Mera Chaoren Houba celebrated
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, October 05 2013 :
Along with taking out a mass procession through the heart of the capital city, Mera Chaoren Houba festival was celebrated with great religious fervour at the holy Haying Khongban here in 1st Manipur Rifles complex today.
Mera Chaoren Houba is celebrated on the first day of the month of Mera in Meitei calendar since time immemorial and it symbolises refreshing of the age-old bonding between the people in the hills and the plain of Manipur.
Today's celebration was held under the aegis of Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board and it was attended by Works Minister Dr Kh Ratankumar, President of Sanamahi Temple Board and former Minister L Jayentakumar and Vice-President of the Board as Nungkanba Khuman as Presidium members.
To start the annual celebration, priests and priestesses performed religious rituals after collecting sacred water from Kangla.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Ratankumar said, "We shouldn't forget the existence of only one deity despite the fact that there are various communities in the state practicing different religions.
He assured that the needs of the board will be considered by the Government and that he will consult with the Chief Minister in this connection.
Jayentakumar explained that Mera Chaoren Houba is an important religious event which is celebrated on the first day of the month of Mera in Meitei calendar symbolising refreshing of the age-old relations of the hill and valley people.
Devotees often have to face difficulties at the 1st MR gate whenever they enter Sanamahi temple so arranging an alternative entrance could solve the problem, Nungkan suggested.
Earlier, a mass procession attended by people belonging to different communities in their traditional attires was taken out from the complex of Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple to Kangla, from where the sacred water was collected from Nungjreng Pukhri.