The religion of Manipur : beliefs, rituals, and historical development

Abstract

The religion of Manipur may be regarded as an amalgam of the traditional religion and Chaitanyaite Vaishnavism. The former consists of belief in lai (deities), which may be classified as ancestral, tribal, domestic and tutelary gods respectively, The elaborate traditional rituals concerned every aspect of life, from domestic and agricultural rituals to rites of passage. The public festivals were especially important, especially Cheiraoba (the New Year festival) and the Lai Haraoba, a composite festival of 'pleasing the god'. After the advent of Hinduism certain of the traditional festivals came to include Hindu elements. The earliest certain traces of Hinduism in Manipur date from the year 1626 sak., when the reigning king, Charai Rongba, took the sacred thread. During the time of King Garib Niwaz Chaitanyaite Vaishnavism came under royal patronage and was made the state religion. From this position it was never displaced. The role of Vaisnavism was further developed by Bhagyachandra, and gradually a synthesis between the traditional religion and Hinduism came about. This synthesis characterizes present-day Manipuri religion.