Manipur is home to a population playing many different sports.
Outdoor sports include Mukna, Mukna Kangjei (or Khong kangjei), Sagol Kangjei (Polo), Yubi lakpi (Coconut Rugby), Oo-Laobi, Hiyang Tannaba (Boat Rowing Race), and Arambai Hunba.
Mukna is a popular form of wrestling. [1] [2] It has rules agreed by all Mukna organisations and with Royal Consent. Traditionally the game is controlled and organised by Pana Loisang of the Ruler of the state and village organisations. There are four, Panas-Ahallup, Naharup, Khabam and Laipham, who control all fixtures and times for the games and the State Meet in which the Final is attended by the ruler, who presents the title of Jatra (Champion) for the year along with a reward of Thum Nama (A full bag of salt), and Ngabong Phi (hand made cloth of cotton yarn), exemption of all state duties and Ningham Samjin dress (traditional). The game has two categories (1) Takhatnabi (League), (2) Naitom (Knockout).
Mukna Kangjei is a game which combines the arts of mukna (wrestling hockey) and Kangjei (Cane Stick) to play the ball made of seasoned bamboo roots. [3] The origin of the game dates to Aniconic worship. People celebrate Lai Haraoba (festival to please traditional deities) and include this item to mark the end of the festival. It was believed that Khagemba Ningthou (King, 1597–1652) patronised this game. In later generations, the game is organised in the villages. Presently, associations are formed in Panas with rules and regulations of Mukna Kangjei.
According to Chaitharol-Kumbaba, a Royal Chronicle of Manipur King Kangba who ruled Manipur much earlier than Nongda Lairen Pakhangba (33 AD) introduced Polo. It was played regularly by 17th century during the reign of King Khagemba under newly framed rules of the game. During the time of the late Sir Chandrakirti Singh, K.C.S.I Maharaja of Manipur introduced regular game at Mapal Kangjeibung (now near Tikendrajit Park) on the ground of Sana-Lamjei (60 by 160 yards (55 by 146 m) width in dimension) being one Lamjei equal to 6 ft (1.8 m).[ citation needed ] The game can be played in smaller ground also if occasion demands.
Captain Robert Stewart and Lieutenant Joseph Sherer of British colonial era watched locals play this rules-based pulu or sagolkangjei (literally, horse and stick) game in 1859, rules they spread as Polo, first to Calcutta and then in England. Joseph Ford Sherer is now celebrated as the Father of English Polo, and Manipur as part of Polo legend. [4] [5] Polo spread rapidly, and by 1900 was part of Summer Olympics.
Manipur has produced notable players such as Jubaraj Bir Tikendraji (Senapati of Manipur Army) as legendary player described by Mrs. Grimwood (1887–90).
Yubi lakpi is a traditional full contact game played in Manipur, India, using a coconut, which has some notable similarities to rugby. [1] Yubi lakpi literally means "coconut snatching". The coconut is greased to make it slippery. There are rules of the game, as with all Manipur sports. It is played on the lush green turf. Each side has 7 players in a field with about 45x18 meters in area. [6] The goal post is 4.5x3 meters box in the central portion of the goal line. The coconut serves the purpose of a ball and is offered to the king, the chief guest or the judges before the game begins. The aim is to run while carrying the greased coconut and physically cross over the goal line, while the other team tackles and blocks any such attempt as well as tries to grab the coconut and score on its own. In Manipur's long history, Yubi lakpi was the annual official game, attended by the king, over the Hindu festival of Shree Govindajee. [7] It is like the game of rugby, [8] or American football.
Oolaobi (Woo-Laobi) is an outdoor game mainly played by females. [1] Meitei mythology believes that UmangLai Heloi-Taret (seven deities–seven fairies) played this game on the Courtyard of the temple of Umang Lai Lairembi. The number of participants is not fixed but are divided into two groups (size as per agreement). Players are divided as into Attackers (Raiders) or Defenders (Avoiders).
