Formation | 2016 |
---|---|
Type | Beauty pageant |
Headquarters | Imphal |
Location | |
Official language | Meitei (Manipuri) |
Key people | Leishemba Sanajaoba, Ishorjit Chandam (organizers), Tampak Puba (publicity secretary) [1] |
Parent organization | Lainingthou Sanamahi Sana Pung (LSSP) |
Miss Meetei Chanu or Miss Meitei Chanu is an international annual beauty pageant that is run by the Manipur based Lainingthou Sanamahi Sana Pung (LSSP). The event aims to make Meitei women understand the culture and tradition of Sanamahism (Meitei religion). It is one of the most watched beauty pageants in North East India. It co-exists with Miss Manipur, Femina Miss India Manipur and Miss Kangleipak. [1] [2] [3]
The Miss Meetei Chanu beauty pageant was first held in 2016. It was organised by the Lainingthou Sanamahi Sana Pung (LSSP), a socio-religious group, based in Manipur, India. The event is organised under the guidance of Leishemba Sanajaoba (Meitei : ꯂꯩꯁꯦꯝꯕ ꯁꯅꯥꯖꯥꯎꯕ ), His Highness, the present titular king of Manipur. Besides being a beauty pageant, the event also includes cultural activities like cooking dishes, cleaning courtyards and serving elders in traditional ways. [1]
"Our objective of the event is to preserve the age of traditions of the Meiteis and to make the younger generations aware of the culture and way of life so the earth preserved.The pageant is not to select only the beautiful girl, but to make them aware of the Meitei way of life, culture, tradition and religion and select the one who can present best the Meitei tradition as Meitei Chanu."
— Tampak Puba, general publicity secretary, organising committee [1]
Many elements of the Meitei culture are included in the contest. The contestants are to prepare indigenous dishes in traditional way. The cooking utensils are earthen ones, following the old practices. Other than this, cleaning of courtyard and service to the old people are also the parts of the event. [1]
"Our aim is to make Meitei girls and married women aware of our forefathers' religious way, culture and tradition."
— Ishorjit Chandam, organizer [1]
Besides the overall top 3 awards, the following are the special awards.
Special awards | Latin-Roman transliterations | English translation/equivalent terms |
---|---|---|
ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯤꯕꯤ ꯁꯝꯂꯥꯡ | Ningthibi Samlang | Best hair [4] |
ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯤꯕꯤ ꯃꯤꯅꯣꯛ | Ningthibi Minok | Best smile [4] |
ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯤꯕꯤ ꯈꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ | Ningthibi Khongthang | Best walk [4] |
ꯊꯧꯒꯟꯂꯣꯟ ꯆꯪꯈꯣꯟꯕꯤ/ꯊꯧꯒꯜ ꯂꯣꯟꯆꯠ ꯐꯖꯕꯤ | Thouganlon Changkhonbi/Thougal Lonchat Phajabi | Best manners [2] [4] |
ꯃꯃꯤꯗ ꯃꯁꯛ ꯐꯖꯕꯤ | Mami Da Masak Phajabi | Miss Photogenic [2] |
ꯍꯦꯟꯗꯣꯛꯅ ꯃꯇꯤꯛ ꯃꯌꯥꯢ ꯆꯦꯟꯕꯤ | Hendokna Matik Mayai Chenbi | Miss Outstanding Quality [2] |
The contest has both non-costume based as well as costume based events. Generally, the costume based events are performed later.
The non-costume based events include the following rounds.
Event names | Latin-Roman transliterations | English translation/description |
---|---|---|
ꯅꯥꯆꯣꯝ ꯁꯦꯝꯕ | Nachom Semba | making flower bunch to wear [2] |
ꯆꯦꯡ ꯈꯩꯕ-ꯈꯞꯄ | Cheng Kheiba-Khappa | husking paddy [2] |
ꯁꯨꯃꯥꯡ ꯋꯥꯢ ꯇꯩꯕ | Shumang Wai Teiba | courtyard mop contest [3] [5] |
ꯐꯨ ꯍꯧꯕ/ꯃꯊꯦꯜ ꯂꯨꯀꯣꯢ ꯊꯣꯡꯕ | Phu Houba/Mathel Lukoi Thongba | traditional kitchen service [2] [3] [6] [7] |
ꯂꯥꯢꯐꯝꯗ ꯎ ꯊꯥꯕ | Laiphamda oo thaaba | visiting Meetei places of worship for tree plantation [2] |
The costume based events include three rounds.
