The message that Sajibu Nongma Panba gives us
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 23, 2012 -
A prayer during Sajibu Cheiraoba at Imphal on April 04 2011
As we all know, today is Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba, the New Year of the Meeteis and other believers of Lainingthou Sanamahi, settling not just in Manipur but also in other parts of the globe. It is a celebration to mark parting of the old year and welcoming of a New Year.
Beyond the outward appearance of celebrating an annual festival, Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba is also a sacred and religious occasion for the followers of Lainingthou Sanamahi.
On the day of the festival, family members clean and decorate their houses and women of the house prepare Athenpot comprising the best seasonal vegetables, rice, fruits and flowers for offering to Lainingthou Sanamahi and Ima Leimarel Shidabi, which are worshipped in every household. Special festive dishes are then prepared from the vegetables and rice that have been offered to the household deities.
Before partaking in a grand feast, some portions of the cooked food is also offered by an elder of the house outside the gate to three deities namely Iram Maba Tumaba, Iram Senba Tusenba and Kumsana Puriklai as well as to spirits like Hanu-Kokchao and Hanu Leikham for the protection of the family in the days to come.
At Phunga-Lairu, the fire place of the house, Goddess Emoinu is worshipped with similar offering to defend the family from sorrows in the coming year. Another interesting feature of the celebration, is sharing of the food and other delicacies prepared for the occasion with neighbours and relatives.
After the feast, all the people climb the nearby hill-tops (Cheiraochings) to enable them to rise to greater heights in this worldly life.
The origin of the festival may be shrouded in history, but the first day of the month of Sajibu in the lunar calendar which corresponds to March-April of the Gregorian calendar has come down to be celebrated as New Year by the Meeteis and other followers of Sanamahism.
It is that time of the year when all the seeds sown in the previous month of Lamda (March) spouted buds, Saji (Deer) changes its horn and the Nature starts revealing its glory to the fullest.
That is why Sajibu Nongma Panba (first day of Sajibu) and its celebration as Cheiraoba (New Year) are of great significant.
In olden days, it is said the king used to proclaim passing away of an old year and arrival of a New Year on Cheiraoba and the Leikai Lakpas of the four localities, namely Khwai, Yaiskul, Khurai and Wangkhei went around riding on horseback with a bell attached at the tip of a stick to inform the people of starting of a New Year.
During the time of King Kyamba in 15th century, a new system was introduced wherein on every Cheiraoba day, a new Cheithaba was appointed who took over the risk of all the misfortunes that might befall the kingdom during the course of the year.
The manner of celebrating Cheiraoba may have changed over the years, but the intrinsic value of the celebration that serves to strengthen the bonds of unity in the family, neighbourhood and community at large remains intact.
To show their love and respect, married women come to their maternal home to give presents to their parents and brothers and the youngsters seek the blessing of their elders in the family.
We hope that unlike in the case of Ningol Chakkouba where the sanctity and purity of the bond between the sisters and brothers has been overshadowed by the mad race for Dakshina, the importance of celebrating Cheiraoba is not lost in the gushing wave of materialism where married women start looking upon presentation of gifts to their parents and brothers as another necessary evil.
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