President greets on Sajibu Cheiraoba
Source: The Sangai Express / Manipur Info Centre

New Delhi, March 22 2012: The President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil has extended greetings to all the Manipuri communities on the occasion of Sajibu Cheiraoba Festival being celebrated tomorrow.

In her message released from Rashtrapati Bhavan here today on the occasion of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Chetti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba which shall be celebrated tomorrow, Pratibha Devisingh Patil said : "On the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba, I send my greetings to all those celebrating these festivals in different parts of the country.

May these festivals, strengthen the bonds of unity amongst the people of different regions of the country" .

Cheiraoba marks the New Year of Manipuri communities.

It is celebrated on the first day of the Manipuri month Sajibu which falls in the month of March or April.

It is also a sacred and socio-religious festival of Manipuri people.

Family feasting and pilgrimage up the Cheiraoching hill mark the occasion.

On the day of festival, people clean and decorate their houses.

They wear new clothes.

The best seasonal vegetables and fruits are offered to the Almighty God and Goddess namely, Lainingthou Sanamahi and Ima Leimarel Shidabi, which are worshipped in each house.

Special festive dishes are then prepared from the vegetables having offered to the deities, for a grand feast for the family.

After the preparation, the cooked foods are offered by the elder of the house outside the gate to the three deitiesIram Maba Tumaba, Iram Senba Tusenba and Kumsana Puriklai for protection of the family and then all the family members together have the feast.

The married women give their parents and brothers gifts on the occasion.

The youths seek the blessings of the elders of the family.

After the feast, people all dressed in the pious traditional attires will climb the nearest hill-top in the belief that it will enable them to rise to greater heights in the worldly life.

People will exchange greetings and new ideas.

On every Cheiraoba, a new Cheithaba is selected.

The Cheithaba is the one who records the major events in the Cheitharol Kumbaba (Royal Chronicle).

The uninterrupted line of Cheithaba since the reign of the 15th century king Kyamba are found recorded in the Cheitharol Kumbaba.

The major events since 33 AD are recorded in the Cheitharol Kumbaba under royal patronage.

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