Event names | Latin-Roman transliterations | English translation/equivalent terms | Description |
---|---|---|---|
ꯑꯌꯨꯛꯀꯤ ꯌꯦꯟꯗꯥ | Ayukki Yenda | Introductory Round | Contest for daily costumes of Meetei women worn at the dawn during the morning activities like praying to the God. [4] |
ꯂꯥꯢ ꯍꯔꯥꯎꯕ | Lai Haraoba traditional round | Lai Haraoba traditional round | Contest for costumes of Meetei women worn during Lai Haraoba. [4] |
ꯑꯀꯦ-ꯑꯃꯧ | Ake-Amou round | Last round | Contest for costumes of Meetei women worn during socio-cultural ceremonies. [4] |
In 2019, one delegate from Bangladesh and one from Assam participated in the 4th Miss Meetei Chanu beauty pageant in Manipur. [8] [9]
Leiphrakpam Suchona Chanu (Meitei : ꯂꯩꯐ꯭ꯔꯥꯛꯄꯝ ꯁꯨꯆꯣꯅꯥ ꯆꯅꯨ) from Bangladesh auditioned for the pageant, along with 50 aspirants. [8] [9] L Suchona hails from a family of social and cultural activist parents, L Ibungohal Shyamal and L (O) Kunjarani Leima. Native to Bhanughas Tetai Gaon, Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh, she is an undergraduate student at Leading University, Sylhet, Bangladesh. [8] [9] In her maiden visit to Manipur, L Suchona was taking part in the beauty pageant remembering the love for her roots of culture. Along with her, her father is promoting Meitei culture in the sovereign nation of Bangladesh. [8] [9] She said to the public, regarding her participation in the event as follows:
“Participating in the pageant and my stay in Manipur will provide me new insights into the tradition and culture of Meeteis. There are so many things to learn. I am extremely happy to be here.”
“Winning or losing doesn't matter. All I want is to learn about my culture (Meetei), tradition.” [8] [9]
Notably, she won the main title of the pageant, making herself the first Bangladeshi to win the title from India. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Longjam Rabina Chanu (Meitei : ꯂꯣꯡꯖꯝ ꯔꯕꯤꯅꯥ ꯆꯅꯨ), from Bhatigram, Jaribon, Assam, participated the pageant in 2019. She is daughter of Rajkumar and Muhini Leima. She is pursuing BCom at Cachar College. She thanked the organiser Lainingthou Sanna Mahee Sanna Pung, Kangleipak (LSSP) for giving her the opportunity to represent as a Manipuri woman in the pageant. She expressed her gratitude for having an "an opportunity to learn new things". [8] [9]
Edition | Meitei year (as bestowed during the contest) | Country | Titleholders | Venue of Competition | Number of Entrants |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 3417 | Bangladesh | Leiphrakpam Suchona Chanu (Meitei : ꯂꯩꯐ꯭ꯔꯥꯛꯄꯝ ꯁꯨꯆꯣꯅꯥ ꯆꯅꯨ) | Imphal | 30 [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] |
2018 | 3416 | India | Oinam Merina Chanu (Meitei : ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥꯝ ꯃꯦꯔꯤꯅꯥ ꯆꯅꯨ) | Imphal | [2] |
2017 | 3415 | India | Laishram Shilla Chanu (Meitei : ꯂꯥꯏꯁ꯭ꯔꯝ ꯁꯤꯜꯂꯥ ꯆꯅꯨ) | Imphal | 35 [4] [16] [17] |
Meitei, also known as Manipuri, is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and one of the official languages of Assam. It is one of the constitutionally scheduled official languages of the Indian Republic. Meitei is the most widely-spoken Tibeto-Burman language of India and third most widely spoken language of northeast India after Assamese and Bengali. There are 1.76 million Meitei native speakers in India according to the 2011 census. Most of these, or 1.52 million, are found in the state of Manipur, where they represent majority of its population. There are smaller communities in neighbouring Indian states, such as Assam (168,000), Tripura (24,000), Nagaland (9,500), and elsewhere in the country (37,500). The language is also spoken by smaller groups in neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The Meitei people, Meetei, Manipuri people is an ethnic group native to Manipur. They form the largest and dominant ethnic group of Manipur in Northeast India. They speak the Meitei language, one of the 22 official languages of the Indian Republic and the sole official language of Government of Manipur. The Meiteis primarily settled in the Imphal Valley region in modern-day Manipur, though a sizeable population has settled in the other Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. There is also a notable presence of Meitei people in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Meitei ethnic group represents about 53% of Manipur's population.
