My Memories of Imphal From 1941 : Chapter 7 :: Download
Dr Mohendra Irengbam *
Author’s childhood home, YUMJAO.
Now 80 8ears old. Artistic masterpiece in its heyday.
Author standing during one of his home visits.
Part 7
Meitei Yumjao &
Landmarks in Imphal Town Centre
In this Part, I have simply chosen to write a bit about the ancient history of Meitei Yumjao (Big House) so that we remember it as our historical relic. There is hardly any Yumjao in Imphal mow. It was the greatest landmark of Imphal town. Every ingkhol or homestead had one Yumjao.
My nostalgic reminiscence of Yumjao fills me with pride about its elegance and artistic vernacular designs with which I have a fond attachment.
While pointing out other landmarks of Imphal town centre, including the cinema halls, which are now non-existent, I will also touch lightly on what the Hindi films in these cinema halls, contributed to modernising ideas among the youth of Imphal in the immediate post war period.
Not only did the Hindi films help the youth in learning the language, but it also helped them to understand how the different communities in India lived their life. The Hollywood propaganda war films showed how WWII was fought in Europe. Watching Les Misérables taught students about the French Revolution, and Romeo & Juliet about Shakespeare.
In those twilight years just after WWII, a visitor to the town centre, would see many Meitei men who thronged at the Khwairamband Bazaar every evening. They lived in typical dwelling houses, known as Yumjao. A Yumjao was the pride of Meitei architecture. Its architectural design had been drawn in indelible ink made of lamp soot, lac etc. on indigenously made Meitei che (paper), and previously on the bark of Agar tree.
Download the entire Chapter 7 of this book here
* Dr Mohendra Irengbam wrote this article for e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at irengbammsingh(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was webcasted on January 22 2023 .
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