Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 May 1917 |
| Died | 31 January 2011 |
| Resting place | Uripok Ningthoukhongjam Leikai 24°48′20″N93°55′24″E / 24.80556°N 93.92333°E |
| Other names | Pundit Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh |
| Occupation(s) | Writer Lexicographer Historian |
| Known for | Manipuri to Manipuri and English dictionary |
| Children | 5 sons and 5 daughters |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sahitya Akademi Fellowship Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship President's Silver Medal Manipuri Sahitya Parishad Gavesana Bhusan Manipur State Kala Akademi Fellowship |
Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh was an Indian writer, lexicographer and historian, [1] [2] known as the author of Manipuri to Manipuri and English, the first modern general dictionary in Meitei language, which was published in 1964. [3] He was a fellow of the Sahitya Akademi [4] and Sangeet Natak Akademi. [5] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987. [6]
Khelchandra Singh was born on 1 September 1920 at Uripok Ningthoukhongjam Leikai, a small hamlet in Imphal, the capital of the northeast Indian state of Manipur. [2] He did his studies in the traditional way under many teachers such as Dinachandra Singh, Pandit Parasuram, Pandit Madhop, Pandit Chandra and Pandit Deva Singh. His career started at Manipur Secretariat and spent the whole of his career with the Government of Manipur to retire as an under secretary. [2] After superannuation from service, he worked as a visiting faculty at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Centre, Imphal for a brief period. [2] He was associated with several Meitei cultural and historical associations. [1] He served as the president of Manipur Historical Society and Manipur Sahitya Parishad and was the vice president of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal. [1] He was the president of Manipuri Martial Arts Association and Atombapu Research Centre, Manipur and sat on the expert committees of Manipur State Kala Akademi, Department of Arts and Culture and Manipur University. [2] He represented Manipur at several sessions of Indian Historical Records Commission, Purba Bharat Sankritic Sammelan, Kolkata, Indian History Congress, Bombay and Indo-Myanmar Trade and Economic Co-operation Seminar, Mandalay. [2]
Khelchandra Singh died on 31 January 2011, aged 90, at Imphal, succumbing to age related illnesses. [1] He was survived by his five sons and five daughters, his wife preceding him in death. [1]
Khelchandra Singh wrote in Meitei and English and is known to have published over 30 books. [2] Manipuri to Manipuri and English Dictionary, published in 1964, is reported to be the first modern general dictionary in Meitei language. Another book of linguistics he wrote is Manipuri Language-Status and Importance, which was published in 1975. [7] He transliterated Uttarakhand Ramayana and Ashamedha Parba Mahabharat from Old Meitei to modern Meitei. [2] As a historian, he edited eight books, Genealogy of Manipuri Kings, Cheitharol Kumbaba , royal chronicles of Manipur, an anthology of Old Meitei poems, an anthology of Old Meitei prose, a collection of hymns and prayers prevalent in Pre-Vaishnavite Manipur, An account of the hills of Manipur, A treatise on Manuscripts, and Sarit Sarat, a book on the heroic accounts of Manipuri Martial Combats. [2] One of his books, History of Old Manipuri Literature (Ariba Maṇipurī Sahityagī Itihasa), is a text book for post graduate and research studies. [8] Among his books written in English are Battle of Khongjom, (an account of the last battle between Manipur and the British forces) [9] Documents of Anglo-Manipuri War 1891 (three volumes), [10] Thangal General (life history of the renowned Meitei warrior) [11] and Kangla. [12] He also contributed two chapters of the book, Dictionary of National Biography, the biographies of Pandit Raj Atombapu Sharma and Thangal General. [13]
Khelchandra Singh received a service excellence award, the President's Silver Medal, in 1951, for his services during the 1951 Census of India. [2] Manipuri Sahitya Parishad awarded him the Gavesana Bhusan award for his research activities in 1971 and he was elected as a fellow of the Manipur State Kala Akademi in 1980. [2] The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987. [6] Three years later, Sahitya Akademi chose him as their fellow in 1999 [4] and the Sangeet Natak Akademi followed suit with their fellowship in 2006. [5] Manipur Historical Society have instituted an annual lecture, Pandit Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra Singh Memorial Lecture, in honour of Singh. [14]
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India has 22 officially recognised languages. Sahitya Akademi, India's highest literary body, also has 24 recognised literary languages.
