Yumlembam Gambhini Padmashree Awardee

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Yumlembam Gambhini Devi
— Manipuri Dance and Music —

By: Thingnam Anjulika Samom *

With her innocent candor, simplicity and open smile, one might mistake her for any other ageing Meitei woman enjoying the soft winter sun. Breaking into a song to explain the difference between different classical Manipuri song styles, and fussing over what to serve with tea to her indolent guest, Yumlembam Gambhini Devi (Padmashree Awardee) charmed her way into people's hearts.

What is also visibly apparent is her love for Manipuri dance and music particularly, Nat Sangeet and Ras. With such renowned persons like the late Yumlembam Gulap and late Yumlembam Ibemcha as her parents, this love was ingrained from her childhood onwards.

While mother Ibemcha used to lead a local khubak eshei group known as the Lalsha Pala, father Gulap was a powerful member of the royal entourage of the king of Manipur in his time.

His proficiency in playing the pung and in song, as well as in sporting events like the Mukna Kangjei and race was well known. He was also one of the royal theatrical guilds, and was widely known as Gulap Saheb for playing the role of a Saheb and speaking English in the plays.

Born on 1st January, 1945 at Yaiskul Hiruhanba Leikai, as the fourth among eight siblings, Gambhini was thus exposed to the world of Manipuri dance and music from an early age though she started training from the age of five years.

At the age of seven years she gave her first dance performance in the role of Bishnupriya at the Gopinath Mandap at Yaiskul. Her first guru was the renowned Laishram Ibobi. Since then she has received training from some of the most renowned cultural exponents of the state.

These include learning Nat Sangeet from

(Sangeet Ratna) Guru Khangembam Gulapi Singh,
Guru K Abhiram Sharma (Padmashree awardee),
Joy Patra awardee - Guru Ngangom Jogendra and
(Padmashree awardee) Guru Kalachand Shastri,

and Monoharsai Kirtan from

Guru Nongmaithem Tombi,

She also learnt the nuances of Ras dances from teachers like

Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Amudon Sharma,
(Padmashree awardee) Guru Maisnam Tombi ,
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Khaidem Lokeshor,
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Kshetritombi Devi and
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Guru Ibopishak Sharma.

Educated till Class VIII, Gambhini had to leave her studies as her involvement in the creative arts began to take its toll heavily on her classes. She completed her lower primary schooling at Moirangkhom School before continuing in Pettigrew School till Class IV and shifting to Bengali school for the rest of her education.

She is however proficient in Bengali, Assamese, English and Sanskrit languages besides her native Meiteilon. "I learnt Sanskrit from Oja Kalachand Shastri and Meiteilon from Oja Minaketan," she said.

Gambhini holds a PG Diploma of Ras from Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy (JNMDA). She is also an "A" grade artist at AIR, Imphal in Nat Sankirtana Music (Vocal). "I started singing for the radio much before the radio station came to Manipur. Then it used to be aired from Guwahati.

So sometimes I would go there and at other times they would come and record the song here itself," she recalls.

(Padmashree awardee) Gambhini has given numerous performances both in the state and outside including London, Paris, Canada, Germany, New York, Iowa, Omaha, Washington, Tennessee and Chicago.

"There are 365 days in a year, and if you count the many song performances I give for religious rituals like nahutpa and luhongba, besides the performances for competitions and other commemorative functions, you could say my performances are more than one everyday," she said.

At sixty-one, Gambhini is still going strong and continues her performances. She has also played the role of Radha in the Ras Leela performed at the Shri Shri Govindajee temple from the age of nine years to 24 years under the patronage of the King.

The multi-talented Gambhini is also a lyricist.

Her popular songs

"Thamoikongi Chekla"
"Nungshijaba Sakpham" "Taro Channarabi Etaroi" and
"Hori Shollo Pukning Aremba Matamda Manghallena"

were incorporated in two records of her songs in 1955.

She has also released two audio cassettes on Nimai Sanyas besides a book on Basak songs.

Some of the numerous awards she has received include the

Padmashree (2005),
Sangeet Jyoti Award (2005),
Nritya Ratna Award (1979),
Nat Sangeet Award, Manipur (1980), and
Nat Sangeet Award, New Delhi (1988),
3 gold medals for khubak eshei,
4 gold medals for basak and
13 silver medals for nat sankirtana

.
Some of the positions she has served in include

being Member of the Selection Committee for Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata,
Member of the Central Dance Audition Board of Doordarshan, New Delhi,
Executive Member of the Committee on Celebration of 200th Death Anniversary of Rajashree Bhagyachandra and
Member of the Selection Committee of Scholarships to Youth Artistes in different cultural fields for the Department of Culture, New Delhi.

She is also the president of the YGR, Nat Sankirtana Sheidam Shang which she founded about two decades back, and has trained many pupils including from Bangladesh, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.

In 2005 Gambhini retired as Senior Guru, Sutradhari, of the department of Ras at the JNMDA which she joined as assistant teacher in 1976.

Thingnam Anjulika Samom wrote this article for The Sangai Express . You can contact the writer at thingnam(at)yahoo(dot)com . This article was webcasted on January 11th, 2007

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