Ugadi 2023: Sajibu Nongma Panba Festival, The Ugadi Of Manipur

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Sajibu Nongma Panba is going to be celebrated in Manipur on 23 March 2023 this year, where it is going to take on glorious colours, to start exciting new beginnings, and fan the hopes and anticipations of the Manipur Tribe for the upcoming year. Mainly followed by the people of Sanamahistic religion, this festival is otherwise popularly known as Meetei Cheiraoba or Sajibu Cheiraoba.

Sajibu Nongma Panba are Manipuri words that mean first month of the year ( Sajibu) first date of a month (Nongma) and to be ( Panba). Panba festival occurs around the same time as the Ugadi of Karnatka and Gudi Padwa of Maharashtra. The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Sajibu lunar month, which is the first month of the Meitei lunar calendar.

Legend

Meitei calendar which is commonly called the Mari Fam, began to be used for the first time onwards on Sajibu Nongma Panba day. The panba celebrations were first encouraged by King Maliya Fambalcha, whose other name was Koi koi. Koi-Koi's birthday was taken as the New Year's day as per the Meitei calendar. It is basically the festival of the Meiti ethnic group in Manipur who celebrate it for fostering familial love and a sense of fraternity to flourish amongst the family members and the tribe.

Celebrations

The festival is celebrated in the lunar month Sajibu (March/April) by the Meitei community. During the morning, ritual offering of fruits, vegetables, rice and uncooked food is offered to teh Meitei Deity Lainingthous Sanamahi. After this, an even number of dishes are prepared from these offerings. It is the males of the family who cook on this day leaving the females to help them with jobs around the house. The dishes are places at the front gate first and then the backside gate of the house. These areas will be decorated with mud, flowers and leaves.

Traditionally, the eldest son will offer these dishes to three deities nanely Kumsana Kumliklai, Lamsenba Tusenba, and Lammaba Tumaba at these two consecrated places. An odd number of dishes are offered which includes steamed rice, currency, fruits, flowers, candle and dhoop which are placed on the plantain leaf. This ritual is done in the late morning.

Initially only the followers of the Sanamahism religion, celebrated the Sajibu Cheiraoba festival. Nowadays people of all faiths in Manipur celebrate it. The celebrations are about elaborate feasts, preparation of traditional dishes and some hill climbing to offer prayers atop. The Cheiraoba festival staunchly indicates new beginnings for Manipur tribes as they believe whatever happens on the new year is bound to repeat the rest of the entire year. The new year celebrations are for cementing the bonds of love in all types of relationships.

So by staying happy and cheerful with families, exchanging gifts, dining together the bonds of love will continue to grow stronger for the entire year. Traditional feasts are the main rituals for the day as they are offered to the deities at the entrance of their homes after which these dishes are served to guests. Married women visit their parental homes to wish them well and give away gifts. Now it is time to perform the 'Thabal Chongba,' the traditional folk dance. Dance events are arranged and locals can also participate in them and dance to their hearts content. Climbing the hills is the last ritual they engage in and that is meant as an exercise that elevates them to great heights in their lives. They gather together and climb the mountain slope which they can afford to easily climb.

Places To Celebrate The New Year

Sajibu Cheiraoba festivities specially are celebrated in Imphal where fairs, cultural events are organized. This is a declared public holiday for the Manipuris. Kongba is another small village which is at the east of Imphal, where in a week long rituals and ceremonies are conducted from the day one of the new year. Chinmeirong is a hilly locale which the Manipuris choose to climb after the day long celebrations are over. For a more comfortable experience, they have a lineup of food stalls, to provide snacks and eatables for their fellow men who are exhausted and famished due to the climb.