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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Oct. 20 (EMN): Mera Houchongba, the festival which exemplifies oneness and brotherhood among people of different ethnic communities of Manipur was celebrated with pomp, gaiety and traditional fervour at Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple complex in Imphal.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba were the chief guest and functional president of the celebration which was jointly organised by Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board and Uttra Shanglen Sana Konung (Royal Palace).
State Planning Board Deputy Chairman L Rameshwor Meetei, former Minister RV Mingthing, All India PRO of RSS Sunil Despande, Assam Zone Pracharak Pramukh Ashokan Kusaliyat also attended the celebration as dignitaries, among others.
Age-old rituals were performed, gifts were exchanged and cultural items were presented by different communities during the celebration which was jointly organised by Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board and Uttra Shanglen Sana Konung (Royal Palace), according to a DIPR report.
Chief Minister Biren Singh exchanged gifts with RV Mingthing while Sunil Despande exchanged gifts with former president of Tangkhul Naga Long Shri Hopingson Shimray. Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba also exchanged gifts with Ningthoupham Village Chief BK John Thangal.
Speaking at the occasion, Biren Singh pointed out that it is now time to discard the sense of disintegration and work together for a united Manipur and India. Informing that different organisations and institutions used to celebrate the festival independently at different locations earlier, he said however, the present Manipur Government convinced them to come together to organise it as a state- level celebration in a grand manner in 2017. Since then, the festival is celebrated as a state-level function, he said.
This year, celebrations had been toned down due to Covid-19 pandemic. However, it could not be called off considering its significance in building up fraternal bonds among different communities, he added.
He said that unity between hill and valley people had strengthened and it was testified on many occasions when people of hill districts brought vegetables grown in their villages for valley people when the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic was imposed last year, he observed.
Earlier in the day, other important rituals like Mera Men Tongba and Yenkhong Tamba were also performed at Sana Konung (Royal Palace).