12th Festival of Thang – Ta held

Imphal, Jan 14: 12 th Festival of Thang-T a, under the aegis of Ministry of culture was organized by the Kangleipak Thang-T a Cultural Association, at the auditorium of the organization at Yairenpat today . In his welcome address the President of the organization Longjam Biren stated that the objective of organizing the festival is the making of co- existence of different schools of Thang-ta. He further said that there are about forty to fifty different institutions which are running under different gurus of Manipur and all have different styles of stepping pattern, movements, and presentation, and the association felt the need that every artistes of Thang-T a should witness the presentation style of different schools in order to pick up beautiful styles of each other in a competitive way . The festival will also pave the way for preservation and propagation of this rare art form of Manipur for creating socio cultural relations among the people. The Kangleipak Thang-T a Cultural association which came into existence in the year 1978 under the patronage of late Guru Th.Borajao Singh ,has been organizing the festival for last eleven years under the aegis of Sangeet Natak Akademy and this first time under the aegis of Ministry of Culture. The opening function of the festival was graced by RK Achouba Singh ,Padmashri, retd. Pradhan Guru, JN Dance Academy , Kshetri Jugindro,Manipur State Kala Akademi Awardee, Director – Manipur Ensemble and Shri Wareppa Naba, Padmashri, Director – Theatre Mirror , as Chief guest, Special Guest and President respectively . Different organizations like MEEHULS,kongba,Huyel Lallong Manipur Thang-ta Cultural Association,Irilbung, Performing Organisation of Art & Culture, Keirao Khunou, Manipur Integrated Cultural Centre, Keirao and Association for Paona Memorial Arts & Rural Development Centre , Thoubal Wangkhem also participated and presented Thang-T a Demonstration in the festival