Sajibu Nongma Panba “Cheiraoba’’

Manipur is a beautiful state in northeast India. The state is known for its mesmerizing natural beauty and rich heritage. The state celebrates many festivals as part of its religious aspirations and culture. One of the most prominent festivals is Sajibu Nongmapanba, also known as Cheiraoba. The Cheiraoba festival of Manipur marks the beginning of the traditional New Year and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and pleasure. On this day, the locals send each other warm greetings, clean their homes, decorate them, worship their God, and visit their relatives. People also gather together and climb the closest mountain slope top symbolizing the ascent of human progress.
Cheiraoba is celebrated on the first day of the Sajibu lunar month, the first month of the Manipuri or Meitei lunar calendar. As per the western calendar, the Cheiraoba festival mainly falls in late March or early April. Sajibu Cheiraoba festival is the traditional New Year for the people following the Sanamahism religion in Manipur. Though Sanamahism’s religious followers traditionally celebrated it, now people of all faiths celebrate this. The name Sajibu Nongmapanba was derived from three Manipuri words- Sajibu meaning the first month of the year, Nongma meaning the first date of a month, and Panba meaning to be. So together, they represent- to be on the first day of the first Meitei lunar month. According to the Sanamahism religion’s followers, the Meitei New year or Sajibu Nongmapanba origin dates back to King Maliya Fambalcha, also known as Koi-Koi, in 1359-1329 BC. Koi-Koi became the king at the young age of 25 years. Since then, the Meitei calendar or Cheiraoba, known as Mari-Fam, started. So 1359 BC will be 25 Mari-Fam, and 2021 AD will be 3385 MF as per the Meitei calendar. So koi-Koi’s birthday was taken as the base or 00 MF, and that day became the New Year as per the Meitei lunar calendar.
The Cheiraoba festival of Manipur signifies the advent of the New Year or a new beginning. The festival is celebrated to strengthen the relations or bonds of love and brotherhood among families, relatives, and neighbours. The Manipuri people believe what happens on the day of Cheiraoba occurs throughout the year. So meeting their extended families and friends, gifting each other presents, feasting together, and being happy on this day, will result in the same happening for the rest of the year. Hence, on the day of the Cheiraoba festival, Manipur people arrange traditional cuisine feasts for their families, relatives, and friends. First, they offer food to their local deities at their homes’ entrances and then serve it to guests.
Spring cleaning activities will be seen in all the families of the Meitei community prior to the festival. They will clean all belongings, including clothes, utensils, household items, unused items around the house, etc. Part of the tradition is to buy new clothes to be worn on the new year. In earlier times black mud was collected from the river and pond and painted on house walls. (Earlier walls of homes were built of mud, straw, bamboo whilst the finishing was done by applying black mud hence this tradition. The painting was done annually. Today wall made of brick except in villages where traditional homes may be found).The Meitei, Manipuri people celebrate the festival with great fanfare; gatherings of the extended family and a sumptuous feast for lunch is arranged.
The day, begins with rituals offering of different kinds of fruits, vegetables, rice and other uncooked food items and flowers of the new season to the deity Lainingthou (the King of the supreme Lord) Sanamahi. This is done early morning by the elderly women of the house. This ritual was known as Athenpot kaba and is performed inside the house. The supreme Gods and Goddess of the Meiteis namely Leimaren, Leiningthou Pakhangba, Nongsaba, Yumjao Lairembi clothes are changed on this day. Earlier, during the time of Maharajas the King had to take bath in six different ponds on this auspicious day inside Kangla , the ancient Palace of Manipuri Kingdom. One of the ministers in the Kings court would predict/pronounce the weather forecast for the year i.e. would there be sufficient rain, drought/flood or calamity etc. Special religious ceremonies were also held at the Shri Shri Govindajee Temple on the New Year Day where Vishnu Puja was conducted with traditional norms. Eating of Snails/clams (one of the most precious seafood/river food) at dinner one day before Cheiraoba festival is also a common practice among the Meitei communities. After eating, counting of empty shells is a common practice to know if the numbers of shells consumed was an odd or even number. If the number was even it was considered one would have good luck in the years to come.
Traditionally, the eldest son of the house will make the offering to three deities – Kumsana Kumliklai (Lord of the golden year), Lamsenba Tusenba (Guardian of the Land) and Lammaba Tumaba (Lord of the land) at this sanctified area. Besides offering to the Lords, family members also remember the departed near and dear ones. The offering traditionally includes an odd number (chang taaba) of dishes surrounding a small mound of steamed rice, a token currency, fruits, flowers, a candle, and an incense stick, all of them placed on a banana leaf. This prayer ritual is for happiness and to protect the family members from the fatality in the coming year. This ritual is performed in the late morning normally before noon.
After this ritual, the dishes prepared for the feast are exchanged with relatives/neighbours. This tradition is called Mathel Laanaba after which the feast starts. It is believed that on the day of New Year anything that happens on that day will happen for the rest of the year i.e. if you are happy and healthy on that day, you will be happy and healthy for the rest of the year. Before having the lunch prepared for the New Year feast, all would take blessings from the elders of the house/relatives and nearby elders too. Photographs and portraits of the departed family members are kept in the appropriate place of the home with symbolic white cloths offering candle, fruits and flowers.
The younger offer prayers to the departed family members. Nowadays the items of food included fish (even meat in some places) but in the earlier days only the vegetarian’s items were offered.
After the feast, it is a tradition that family members (mostly young one) climb nearby hillocks to pay homage to the deities, signifying the elevation of the spirit to reach the divine. The Ching Kâba is usually done during the afternoon to early evening, before the sun sets. As per tradition a married woman should present a gift, usually a cloth, to her father and brothers and other members of her parental home prior to the day of the festival or on the day of the festival. On the night of the Cheiraoba festival celebration young boys and girls celebrate with the Moonlight dancing/Thabal Chongba to the sounds of a Band Party. Earlier the event was performed in traditional style, using the traditional music instruments like Pena and Langden Pung and in traditional dress but times has changed.
Seasonal flowers bloom only in March and April namely Leiri, Nongdonlei, Khongumelei and Kushum Lei. Over and above Kombeirei grow and bloom in wet or marshy areas. These flowers are offered to the God on this particular day. Komberei is light blue to deep blue or purple in colour. It has enjoyed a close association with the Meiteis for hundreds of years and symbolises life, love and death. This festival (Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba) is a significant time for reflection and new beginnings, bringing families and communities together to usher in peace and prosperity.
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