [5] [6] (previously planned on "160 feet (49 m)" [7] [8] ) |
Beginning date | April 2016 [8] |
Completion date | November 2022 [9] |
Opening date | 6 January 2023 |
Dedicated to | Marjing, Sagol Kangjei and Meitei horse (Manipuri pony) |
Inaugurated by | Amit Shah [5] |
The Marjing Polo Statue (Meitei : Marjing Sagol Kangjei Mitam) is a colossal classical equestrian statue of a player of Sagol Kangjei ( Meitei for ' polo game'), riding a Meitei horse (Manipuri pony), constructed at the Marjing Polo Complex, the sacred sports site dedicated to God Marjing, the ancient Meitei deity of polo and horses, in Heingang, Imphal East District, Kangleipak ( Meitei for ' Manipur '). [10] [4] It is the world's tallest statue of a polo player. [11] [12] [4] It is built to commemorate the game of "modern polo" being originated from Kangleipak ( Meitei for ' Manipur '). [13] [14] [9]
The Marjing Polo Statue is 122 feet (37 m) tall. [15] [6] The cost of construction of the statue is ₹39 crore (US$4.9 million). [5] [16]
The gigantic polo statue stands above a pedestal of a three-storey building, with recreational facilities. [14]
The statue's inner structure is made of steel and its outer surface is covered by bronze. Its design is prepared by Professor Somnath Ghose of Jadavpur University. [3] [4]
Previously, during January-April 2016, the Government of Manipur planned to build the statue with a height of 160 feet (49 m) at the construction cost of ₹12 crore (equivalent to ₹17 croreorUS$2.2 million in 2023). [17] [8]
Prior to the construction of the statue, a roadway was made up to the base of the place where the statue was to be built, for which permission was granted to the construction team by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. [3] [4]
On 6 January 2023, the Marjing Polo Statue was inaugurated by Amit Shah, the then Minister of Home Affairs of the Union Government of India, [15] [6] [18] in the presence of Nongthombam Biren, the then Chief Minister of Manipur, [19] at a function organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur. [20]
Regarding the inauguration, Amit Shah stated:
"It is believed that Sagol Kangjei, the modern-day Polo game originated in Manipur. Today, inaugurated a 122 feet Marjing polo statue at the Marjing Polo Complex in Imphal. This will surely take the legacy forward and inspire more youngsters toward the game."
Nongthombam Biren, the Chief Minister of Manipur, said that the 122 feet tall Marjing polo statue will "highlight the significance of the birthplace of Polo and revive the glory of Manipur". [18] [19] He also stressed the significance of the statue, being the tallest and the biggest polo statue, inaugurated in recognition of Sagol Kangjei, Sagol Lanmi ( Meitei for 'cavalry'), Arambai, etc. [20]
An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin eques, meaning 'knight', deriving from equus, meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a difficult and expensive object for any culture to produce, and figures have typically been portraits of rulers or, in the Renaissance and more recently, military commanders.
The Manipuri Pony is a traditional Indian breed of small horse or pony from Assam and Manipur in north-eastern India. It appears both in the history and the mythology of Manipur, and was used for warfare and polo. It is believed to have been the polo pony in use in Assam in the mid-nineteenth century when British tea planters first saw polo being played, and the height limits set for polo ponies were based on ponies of this breed. It was very numerous in the early twentieth century, but numbers have since fallen. A breed society was established in 1977, and a breed standard was drawn up by the Indigenous Horse Society of India in 2009.
Nongthombam Biren Singh is an Indian politician, former footballer and journalist who is currently serving as the 12th Chief Minister of Manipur since 2017 representing Heingang Assembly constituency in the Manipur Legislative Assembly since 2002 as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Besides being the chairman of Shri Shri Govindaji Temple Board, he is the first incumbent Chief Minister who serves as the president of the Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board (LSTB), the temple development board of Lainingthou Sanamahi of the Sanamahi religion since 2021.
Manipuri Pony is a 2013 non-feature Indian Meitei language film scripted by Aribam Gautam and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. It is produced by Films Division of India. The film won the National Film Award for Best Exploration / Adventure Film at the 60th National Film Awards. The movie was also selected in the Indian Panorama of the 44th International Film Festival of India 2013 and the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2014.
