Imphal, January 04 01 2010: The Meetei National Front (MNF) will be observing the 281st year of the burning of Puya on Januaury 8 with varied progammes, said a press note issued by the organisation.

The main function would start with a procession from Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT) from 9 am where people from all over the state�both from the valley and the hills will participate.

After going around the Kangla offering will be made in front of the Kangla Uttra as a mark of respect to the departed souls of the priests and scholars of Meetei religion of those days, continued the release.

As part of the observation, all those who have worked tirelessly to safeguard the integrity of Manipur and those who have been shouldering the responsibility to safeguard the unity and harmony among the people of the hills and the valley would be honoured with "Maichou Ningsing Mana" and "Chingmee Tamme Nungshi Mana" .

It was on this day 281 years back in 1729, the 23rd day of Wakching, that in the once sovereign Kingdom of Manipur that the King sent out his soldiers to forcibly collect all the puyas or scriptures of the indigenous religion written in the script of the land.

This was then brought to the Uttara Mang and burned like the burning of a funeral pyrer, recollected the note.

The marked the downfall of this once shinning hilly kingdom fo Kangleipak.

Describing the burning of the Puyas as the result of a conspiracy plotted by Shantidas Gosai and his cronies, it was akin to the buriningalive of all the scholars and writers of the kingdom .

On the other hand all those who courageously opposed his most unfortunate happenings were meted death warrants by the then king or were exiled to far off places, recounted the note.

MNF appealed to all people from the valley as well as the valley to come out in large number to observe this most unfortunate day in the history of Kangliepak.

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