Paonii 2025 : Roots, culture of Poumai Naga celebrated in Bangalore
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 12 2025: Not every festival can take root in a new city and feel like it's always belonged.

But last Tuesday, in the shaded courtyard of All Saints' Church, something happened that can only be described as familiar magic.

The Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me Bangalore (PNTMB) hosted the second city-based edition of Paonii, the only one of its kind and by the time the drums fell silent, it didn't feel like a city festival anymore.

It felt like home.

Paonii, traditionally celebrated in the remote, rolling villages of Manipur, marks the beginning of the agricultural season for the Poumai Naga people.

It's a festival of the land.

But in Bangalore, it became something more: a reconnection, a reckoning, a reminder.

They didn't just bring the songs and the food.

They brought the stories, the silence between verses, the kind of laughter that survives generations.

Siirene Rova, Veino Pao, SK Shila, Pahriilou Pearson, Shoveine, and Vei Mi gave the crowd more than performances, they gave them belonging.

When they sang Poumai hits, it wasn't just a setlist.

It was a cultural bridge between the hills and the Garden City.

Somewhere between those notes, the distance between Bangalore and Manipur disappeared.

And then came the moment everyone waited for Mr and Miss Paonii 2025.A title event, yes, but what unfolded was more than just crowns and sashes.

Tharinyio Epao from the Chakhesang community and Lina Zhimo from the Sumi tribe didn't just win.

They represented a truth many quietly knew: identity is not inherited, it's lived.

This year's event was open to non-Poumai participants, a choice some may have questioned, but few could argue with when they saw what heart and representation really look like on stage.

If the music stirred the soul and the pageant sparked reflection, the wrestling lit the fire.

Raw, grounded, and full of pride, the Poumai wrestling championship took center stage - with Avio-o of Tunggam clinching the title, followed by TS Khuingai (Ngairi Raidulomai), Mehsud-o (Phuba), and Koveidu Paodukhumai (Tungjoy).

Though they couldn't be there in person, Banner Lanamai James and P Achevei sent powerful messages of support.

As ambassadors of this second edition, they reminded everyone that even absence can carry presence.

Making the entire event smoother and more accessible was the official online portal, powered by Visual Perception-The Art of Design, the festival's media partner.

Paonii 2025 wasn't about looking back.

It was about bringing the past forward into new cities, new lives, new stories.

And for one evening, in a Church courtyard filled with light and rhythm, the hills felt a little closer.

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