Vividly with a pride note on her face, the old women of Nandawshei in Mandalay said,? Is not this the real Kaase (Meitei) God?? The portrait was of the Lord Jaganatha of Puri. Some Manipuri tourists handed over the picture to her few years back convincing the Lord Jaganatha is the real God of Manipur.

Most of the Meites in Mandalay belonged to the Ponas Kaate (Meitei Bamon) community. And, every one seems to be happy and considered themselves to be a privileged class or that of a noble birth on being a Bamon. The castes schools of Brahmin, kshetriya Beisya and Sudra do still remain intact in Mandalay's Meitei sectors and it will take time to bring about a change, in the system that is been transformed in Manipur society today.

The Bamon Khunjao, Ningthem Puruhit Khul, Ninsijeng, Minde Ekin and little farther from the town lays the beautiful meitei villages Amarpur and Saigang.Yes these are the meitei colonies that one could so far have visited and made interaction with the Manipuris in Mandalay. Nevertheless these are not only the Manipuri villages in Mandalay.

It will be an injustice to the Manipuris of Nandawshei if we fail to visit them while in Mandalay. It is said that the brave Meiteis warriors who fought to the teeth with the Awas during the historic 'Chahi Taret Khuntakpa' have been brought here as war captives by the Awas and made them settle in Nandawse near the Royal Palace of Mandalay. It may be worthwhile to mention that never in the history of Myanmar had the war captives been allowed to stay near the Royal Palace except the Manipuris.

Later the Manipuris who were well versed in the skill of martial arts became a major thrust when King Alongpiya of Myanmar attacked Chingmai in Thailand. In due course of time they have become part and parcel of Myanmar and a diligent citizen of this beautiful country and of course not to be treated as mere war captives thereafter. Go far west or to the south, wherever we may be, blood can't be purified? - is the logic and concept the Meiteis in Myanmar subscribes to.

However among the Manipuri communities in Mandalay the Meiteis of Nandawshei have been branded the status of 'Beisya' and 'Sudra' a lower caste of Manipuri by birth in Hindu doctrine and belief. The vicious tradition and bad side of religion gradually kept them aloof from the Manipuri mainstream over the years and today they are less known Meiteis in Mandalay.

My intention of writing this peace doesn't unnecessarily mean to hurt the sentiments of other meites communities who follow Hindu Religion and belief in Mandalay. When the whole of The Manipur was taken by storm at the advent of Vaisnavite religion during the period of Santidash, and when this alien culture and religion was forcefully imposed to the Meiteis many who defied the new religion were sent off to exile by the then King. Other embraced it, as a newborn loved one. The tradition and cult that was existed some 300 years before in Manipur is still in practice today in Mandalay. Long years of perseverance of religion and Manipuri culture, indeed.

The huge figure of about 30,000 Meiteis in Nandawse has now reduced to a meager number. They have forgotten their mother tongue. Culture no more. Everything seemed to have sunk in the layer of time. The years rolled by had pushed them off the track and virtually hidden themselves from the Manipuris of the World over as if they have committed a sin. They have nothing in possession to claim themselves that they are also the Meiteis. Neither does any of the Manipuri tourists in Myanmar visit this small group of Meiteis for no one knows their existence in Mandalay.

Nothing seemed to have gone wrong. Let us keep aside the Meiteis in Mandalay for a while. Let us have a hard look on some Meiteis of particular character; those migrated in Nagaland, Mizoram and other parts of the country and married to the local women. They amalgamated themselves into the clans of the women they married to. They have forgotten their language, culture and tradition deliberately. If we have a comparison of these two Meiteis closely the one in Mandalay are far worth than anyone else.

Just at the bottom of Mandalay Hill, amidst the gentle wind that sprays fresh aroma of exotic flowers of the Royal Palace, and in the pleasant breeze of the Royal moat, exist the forgotten Manipuris quiet calmly. They knew no hatred. They work hard and enjoyed life to the fullest. When they saw us they wept bitterly driven by the emotion. The long three hundred years left nothing for them at least to say, We are still Meiteis. They can't even chant 'Nang Chak Charabara'' It was indeed quiet a shock moment.

I have met them one year before in a business trip from Kolkata to Yangon than to Mandalay. The land route facilities via Tammu, Kalimyo and Mandalay was not permitted by the Myanmar authorities that time. Thank god, my Myanmarese friend who accompanied me from Yangon came to my aid when I tried to communicate them. Had not he been there I might not have been able to communicate them except the stream of tears that we wholly shared together. Yes it was not easy affair for I knew no Myanmarese and they spoke neither Manipuris nor English. Sign language could not make up the deficiency specially when the emotion speaks.

The long discussion with them was all about the Manipuris in Manipur. The killing spree in Manipur and orgy of violence that have been taking place in Manipur was something they heard and felt pity too. When 18 brave martyrs made a supreme sacrifice during the June 18, 2001 they were shocked yet the pride prevails in the core of the heart for they are also the Meites, they said. We loved each other shared our way of living style and sympathized one another but the view was of different concept.

We felt pity on them thinking that they have been settled in a foreign land and must surely be longing to come back one day to their motherland. In contrast, they sympathized us and prayed that, 'When you go back home never become a victim in the hands of the predators and come back next year again in Myanmar'. So the concepts of being cared one another happen to be different.

Back to the old women who plaintively queried me about the real Meitei Deity I replied, ' Yes we worship the Hindu God Jaganatha' and continued, 'But if you ask for the traditional deities it is not'. I tried to explain the origin of Meiteis and the God we worship including Hindu and Sanamhi applying my limited knowledge in religion through the interpretation of my Myanmarese friend.

With much inquisitiveness they pleaded me to bring a portrait or an idol of our traditional deity in my next visit. They wanted to treasure it for their historical posterity and worship it alongside the Buddhist religion. ' Yes' were the answer but it is not known when I will visit next to this adorable land. I fervently prayed to the Almighty who are unseen, ' God if you really do exist please fulfill their cherished dream someday'.

After a pleasant flight back to Kolkata from Yangon International Airport I have once again landed on the Kolkata's streets and trying to negotiate the busy traffic in the city of joy. The noisy horn-sound on the streets and exchanging of vulgarity term among the cab drivers welcomed me back to India. Just two hours earlier I was in a city where honking horn in the City Street liable one to penalize 500 Burmese Kyats.

After two days halt in Kolkata I have boarded the Imphal bound Jet Airways. The ever-smiling airhostesses showing welcome gesture with their glittering teeth as usual and wishing, 'Good Morning, have a pleasant flight sir'. In my crazy ear it sounded like 'Welcome to the land of guns and roses'. After half an hour flight in the air we have crossed over the boundary of Manipur. The beautiful landscape and silent sleeping mountain ranges, which had been living evidence and witness to all the hues and cries of Manipur days in and days out, came into view one by one.

The Loktak Lake, the mirror of Manipur, which is larger in size than the 'Inle Lake' in Yangon, could glance from above with few fishermen on their small canoes. Sometimes I tried to compare the artificial Inle Lake in the heart of Yangon City with our Loktak of Manipur dreaming our Loktak also developed to another tourist attraction of the world some day. But we are all aware that it will not occur in the near future.

The Aircraft finally touched down the Tulihal Airport. My friend waited me outside the Arrival lounge. As I sat in my car and reach for the FM radio knob, the AIR presented a number of Mukesh.

A popular one indeed during yesteryears prior to the Hindi film and song banned, "Jina Yahaa Marna Yaha Iske Sewa Jaana kaha?. The inner voice said to myself, 'Yes this is the land I belonged to and that is why I had to return back'.