Daughters of the Polo God is a 2018 Indian Meitei-English bilingual documentary film directed by Roopa Baruah and edited by Hemanti Sarkar. It is based on the story of girls and horses empowering each other. It is about saving the endangered Meitei horse and empowering women in the sport of polo simultaneously.
Marjing is the God of horses, polo, hockey, sports and war in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak. The guardianship of the north eastern direction is alluded to Marjing and the other directions to Koupalu, Thangching and Wangpulen. According to the legend, he invented the game of polo and introduced it as the national game. He and his divine creature, Samadon Ayangba, reside in the top of the Heingang Ching.
Meitei Language Day, formally known as Manipuri Language Day, is an International Day observed annually on 20 August. It is a commemoration of the day on which Meitei language was included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India and made one of the languages with official status in India on 20 August 1992.
The social movement of Meitei language to achieve the officially recognised status of the "Classical language of India" is advocated by various literary, political, social associations and organisations as well as notable individual personalities of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Northeast India.
The Manung Kangjeibung is an old polo field located to the south west of the citadel inside the Kangla Fort in Imphal West district of Manipur. In ancient times, only royalties and nobilities were allowed to play the game of polo in this royal playground. It is one of the two most ancient pologrounds in the world, the other one being the Mapal Kangjeibung .
Events in the year 2022 in Manipur
The Kangla Nongpok Thong, shortly known as the Nongpok Thong, is the Eastern Gate Bridge of the Kangla Fort of Imphal, Kangleipak . With the re-opening of the modern Eastern Gate of the Kangla, the Kangla Western Gate was closed forever, under the leadership of Nongthombam Biren, the then Chief Minister of Manipur, due to the traditional Meitei belief that the western gate is regarded as the gate of the dead and it is ominous to enter the Kangla through the western doorway.
The Marjing Polo Complex is a sports complex dedicated to ancient Meitei deity Marjing, Sagol Kangjei and Meitei horse, built in the hilltop of the Heingang Ching, the sacred abode of God Marjing, located in Heingang, Imphal East district, Kangleipak . It houses Marjing Polo Statue, the world's tallest equestrian statue of a polo player.
The Heingang Ching ), also known as the Meitei: Marjing Hill, is a hill in Heingang, Imphal East district of Kangleipak. In Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism), Heingang Ching is a sacred mountain and the home of God Marjing, the ancient Meitei deity of Sagol Kangjei, Khong Kangjei, and Meitei horse.
The Nongmaiching Ching, also known as the Selloi Langmai Ching, is a mountain in Imphal Valley, Manipur. It has an altitude of around 5,133 feet (1,565 m). It is a holy pilgrimage site for the Meitei people. In Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism), it is a sacred mountain and the abode of God Nongpok Ningthou and Goddess Panthoibi. In Meitei folklore, the Nongmaiching is described as the hill that produces "the seven days of a week".
The Meitei: Lainingthou Sanamahi Kiyong, lit. 'Lainingthou Sanamahi Shrine'), officially known as the Meitei: Laiyingthou Sanamahi Kiyong, lit. 'Laiyingthou Sanamahi Shrine'), is a temple of God Lainingthou Sanamahi of Meitei religion (Sanamahism), built on the Nongmaiching mountain in the Imphal East district of Kangleipak. It is a center of the Sanamahism followers in Manipur. It is the central body of the "Sanamahi Lainingkol" at Chingoi Maru Langmaiching (Nongmaiching).
The Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board (LSTB) is a temple development board of the Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple, Haying Khongban Uphong Yumpham, Imphal West district of Kangleipak (Meitei for 'Manipur'). It is dedicated not only to God Lainingthou Sanamahi and Goddess Leimarel Sidabi of Sanamahism, but also to the other ancient Meitei gods and goddesses of the traditional Meitei religion.
The Lainingthou Sanna Mahee Sanna Pung, Kangleipak, also known as the Lainingthou Sanamahi Sanapung (LSSP), is a non-governmental organization of the followers of the Sanamahism, dedicated to God Lainingthou Sanamahi and other ancient Meitei deities of Kangleipak.
Many Chings play significant role in different elements of Meitei culture, including but not limited to Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology and Meitei religion (Sanamahism) of Kangleipak.
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: CS1 maint: others (link)Shri Amit Shah inaugurated Medical College of worth Rs. 46 Crore at Churachandpur and unveils 122 feet tall Marjing polo statue of worth Rs. 39 crore
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