The public show
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 24 2013 -
Emoinu Irat-thouniba at a house in Imphal on January 23 2013 :: Pix - Jinendra Maibam
Before the advent of television when radio was the only source of medium for information and entertainment, successive generations of people in Manipur have grown up listening to the Shumang Leela play on the legend of Goddess Emoinu broadcast through All India Radio Station, Imphal with rapt attention enjoying the repartee between Chalamba and 'Ebenpok' Emoinu while being brought piggybacking by the young and courageous son of virtuous Piyainu from Khuman kingdom to the land of Meeteis.
From that period to the present day, much water had flowed under the bridge and the worship of Ebenpok Emoinu, the goddess of wealth and family virtues in the pantheon of Sanamahism, has gained so much popularity that every year the 12th day of Wakching of the Meetei Calender has been declared a General Holiday in the State by the Government to facilitate the worship programme.
Apart the worship session held in every Meetei household on this day along with special offerings of seasonal fruits, flowers, vegetables, etc, and lighting up of the houses with lamps in the evening to evoke blessing, the worship of Goddess Emoinu has attained the status of a public festival today with various social organizations chipping in to organize the celebration of the event in the grandest manner possible at different parts of the State.
It's true that the rise in consciousness of their socio-religious identity among the Meeteis has led to this phenomenal revival and popularity of 'Emoinu Erat Thouni', an important ritual of the pre-Hinduized Manipuri society but whose significant and importance appeared to have been lost at one time following royal patronization of Hinduism and forced conversion of native people.
It is to the credit of the revivalist movement in the State that Goddess Emoinu has finally found Her right place in the hearts of the people once again with everyone joining in the celebration to pray for ushering in peace and prosperity in the State and well-being to all the people.
However, the fact still remains that celebration of 'Emoinu Erat Thouni' ritual publicly is something which was not known among the people before a few decades back.
Even if the expansion of the space for worship of Goddess Emoinu from the domestic sphere to the public domain could be seen as a sign of increasing collective consciousness of Meitei identity, one question that hangs heavy in the mind of most people today is how far such celebration of a ritual that mirrors and reflects the true identity of a community in public space as a 'festival' have been able to instill the kind of reawakening that is expected from among the people, especially the youths of the MTV era and satellite channels ?
Well, less said the better.
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