Muktamani Devi | |
---|---|
Born | Manipur |
Occupation | Innovator and entrepreneur |
Known for | Mukta Shoes Industry |
Awards | Padma Shri award in 2022 |
Muktamani Devi (born in December 1958), also known as Moirangthem Muktamani Devi, is an innovator and entrepreneur from the Indian State of Manipur who, from humble beginnings, founded a firm to manufacture hand knitted woolen shoes. The shoes are manufactured in Mukta Shoes Industry, established in 1990 and located in Kakching, Manipur. The firm is registered with the District Industries Center, Thoubal under wool and knitting embroidery section. [1] [2] [3]
She also gives training to people in the craft of making shoes. She has already trained more than 1000 people.
Muktamani Devi, born in December 1958 and hailing from Kakching Moirangthem, Manipur, was raised by her widowed mother. She was married when she was only 17 years old. Muktamani used to work in a paddy field in the day and sell homemade snacks in the evening. She also used to knit carry bags and hair bands at night and would sell them to earn some extra money. [2] Her initiation to the world of entrepreneurship was accidental. It happened in 1989. When her daughter requested a new pair of shoes to replace her old worn-out shoes, unable to raise the money required to buy a new pair of shoes, Muktamani knitted woolen shoes for her daughter. These hand-knitted shoes caught the attention of the class teacher and friends and they demanded to make similar shoes for themselves. Muktamani immediately realized the opportunity and decided to start a small unit for the commercial production of hand-knitted woolen shoes. She founded the Mukta Shoes Industry, and in due course, due to sheer hard work in promoting the products, the products of Mukta Shoes Industry found their way to national and international markets. [2]
Imphal is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace, the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a moat. Spread over parts of the districts of Imphal West and Imphal East, the former contains the majority of the city's area and population. Imphal is part of the Smart Cities Mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Heisnam Kanhailal was an Indian art theatre personality. For his work, he was awarded the Padma Shri civilian award in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan civilian award in 2016 by the Government of India. He was the founder-director of Kalakshetra Manipur, a theatre laboratory established in 1969 that explores a new vocabulary in the existing language of theatre.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter. She won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Women's 49 kg category. Mirabai Chanu has won the World Championships and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to the sport. She was awarded the sporting honour Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna by the Government of India in 2018.
Elam Endira Devi, is an Indian classical dancer and teacher, known for her expertise and scholarship in the classical dance form of Manipuri, especially in the genres of Lai Haraoba and Raas. The Government of India honored her, in 2014, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her services to the field of art and culture.
Khangembam Mangi Singh, popularly known as Guru Pena Mangi, is an Indian musician, known for his expertise on the Manipuri traditional musical instrument Pena. The Government of India honored him in 2011, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
Khumanthem Ningol Nameirakpam Ongbi Ibemni Devi is an Indian singer of traditional music, known for her expertise in the Khongjom Praba genre of Manipuri music. The Government of India honored Ibemni Devi in 2012, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
Haobam Ongbi Ngangbi Devi was an Indian classical dancer and musician, known for her expertise in the Manipuri Dance forms of Lai Haraoba and Raas. In 2010, the Government of India awarded Haobam Ongbi Ngangbi Devi the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Elangbam Nilakanta Singh (1927-2000) was an Indian poet and critic, considered by many as one of the pioneers of modern Meitei literature. A recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1987, Nilakanta Singh was honored by the Government of India, in 2000, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Kshetrimayum Ongbi Thouranisabi Devi is an Indian classical dancer and author, specialising in the Indian classical dance form of Manipuri. She was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Sarungbam Bimola Kumari Devi is an Indian medical doctor and the Chief Medical Officer of Imphal west region in the Indian state of Manipur. She has been serving in the Manipur state medical service since 1979, mostly working in the rural areas and has headed the food safety office during two visits of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, to the state. Kumari, a recipient of the 2014 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar International Award, was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Ralengnao Khathing MC, MBE (1912–1990) popularly known as Bob Khathing, was an Indian soldier, civil servant and diplomat and the first person of tribal origin to serve as an Ambassador for India. The Government of India honoured him in 1957, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his services to the nation.
Moirangthem Kirti Singh is an Indian writer, scholar and educationist from Manipur. Born on 1 February 1943 at Kongba Uchekon near Imphal to M. Borajao Singh, Singh completed his education from Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Imphal and D. M. College, which were under Guwahati University during those days, securing a BA (Honours) and MA in philosophy. Later, he obtained a bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) from LMS Law College, Imphal in 1965, followed by a doctoral degree (PhD) in 1972, making him the first Meitei to be awarded a PhD. He is also the first Meitei to receive a DLitt. He served various colleges in Manipur as a member of faculty and has also been involved in social activism.
Rajkumar Jhalajit Singh was an Indian writer, historian, Gandhian and academic who was best known for his book, A Short History of Manipur.
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.
Neelamani Devi is an Indian craftswoman and master potter from Manipur. Her creations have been the theme of two documentary films; Mittee aur Manab by renowned filmmaker, Mani Kaul, and Nilamani: The Master Potter of Manipur, by Aribam Syam Sharma. The TV Series, Mahabharata also featured her works on one of the episodes. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to the art of pottery making.
Sabitri Heisnam is an Indian stage actor and one of the notable theatre personalities in Manipuri theatre. She has also acted in the critically acclaimed short film, Scribbles on Akka (2000), directed by Madhusree Dutta, which won the IDPA Award, best script award at Shanghai International Film Festival and the National Film Award for Best Anthropological Film. She is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award of 1991. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for her contributions to Manipuri theatre.
Yengkhom Roma is an Indian actress who predominantly appeared in Manipuri films. She is a resident of Imphal, Manipur, where she was born in 1945 to Yengkhom Birendra and Yengkhom Ongbi Mani. Besides acting, she has also directed a documentary film titled Jagoida Katthoklabi Suryamukhi Devi. She also worked as an assistant director in the film Ashangba Nongjabi.
Kshetrimayum Rashi is an Indian actress from Imphal, Manipur, who worked in theatre and Manipuri films. She was introduced into the world of theatre by her mother Rasamani Devi. She is best known for her role in the movie Imagi Ningthem, which also received wide international acclaim. Rashi has featured in over 150 radio plays. She was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Manipur State Film Awards 2020. She is also the recipient of the Sahitya Seva Samiti, Kakching Neta Irawat Leelaroi Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
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-Governmantal Organization located in Imphal. She has also conducted several workshops at Imphal and at various other places in India.