Meitei Sankirtan ( mni, Meitei Nat Sankirtan), also known as Meitei Sankirtana ( mni, Meitei Nat Sankirtana) or Manipuri Sankirtan ( mni, Nat Sonkirton) or Manipuri Sankirtana ( mni, Nat Sonkirton), is a
Meitei cultural form of performing art involving ritual singing,
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
ming and dancing performed in the temples and domestic spaces in
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
in India. Through the performances which exhibit unparalleled religious devotion and energy, the performers narrate the many stories of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
often moving the spectators to tears.
It is practiced primarily by the
Meitei Hindus (primarily
Vaishnavas) in Manipur and by the Vaishnava Manipuri population settled in the neighbouring States of
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
and
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. "Sankirtana: Ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur" was inscribed on the Representative List of the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the eighth session of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Intergovernmental Committee meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, held in December 2013.
An outline of the performance
The Nomination file for Inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity prepared by
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.
History
It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
describes this performing art thus:
See also
*
Jagoi, the arts of dance in Meitei culture
References
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External links
*A video on Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur, prepared by
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.
History
It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
, India, and published by UNESCO (duration 9 minutes 57 seconds)
Sankirtana
Culture of Manipur
Dance in India
Meitei culture