Ningol Chakkouba , also known as , is a traditional Meitei festival, celebrated on the second day of the

lunar month In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. Variations In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Euro ...

of Hiyangei (October–November). It is a celebration of bond of love between married women and their paternal families. It is a major festival for the Meitei communities originated form Manipur State of India. It has been celebrated by Meities residing in neighboring states of Manipur like Assam as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Other communities in Manipur also share the celebration and it's a public holiday. Manipuri diasporas in many Indian cities outside

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

, including to

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Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

Shillong Shillong (, ) is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...

, and

Silchar Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is locate ...

, as well as in other countries, like USA, Australia,

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, as well as in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan hosted the festival.

Celebration

On the occasion of Ningol Chakkouba, the parents graciously receive their wedded daughters at their "mapam," or paternal house, for a splendid feast. The married women, adorned in their most exquisite traditional attire, arrive in the company of their children. They bestow upon their parents' gifts imbued with blessings for both the daughters and their progeny. It is customary for the son of the family to extend a formal invitation to his sister a week in advance of the gathering. Though devoid of specific religious connotations, this cherished social celebration serves to fortify the bonds of love and affection between married women and their familial ties. Moreover, it provides a delightful occasion for the reunion of family and friends, some of whom may have journeyed from distant locales.

References

{{Authority control Meitei festivals November observances October observances Festivals in Manipur Women's festivals Women in Meitei culture

Celebration

See also

References