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Journalism of Courage
The five-day-long Yaoshang festival, Manipur’s version of Holi, has begun on Tuesday.
The festival is celebrated every year on the full moon of Lamta (February-March) of the Meitei lunar calendar. Yaoshang begins just after sunset followed by Yaosang Mei thaba, also known as Burning of the Straw Hut. Children visit neighbours to ask for monetary donations, called nakatheng.
Yaoshang, unlike Holi, is celebrated with a traditional twist in Manipur. During these five days Manipur comes alive with sporting events during the day and traditional “thabal chongba” dance in the night.
The thabal chongba is a traditional dance of the Meitei, where boys and girls gathered in an open ground and dance in a circle. But these days thabal chongba is performed throughout the month of Lamta. Business activities and public transportation come to a grinding halt during Yaoshang. All educational institutions, both private and government, will also remain shut.
