Funga Waari
Sanatombi Angomcha *
In Meiteilon, Funga refers to the place nearby the fire hearth and Waari means story. So if one has to provide a meaningful
interpretation of the same then, it refers to the stories being told by elders to the younger ones in the family besides the fire-hearth.
In a comprehensible interpretation in English language, Funga Waari means Folk tales which every single community/ town/ city/ state/country associates itself with.
It also happens that different communities come up with similar Folk Tales with some slight twist and
turns in the storyline. Even in Manipur the same Funga Waaris sometimes vary from one district or region to another region in terms of climax or theme.
If dialects vary from one region to another in a same city or state, then it would not be surprising to know about
variance of theme and climax among the various Funga Waaris.
Funga Waari telling is more of a legacy which has been passed on from our forefathers since time immemorial. This legacy is
still observed in various typical Meitei families in contemporary Manipuri society.
However, comparing with the other districts in the state, residents particularly in Imphal area seem to have lost interest in this
wonderful tradition.
Gone are the days when after a hard day's work members of the family gather up together near the fire-hearth to
listen Funga Waaris from the elder members in the family (mostly Grandpas and Grandmas).
It solely depends upon one's choice whether he or she is in fact keen to cherish such nostalgic things associated with our own history and
culture.
Time has changed a lot and technology has closely knitted a bitter animosity with the elegant culture and traditions of our
society. Maybe this is not a single concern for Manipur alone.
Everywhere in the globe the same issue seems to prevail. This is perhaps the right time one ponders upon thoughts of culture and civilisation going hand in hand.
However,from the perspective of a Meitei society a wise initiative is still sought from everyone about
keeping alive the spark of Funga Waari.
For those who love cherishing such wonderful themes associated to our culture and tradition, keep voting for Funga Waari.
* Sanatombi Angomcha contributes regularly to e-pao.net. The writer can be contacted at eben(dot)poktales(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was webcasted on November 10th, 2009.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.