Lai Haraoba Festival Without Sagol Kangjei Is A Real Disconnect:
Polo (Sagol Kangjei) In Manipur Is In A Twilight Zone !!

Lt Col(retd) Naorem Kumar *

A game of polo held at Mapal Kangjeibung, Imphal, the world's oldest existing polo ground in Nov 2012
Pix - Jinendra Maibam

Sometimes called "The Sport of Kings", Polo (Sagol Kangjei) was started by Manipuris, and was popular as long as Manipur was a princely state (until Independence), after which its popularity has declined sharply due to various reasons. Manipur as the exact origin of "modern polo" has been approved by the polo pundits of the world beyond a shadow of doubt.

Glorious Past

The contemporary game of Polo was born in Manipur over 2,000 years ago, as recorded in Cheitharol Kumbaba – 'Royal Chronicle' (33-1897 CE) of Manipur. Manipur, as the bona fide origin of the modern sport of Polo has been accepted by the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) – the governing body of Polo in the UK, Ireland and many other countries. The American Westchester Polo Club – the parent body of the American Polo also accepts Manipur as the genuine origin. The Guinness Book of Records (1991 edition p 288) traces the origin of Polo to Manipur circa 3100 BCE, where it was played as Sagol Kangjei.

The origins of the game in Manipur are traced to early precursors of Sagol Kangjei. This was one of three forms of hockey in Manipur, the other ones being Field Hockey (Khong Kangjei) and Wrestling Hockey (Mukna Kangjei). To the people in Manipur, Sagol Kangjei is not just a polo sport, but also a statement on their ancestral history, culture and lifestyle. Cradled in a corner of India's northeast, the beautiful state of Manipur lays claim to being the place of origin of Polo.

According to the ancient scripture Kangjeirol (The Art of Polo) believed to be dated before Christ, the game was introduced at a festival during the reign of King Ningthou Kangba in 3100 BC. The king skilfully used his walking stick to dribble a bamboo root clump. The next day, his subjects began to play the game on horseback, as his queen Leima Tanu Sana watched eagerly from the shades of her royal canopy. The earliest version of Polo thus came to be known as Sagol Kangjei, which in loose translation means Kangba's stick on a horse or pony.

Lai Haraoba and Sagol Kangjei: Ancient Connect

Local rituals such as those connected to the Marjing, the Winged-Pony God of Polo and the creation-ritual episodes of the Lai Haraoba festival enacting the life of his son, Khori-Phaba, the polo-playing god of sports. These may indicate an origin earlier than the historical records of Manipur, which go back to the 1st Century A.D.

In Manipur, polo gets its charm from the legends passed from generation to generation. Lord Marjing, the chieftain of the Chenglei tribe, is recognized by the Manipuris as the deity who introduced polo to the human world. According to legends, it was the Chenglei tribe that first domesticated and bred the Manipuri ponies and encouraged the equine culture in the valley.

Earlier, in ritual ceremonies, mostly during the Lai-Haroaba festival (loosely translated as 'merry making of the Gods'), the descendants of the tribe used to make offerings of mallet and bamboo root to Lord Marjing. In the villages of Manipur during this religious festival, a Maibi (priestess in Manipuri) used to perform a unique dance form outlining the game of Sagol Kangjhei with a mallet in hand.

In ancient times, before the beginning of any Sagol Kangjei game, women in traditional Manipuri attire gracefully made an offering of sweets, home-grown vegetables and gifts to the kings as a mark of respect. This is a tradition that is meticulously followed even today except the king is now replaced by an important dignitary. Another customary ritual still followed is the blowing of a Moibung (conch shell) by a priest to herald the beginning of Sagol Kangjei. Needless to say, the pageantry of it all is mesmerizing.

Lai Haraoba and Sagol Kangjei: Present Day Disconnect

It is time of the year and Lai Haraoba festival is being celebrated with full gusto and vigour all over Manipur. It is a great spectacle to see Manipuris still enthusiastically preserving their age old traditions. But, where has the game of Polo disappeared from the abodes of Deities?