Sanamahism, also known as Meiteism, or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of the Meitei faith. Sanamahi is the eldest son of the supreme god Sidaba Mapu and the supreme goddess Leimarel Sidabi. Traditionally every Meitei household, irrespective of the religion, worships Sanamahi and Leimarel Sidabi. Sanamahism does not have a religious head but has a body, the Maru Loishang, that oversees the main religious activities and governs all affairs of the religion, including the conduct of priest and priestess. The Maru Loishang also acts a court for religious disputes. There are three main departments under the Manu Loishang, namely, the Amaiba Loishang, the Pena Asheiba Loishang, and the Amaibi Loishang. These departments have existed since the reign of King Meidingu Hongnemyoi Khunjao Naothingkhong of Manipur in 662 AD. Sanamahi is the eldest son of the supreme god Sidaba Mapu and the supreme goddess Leimarel Sidabi.
Yumnak is a family name (Sagei) In the Meetei society, and they speak Meetei Language. The name Yamunak as Pronounced "yoom-naak". Ethnic yumnaks are used in the Meetei /Meitei community including the Meitei Pangal and Meitei Bamon.
The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad is a literary council dedicated to the active promotion and the development of literary works in the Meitei language in India. in national as well as international levels. It has its branches in the Manupur cities of Imphal, Jiribam, Bishnupur and Thoubal inside Manipur and in Tripura and Meghalaya in Assam.
Nongshaba is a lion god in Sanamahism and Meitei mythology. He is also regarded as a king of the gods. He is credited with producing light in the primordial universe and is regarded as the maker of the sun. He is worshipped by the people of both the Ningthouja clans as well as the Moirang clans. Nongshaba was worshipped by the people of Moirang clan as a lineage deity and regarded as the father of the god Thangching. He is the greatest of the Umang Lais but he made his only son Thangching the chief deity of Moirang.
Mount Koubru (Meeteilol:ꯀꯧꯕ꯭ꯔꯨ) also known as Mount Koupalu is one of the highest mountains in Manipur, India and the abode of the god Lainingthou Koubru and the goddess Kounu in Manipuri mythology. Saparmeina town lies below the peak. It is located in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur and is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Manipur.
Manipuri Language Day, is an annual celebration of the Manipuri (Meitei) language in India and Bangladesh 20 August. It is a of the day on which Manipuri was added to the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, making it one of the official languages of India on 20 August 1992.
Directorate of Language Planning and Implementation (DLPI) is a directorate of the Government of Manipur in charge of the language planning and the implementation of language policy.
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 social movement of Meitei language to be included as an associate official language of the Government of Assam is advocated by several literary, political, social associations and organisations as well as notable individual personalities of Northeast India.
Events in the year 2022 in Manipur
The Lainingthou Sanamahi Kiyong, officially known as the Laiyingthou Sanamahi Kiyong, 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 International Sanamahism Students' Association (ISSA) (Meitei: Malem Sanamahi Laining Maheiroi Lup), also called the International Sanamahism Students' Association, Kangleipak (Meitei: Malem Sanamahi Laining Maheiroi Lup, Kangleipak), is an international non-governmental organization of students of Sanamahism (traditional Meitei religion). It gives its services to the conservation and the upraising of the practices of Sanamahism in the society. It also draws the attention to the government of Manipur state to take up essential steps to protect Sanamahism from getting extinct.
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.
The South East Asia Cultural Organisation (SEACO) is an international cultural organization that works for the development of the Meitei culture of Kangleipak (Meitei for 'Manipur'). It aims to preserve the unique history, culture, identity, and religion of Manipur. It also advocates to take "extra caution about the issue of preservation of the cultural identity of the Indigenous people in the wake of the present globalization".
Meitei festivals are an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Meitei people, an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Manipur. The festivals often celebrate events from Ancient Manipur and often coinciding with seasonal changes. These festivals reflect the unique customs and traditions of the Meitei community, and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal. There are various festivals celebrated throughout the year, each with its own significance and rituals.
Manipuri poetry day, also known as Meitei Poetry Day, is an annual literary event organised to promote Meitei language (Manipuri) poetry. It takes place Manipur as well as in other Meitei-speaking areas, and aims to promote Manipuri literature to the world. It honours the contributions of the Meitei poets as well as the diverse and distinctive literary traditions of Manipur.
Women have significant roles in different elements of Meitei culture, including Meitei dances, Meitei festivals, Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology, Meitei religion, etc.
Meitei language , officially and formally known as Manipuri language , is one of the official languages of the state government of Assam. It serves as the additional official language in all the three districts of the Barak Valley as well as in the Hojai district of Assam.