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 are one of the Tai peoples in Northeast India. 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.
Meitei literature, also known as Manipuri literature, is literature written in the Meitei language of Manipur. An ancient institution of learning, the Luwang Nonghumsang, later known as the Pandit Loishang, collected sources of indigenous Meitei knowledge and philosophy until the 18th century. Writing by Meiteis is assumed to go back to the Kingdom of Kangleipak in the early 12th century. The Meitei script is a Brahmic abugida. It is known only from the Puya manuscripts discovered in the first half of the 20th century. Manuscripts of the 18th and 19th centuries were written using the Bengali alphabet. The existence of the Meitei script in the 15th-century hinges on the authenticity of an inscription dated to the reign of Senbi Kiyamba. The first printed Manipuri book, Manipurer Itihas, appeared in 1890 from the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta. Though the kings of Manipur had established contact with the British from the middle of the eighteenth century onward the real impact of the contact came much later. Johnstone Middle English School, based on the western system of education, was started in 1885 at Imphal, and in 1891 Manipur lost its independence to the British. British domination facilitated the introduction of new systems in the civil, political and educational spheres, which hastened the process of modernization in Manipur, exposed as it was to new ideas and influences.
Cheitharol Kumbaba, or Cheithalon Kumpapa (Ch.K.), the "Royal Chronicle of Manipur" is a court chronicle of the kings of Manipur, which claims to start from 33 CE and to cover the rule of 76 Kings until 1955. The work of chronicling actually began during the reign of King Kiyamba in 1485 CE. The earlier events were reconstructed later during the reign of Bhagyachandra, presumably from oral sources or from scattered written records. According to scholar Saroj Nalini Parratt, the earlier parts have relatively little detail but contain numerous inaccuracies. But they are still said to be useful in reconstructing Manipur's early history.
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.
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, was 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.
Rajkumar Achouba Singh is an Indian classical dancer and teacher, known for his scholarship on the Manipuri dance forms of Raas and Lai Haraoba. Singh, who is credited several books and articles on Manipuri culture, is a former Principal of the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Imphal. A holder of post graduate degrees in Raas and Lai Haraoba, he has also been a visiting teacher at the Government Dance College, Imphal. He was honored by the Government of India, in 2010, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. He is also a recipient of the Manipur State 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.
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.
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.
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.
Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, was the first Meitei monarch of the Ningthouja dynasty, who ascended the throne of the Kangla of Kangleipak realm) in 33 AD, after the withdrawal of the mainstream powers of the Khabas. Before the reign of king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, the clans, or salais were already in existence.
The ancient legend of Khuyol Haoba and Yaithing Konu is one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak. It concerns the fateful love of Khuyol Haoba, an orphan man, for the beautiful Yaithing Konu. Khuyol Haoba was the son of late Khundouremba, a court official of Moirang. Yaithing Konu was the daughter of Luwang Huiningsumba, an influential nobleman of Moirang.
Ancient Meitei literature, also termed as Old Manipuri literature, is literature written in the Old Manipuri language from the earliest texts until the time of King Pamheiba. All the ancient Meitei literary works are written in the traditional Meitei script. The ancient Meitei language texts, written in Meitei script, are conventionally termed as "the puyas".
Kumcha Lempi, also known as Kumja Lembi, is a woman in Meitei mythology and folklore of ancient Kangleipak. She is known for being a victim of an attack by a tiger in Khoirentak. Her tragedy is frequently mentioned, narrated and retold in the Moirang Kangleirol legends, usually by the Pena playing balladeers till present times.
The cultural heritages of Meitei civilization has classicism in diverse traditions of cinemas, dances, language, literature, music, theatre, etc.