And, what about the ponies? - the main players in this 'King of Games' which incidentally is a perfect manifestation of the understanding and coordination between men and animals. It is of no surprise that Pony figures prominently in Manipuri mythology and the history of Manipur as well as ancient Manipuri literature made accounts of the role Manipuri pony and its intricate presence in the social life of the people of Manipur.

However, it is an irony that I find webcast of Lai Haraoba taking place in internet (facebook to be more precise) whereas Polo and Ponies, which used to have a place of pride in these Lai Haraoba festivals (read Marjing Haraoba), are conspicuous by their absence. The IT savvy young MLA of Moirang constituency who actually would do lots of good to the future of Polo in Manipur if he accords similar kind of priority to Polo too. Incidentally, he is better suited as he holds the post of Parliamentary Secretary of sports and tourism.

I also wonder if even the deities have decided to disown the ponies and let them wander around town (in absence of grazing grounds) and face lifestyle diseases by eating junk food( modern day human leftovers and garbage piled up in streets of Imphal caused by dereliction of duty by employees of IMC) instead of the fresh and healthy natural grass. Writing as it is on World Environment Day, I really feel sorry for these magestic and gallant ponies (without them, Polo would have not existed) who have been deprived of their natural habitat(due to human encroachment) and fend for themselves in the hustle and bustle of modern urban settings. What a pity ?

Decline of Polo in Manipur: Lost glory

Sagol Kangjei always enjoyed the patronage of Manipur kings. Even after the Anglo-Manipur War 1891, when Manipur came under British suzerainty (not as a part of the British India), the government continued its patronage by including a separate provision for polo in the Manipur State Budget. A Maharaja-in-Council, under a democratic Manipur constitution continued the patronage when the British left the Indian subcontinent in 1947. A Manipur State Polo Committee was formed in 1948 by a resolution of the Manipur State Council to look after the game. The Maharaja was its patron. Then, an abrupt change in the fortunes of polo occurred when Manipur became a part of India in October 1949. The entire polo establishment was disbanded and government patronage to polo was discontinued.

Playing polo at Mapal Kangjeibung, the world's oldest existing polo ground where Sagol Kangjei had been played since time immemorial was not permitted for a long time.

Utter destruction of properties and rampant dislocation in socio-economic life during World War II further aggravated the woeful situation. The pony was a casualty of the war. The Manipuri people were struggling for return to a normal life when the swift political changes overtook them.

Struggle for survival: Dim-lit Path Ahead

So far, the game of Sagol Kangjei has survived through the waves of time with its people holding on to beliefs and rituals passed through generations. Some young children in Manipur are still enthusiastic about Sagol Kangjei and learning the game at the age of six or seven is as much an obligation as going to school.

However, change is inevitable and this ancient game struggles to cope with the new challenges set forth by a heartless modern world. The need of the hour is to work with a sense of urgency to preserve this game from obliteration. Mostly, the poor peasants play the game. The urban youth find it difficult to keep their passion alive because of the exorbitant cost of maintaining polo ponies. And despite having as many as 45 polo clubs in Manipur, there remains a lack of better infrastructure to train the local youth. 

The dwindling numbers of the Manipuri pony, with development and construction activities threatening their natural habitat, is another concern. The future of Sagol Kangjei lies largely in the hands of the people of Manipur. Although enthusiasm and passion continues to provide the much needed recognition and appreciation for the sport, there is a realization that it is more than just a sport.

Polo in Manipur is a precious legacy and heritage inherited from our ancestors. It is something that comes naturally to us. The inspiration to take to a polo field comes from the heart as it is intricately blended in the Manipuri culture. Not only are we the people of Manipur born to the game but also there is a place for this beautiful game somewhere in the heart of each one of us. Let the spirits live and grow stronger in days to come.