The Raiders say "oo" without stopping as long as they can continue and try to touch the Avoiders. If a Raider touches an Avoider while saying "oo", the Avoider is out. This process goes on till all Avoiders are out or surrender. If a raider fails to say "oo" or is out of breath, the Raider is out. Points are counted on the elimination of Raiders/Defenders.
If Raiders are tired they declare for change and a time limit is decided on. The principles of Oolaobi are very similar to Kabaddi in India. The ground (court) is not marked; normally the open space in the premises of the house or temple is used for the game. Oolaobi, sometimes spelled Woolaobi, is very popular with girls and a source of talent in Kabaddi.
Hiyang tannaba (Hiyangba Tanaba) is a traditional boat rowing race [1] and festivity of the Panas. This is held during the month of November. This was introduced during the time of Ningthourel Khunjaoba, the second son of King Khagemba, who dug the Kangla Moat around the Palace to make it impregnable in the year of 1660 after he ascended the throne in 1652. In the traditional function two boats "Tanahi" (Race Boat) are detailed for leaders known as "Tengmai Lappa". In each boat forty Hiroys (Boatsman) operate the boat. The boat which reaches the finishing line is the winner and all boatsman raise their (Now) oars high in the air as a sign of reaching the finishing line first and thus the winner of the race is declared. The leader pays his respect to the deity and the King of Manipur.
People of Manipur are very fond of riding horses specially those who are in the village near the breeding areas. Since the ponies are easily available, the young boys get the chance of riding ponies without saddle on horse back. Sometimes they ride horse using a rope in place of regular bridle throwing branches of small trees in place of Arambai. This practice helped the Manipur Arambai force as a martial art which was very much required during the advance and withdrawal of forces. This art was very popular as an indigenous game of the youth of Manipur. This game is displayed even now, during the festival "Kwak Jatra" after Durga Puja.
Some outdoor games formerly played by children are nearly extinct. These include Khutlokpi, Phibul Thomba, and Chaphu Thugaibi They are played especially during the Khmer New Year. [9]
Kang is played by both male and female Meities of Manipur. [1] Manipuris believe Kang is a game played by deity Panthoibi. It is also believed that Manipuris began to play this game well before Vaishnavism came to Manipur. It is played under a shed of building on an earth ground (court) smoothly levelled to suit the course of the 'Kang' the target on the court. It is well marked for the respective positions of the players of both to hit the target on the court. It has rules and regulations formed by the associations to suit the occasions of the games either for competitive tournaments or friendly entertainment. The dignitaries of the Palace, even Queen and King also participated on social functions. In olden days 'Kang' was played during summer, starting from Cheiraoba (Manipur New Year) to Kang Chingba. Presently the game is played in several tournaments throughout the year, organised by the Associations. Rules and regulations have been modified to suit the improved process of the game.
Baseball was played in Manipur as early as World War II when the US Army Air Force flew supplies to China over the Himalayas, known as "Flying the Hump", and the locals learned the game from the troops stationed there. [10] The 2013 film The Only Real Game shows how baseball has grown in Manipur since then because it helps local people cope with stagnation and insurgency in their society. [11]
Polo or Chovgan is a ball game that is played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. It originated in ancient Persia, dating back over 2,000 years. Initially played by Persian nobility as a training exercise for cavalry units, polo eventually spread to other parts of the world. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ball through the opposing team's goal. Each team has four mounted riders, and the game usually lasts one to two hours, divided into periods called chukkas or chukkers.
Manipur is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language. Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.
Yubi lakpi is a seven-a-side traditional football game played in Manipur, India, using a coconut, which has some notable similarities to rugby. Despite these similarities, the name is not related to the game of rugby or Rugby School in England, it is in fact of Meitei-Pangal origin, and means literally "coconut snatching". Emma Levine, an English writer on little known Asian sports, speculates:
India is the birthplace of modern polo. The modern game of polo is derived from Manipur, where the game was known as sagol kangjei, kanjai-bazee, or pulu. It was the anglicised form of the last, referring to the wooden ball that was used, which was adopted by the sport in its slow spread to the west.
