Manipur celebrates Ningol Chakkouba with gaiety

IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 1: Ningol Chakkouba—a festival of Manipur during which married sisters and daughters are invited to grand feasts—and another festival, Kut, the post-harvest festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes were celebrated across the state with gaiety here on Tuesday. Ningol means both married and unmarried daughters while Chakkouba means an invitation for a traditional lunch at the parents or brothers’ house. Thus the festival is a special day for married women from the Manipuri society. From early morning, married sisters and daughters have been visiting their mothers’ places wearing their finest and bringing the best fruits and sweets of the season for their families. In return, they were also presented gifts by their parents and brothers while the married sisters blessed their brothers for a long prosperous life. It was followed grand feasts that had various courses reflective of the local cuisine in the forms of fish curry. As most of the families celebrated the festival, important roads leading to the state’s capital wore a deserted look during the festival on Tuesday. On the other hand, Kut, the post-harvest festival of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo tribes in Manipur was also celebrated across the state with gaiety here on Tuesday. The main attraction of the festival was the Miss Kut beauty pageant. More than a dozen beauties are vying for the Rs 1 lakh crown.