Miss Manipur :: Part 1

ceilthojm *

Breath-Taking landscape picture of Manipur as seen through the lenses of Tiken Thokchom :: 2012

A beautiful evening with glamorous girls draped in glittering gowns with excitement and chaos flowing amidst the crowd.

Everybody, professional and unprofessional photographers, ready with their cameras.

Lights streaming down to the stage of the only platform where all the Manipuris' talents meet, BOAT- Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre. Is it what you imagine and visualise when you read those two words 'MISS MANIPUR'?

Actually I missed to mention a very selfish word in front of it, 'I'. Yes, I was to say 'I MiSS ManiPur'.

Does it now sound like a shattered dream? Do you feel as if you were standing at the entrance after buying the tickets of MiSS Manipur from black, getting all the warm clothes, snacks and with all preparations and all of a sudden you heard someone say, 'The show is cancelled'? Slowly you see people retreating back home.

That is the moment you feel like cursing the organisers and scream out loud the three words of disgust and frustration; you know it well, 'WHAT.'

Here, the story is different. This is a story about a boy who grew up in his country side amongst his folks, eating all the local delicacies.

Then, at one point of time, thriving for higher education, he crossed miles and miles away from his home, his land of green grass and blue sky.

He landed up in a concrete jungle, scorching heat and untidy fleshes. He had spent years and years travelling amidst these highly developed yet disgustingly grey lands.

He was now a part of it, a resident of tall buildings. During all these days of busy life, noises and rushes, suddenly, he felt home.

He wished to know his home-land, how it is, who still live there and is it still green?

He was watching some of the old cultures making rounds. Feeling deprived of the love and food, he wished to return back to his roots.

Now, he inspired himself to walk down through the lanes of the culture.

And finally, he felt what he ever ignored. He felt and murmured, 'I Miss Manipur'.

Then he decided to turn the pages and there he was looking for the history. Lovely and beautiful, it was a feeling of content yet unfulfilled.

To quench the thirst, he took the step which he might have never dreamed of ....

To be continued