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| Manipuri dance | |
|---|---|
| Name | Manipuri dance |
| Genre | Classical dance |
| State origin | Manipur |
| Years active | Centuries |
Manipuri dance is a classical Indian performing art form originating in the northeastern region of India, characterized by lyrical movements, devotional themes, and elaborate costumes derived from regional traditions. It combines devotional narratives, folk motifs, and courtly refinement to present episodes from epic literature and devotional literature in a stylized idiom. Practiced historically in temples, courts, and village rituals, it has been preserved and promulgated through lineages, institutions, and cultural festivals.
The tradition developed within the social milieus of Imphal, Kangla Fort, Manipur Kingdom, Meitei people, Vaishnavism in Manipur, Vaishnava bhakti, and temple practices associated with Sanamahism. Patrons such as the rulers of the Kingdom of Manipur and reformers like King Pamheiba influenced its ritualization alongside local performers including maibas and maibis. British colonial encounters involving officials in British India and ethnographers like H. C. Pemberton brought regional arts to wider attention, while 20th-century figures including Rukmini Devi Arundale, Uday Shankar, and Vishnu Tattoo helped introduce northeastern traditions to mainstream Indian stages. Contemporary dissemination involves cultural organizations such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Ministry of Culture (India), and universities across New Delhi, Kolkata, and Guwahati.
Origins trace to pre-colonial ritual and court practices linked to royal chronicles like the Cheitharol Kumbaba and mythic cycles found in works such as the Puranas through Vaishnava reinterpretation by missionaries connected with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu traditions. Early patronage by rulers including Meidingu Pamheiba and contact with neighboring polities such as the Ahom Kingdom, Naga Hills, Tripura (princely state), and Shan States shaped its syntactic repertoire. Ethnographers including N. K. Bhattacharyya and collectors like B. N. Goswami documented village forms alongside courtly dance lineages preserved by families associated with Manipur Royal Palace. Colonial-era performances at venues like Calcutta's theaters and festivals under the patronage of administrators such as Lord Curzon catalyzed formal codification. Post-independence cultural policy by institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi and initiatives led by artists like K. C. Dey supported revival and transmission.
Distinct stylistic strands include ritual enactments performed by community priestesses linked to Meitei religious practices, courtly presentations aligned with royal households of Imphal, and folk-dance hybrids exchanged with communities in Cachar, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Assam. Recognized performance genres encompass narrative episodes derived from the Bhagavata Purana, devotional assemblies practiced in Vaishnavite monasteries such as those associated with Nityananda, and secular items performed at regional events like Yaoshang and Rath Yatra. Performance subtypes show affinities with classical vocabularies codified in treatises by scholars connected to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and comparative studies referencing the Natya Shastra and regional manuals preserved in archives at the National Museum, New Delhi.
Central repertoire centers on the life and lilas of Krishna and episodes from the Raslila tradition, as transmitted through Vaishnava literature, devotional poetry of figures like Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and regional kirtan traditions. Narrative items include enactments of episodes such as Govardhana Hill, Rasa Lila, and pastoral scenes featuring gopis from scriptures and commentaries found in collections curated by the Asiatic Society and libraries at Manipur University. Secular material comprises seasonal folk numbers tied to agricultural cycles and rites celebrated at events like Lai Haraoba, Sajibu Cheiraoba, and community rites led by singers associated with institutions such as All India Radio, Imphal. Choreographic sequences integrate melodic frameworks borrowed from Hindustani classical music, regional forms preserved by maestros documented by the Sangeet Research Academy.
Costuming draws on regional textiles from Manipuri handloom traditions and craft clusters in Thoubal District and Bishnupur, featuring distinctive garments such as elaborately pleated skirts and devotional headgear worn in performances staged at royal precincts near Kangla Fort. Jewelry and embroidery techniques reflect local artisan guilds connected to markets in Imphal Bazaar and craft cooperatives under initiatives supported by the Handloom Board. Accompanying instruments include the pung (drum), kartal, flute (bansuri), singing tambura drones, and stringed accompaniments with trace links to instruments archived at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Makeup traditions employ rice-paste cosmetics and natural pigments produced in districts like Senapati and techniques taught in gurukul-style schools patronized by cultural trusts such as the North East Zone Cultural Centre.
Transmission occurs through hereditary lineages, temple schools, and modern academies founded by guru-scholars from families associated with the royal court and monastic centers. Notable pedagogues and institutions include lineages of teachers whose students have joined academies like the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, conservatories linked to Rabindranath Tagore's disciples, and independent gurus who collaborated with national bodies such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi and regional universities including Manipur University. Master teachers and cultural activists documented in biographies and ethnographic studies include eminent names preserved in archives at the National School of Drama and collections of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati's cultural cell. Training emphasizes raga-referenced singing, rhythmic mastery of percussion patterns registered in manuscripts at institutes like the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, and dramaturgical instruction following scripts used in performances at venues like the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Performances remain integral to regional identity, religious observance, and intercultural exchange at festivals such as Lai Haraoba, Yaoshang Festival, Govindajee Temple ceremonies, and national events organized by bodies like the Ministry of Culture (India). Troupes tour at cultural exchanges hosted by organizations including the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and participate in international festivals in cities such as London, Paris, New York City, Tokyo, and Berlin. Scholarly attention from historians at institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Calcutta, and North Eastern Hill University has documented its role in identity politics, heritage management, and intangible cultural heritage initiatives under agencies like the UNESCO-linked programs and national heritage schemes administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Category:Dances of Manipur