Source: Hueiyen News Service / DN Bir
Imphal, May 16 2009:
The indigenous deity of Ebudhou Pakhangba's sculptures will cross the seas to enable all followers of the faith around the world to worship and to identify themselves with it.
As such, the idols will be flown to New York and the United Kingdom as the first cross cultural conveyance.
In an attempt to showcase the indigenous culture and religion of their land and to uphold their identity by the Non Resident Manipuris residing in the UK and USA to other communities of the world they are living with, the plan to send the deity abroad has been conceived.
Talking exclusively to Hueiyen Lanpao, Kolomcha Achoubi Khuman, convenor of Kanglei Arang-Arak Association, the group actively involved in carving the plan, said that around 3000 Manipuris are settled in the United Kingdom and New York City of the USA.
Achoubi said that Manipuris settled there have faced, more often than not, a sense of humiliation when they were asked about their culture and religion by other communities they mingle with.
Three Manipuri residents of the UK and New York City have had a short sojourn to Imphal few days back making known their desire to have the Ebudhou Pakhangba deities to identify themselves with.
Following the yearning, sculpting the deity has been going on in full swing at Takyel Khumanthem Leikai under the supervision of Kanglei Arang-Arak Association, Achoubi informed.
The sculptures are mostly carved from wood and iron.
Around five hundred idols of Ebudhou Pakhangba will be sculpted in the first phase to cater the need of several non-resident Manipuris who are waiting the completion of it eagerly, Achoubi further maintained.