Khong kangjei, also known as foot hockey, Manipuri hockey or hockey on foot, is a sport similar to field hockey primarily of the state of Manipur in India. It is a game which requires stamina, speed, and agility, and is one of the most popular games in Manipur. It is one of the indigenous sports of Manipur, others being sagol kanjei and kang, each of which reflects the martial tradition of Manipur, and with mukna captures an ethical code important to the culture of Manipur.
Hiyangthang is a town in Indian state of Manipur. It is best known for the Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple, a Meitei shrine dedicated to ancient Meitei goddess Irai Leima. It is located in Imphal West district.
Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak (TRC) is one of the two traditional religions followed by the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland states in North Eastern India. It is a polytheistic religion based on the fundamental belief of Tingkao Ragwang, the supreme god or almighty and other smaller brotherly gods.
The Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple is an ancient temple of Goddess Hiyangthang Lairembi of Meitei religion (Sanamahism). The sacred building is situated on the hilltop of Heibok Ching in the Hiyangthang, Manipur. Thousands of devotees thronged at the holy site during the festival time of Lai Haraoba of Sanamahism as well as Durga Puja of Hinduism.
Irai Leima is a goddess in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. She is the goddess and the divine female personification of water and aquatic life. She is the consort of Irai Ningthou. Both are regarded as the divine spirits of water bodies. She is also considered to be in charge of diseases.
Nongpok Ningthou, also known as the Sovereign of the East or King of the East, is a deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling guardian deity of the eastern direction. Legend says Nongpok Ningthou and his consort Panthoibi were united in the Nongmaiching Ching mountains. Later, they were worshipped as the civilization giving deities in Meitei religion.
The Manipur State Museum is an institution displaying a collection of artistic, cultural, historical and scientific artefacts and relics in Imphal, Manipur, India. It has galleries housing materials of natural history, ethnology and archeology.
Khoriphaba is a God in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the son of Sky God Salailen and the Goddess Konthoujam Tampha Lairembi. He came down from heaven to earth to search for his mother and then for a bride. He is best known for wrestling with Loyalakpa in the Lai Haraoba festival. He is also a Sagol Kangjei(polo)-playing God.
Dragons play a significant role in the legendary accounts of Meitei folklore, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology and Meitei religion (Sanamahism) of Ancient Kangleipak, Medieval Kangleipak and Modern Kangleipak.
Marjing is the God of horses, polo, hockey, sports and war in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. 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.
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 .
The ancient legend of Ura Naha Khongjomba and Pidonnu is an epic cycle of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore from the Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak. It concerns the love and adventures of the forgotten prince Ura Naha Khongjomba for the beautiful woman Pidonnu.
The Marjing Polo Statue is a colossal classical equestrian statue of a player of Sagol Kangjei, riding a Meitei horse, 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 . It is the world's tallest statue of a polo player. It is built to commemorate the game of "modern polo" being originated from Kangleipak.
The culture of Meitei civilization evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Ancient Kangleipak, continuing most notably into Medieval Kangleipak, while influencing the neighboring states and kingdoms, till present times.
Ningthou Kangba was a ruler of Ancient Kangleipak. He is traditionally seen as having invented Sagol Kangjei, the earliest form of the modern day polo sports. He was the son of King Tangja Leela Pakhangba (1445 BC-1405 BC) and Queen Sinbee Leima. He was the consort of Queen Leima Taritnu, daughter of a king named Nongpok Ningthou of the Nongmaiching Hill in the east of Imphal.
Sagol Kangjei is a traditional Meitei ball sport played on horseback with a long-handled stick. The sport, also known as Manipuri polo, is a predecessor of modern international polo.
