Bishnupriya Manipuri Online

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Today is Mahalaya , the day when Goddess Durga is invited to destroy evil and restore peace on earth. But, for the Bishnupriya Manipuri people this day has its own significance. On this day, the Bishnupriya Manipuri people offer Tarpan and Sikda . But since this year Amavasya continues over both Sunday and Monday, people will definitely choose a day as per their convenience for the offering. The custom is not much known to me but as far as I remember, on this day, early morning my father, empty stomach, used to go to the river bank near Sree Sree Radha Madhav Sevashram, Maligaon, Guwahati for Tarpan . He used to carry a big brass dish ( sengshengor kupang ), Til (sesame seeds), Tulsi Patta (basil leaves), milk, flower and banana, a list of all the names of the deceased in our family and also a khuttei with him. When once asked what Tarpan means, he replied that it means offering water to one's deceased parents and forefathers. That, on this day it is cu...

Today, the 16th of September 2008 is a very special day for all those who are involved with the Bishnupriya Manipuri Blog, because, on this very day, exactly one year back it came into its existence with the sole vision of making a mark of the Bishnupriya Manipuri brand in the oceanic world of internet and also endowing a platform to the community people all over the world to participate and express themselves. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Being associated with this blog from the day of its emergence, it holds a special place in my life. The initial involvement later transformed into an emotional attachment and now it has become a necessary part of my life. Like earlier to start the day without a glimpse of the newspaper created a vacuum in the whole day's activity, now the blog has taken its place. To start the day with a quick peep into the blog gives a refreshing feeling for the whole day and to find a new post or a comment is an additional bonus. Earlier internet meant onl...

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata The Hindu culture is a very rich and vast culture. All the year round they have one or the other festival to celebrate. They offer Pujas to different Gods and Goddesses . It is rightly said that a Hindu celebrates thirteen festivals in twelve months. But each and every community has its own unique way to perform the festivals. The Bishnupriya Manipuri community, also being a Hindu community, performs different pujas. The rituals followed by them are very elaborate. One unique feature of the community is the chanting of Aratis while performing puja. Aratis are performed mainly in the morning, noon and afternoon. The morning aarati is called Mongolarti, noon its called Bhogarati and evening it is called Sendarati . The aartis are mainly sung in Brajabali language, similar to Bengali. During my last visit to my in-law's village, New Bhakatpur, Silchar to attend Basanti Puja , pledged by my mother-in-law, I witnessed a very unusual thing there. The Monga...

In the passage of time if there is something that changes along with you, is your house. The sweet house where you spent your childhood days, it is quite sure, is different than the house you see now. Either the old house doesn’t exist; if it exists, it has been refurbished to the modern look and necessity. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Till one or two decades ago most of the Bishnupriya Manipuri houses had joint families. The houses used to be quite big with numbers of family members. Most of the houses had a big hall room in the middle of the house called 'dangor ghar' or 'bughgor kutha' and few bedrooms attached to the hall room which are separated by bamboo wall, whose doors had no system to close and were accessible to all 24x7. The only privacy maintained in the bedrooms were by hanging a curtain at the door tied with the help of a thin iron string or a cloth string. The kitchen was built at the rear end of the house. Almost all the houses had a vast varandah in the fr...

Mom's thrashing or scolding did not hurt me much but her comparing me with others would always hurt me and this act of her's would always crop an urge inside me to grow up early, so that I would not have to hear all the craps again and again. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Today morning after completing my household chores, once my daughter and my husband had left for their school and office, I opted to treat and pamper myself with a cup of strong tea, which I usually do not do(I am not a tea person). Taking the cup of tea in my hand, I walked into the living room and the bedroom, finding everything slick and span and with the calmness around, which was a rare phenomenon at the presence of my daughter, I felt a sense of contentment and satisfaction in me. I put the cup of tea aside and laid on the bed looking at the ceiling fan, with both my legs in the air, touching the ground. Lying on the bed and looking at the rotating blades of the fan, it made me ponder how fast my life had und...

Phira Raath (kaang) was celebrated on 12th of July 2008 by the Bishnupriya Manipuri people of Kolkata at the residence of Sri Kunja Singha at Bagher Khol with great keenness. Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Unlike the first day of Rath Yatra, the crowd was meager. Only 40-45 devotees assembled for the occasion but there was no lacking in enthusiasm. The brightly decorated Kaang was drawn and taken out on the road by chanting Hari Naam. This time though the professional Isalpa was not present, yet the devotees chanted Hari Naam with full warmth and devotion while drawing the chariot. Later the Raath was brought back and Senda Arti was performed followed by the Joideb . Everybody, who were present, participated in the Joideb and was of great fun.Finally, the prasadam- Khechuri and usheir khaar was served which was mouth watering. But the day did not end here. There was a singing mehefil where most of the people participated which was fun filled and at last thirty minutes past midnight everyon...

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Bishnupriya Manipuri Awakening Society, Kolkata, on 4th of July 2008, for the fifth consecutive year, celebrated Sri Sri Jagannath Prabhu Rath Jatra at the residence of Sri Kunjo Singha at Bagher Khol, kolkata, with full devotion and enthusiasm. Instead, being on a weekday, over 100 devotees attended to mark the occasion. Community people from Durgapur, Guwahati, Silchar and Dhanbad also attended. The day started with the deities-Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, being taken out from the altar by the Brahmin and putting them on the colorfully decorated Rath (chariot/kaang) amidst a ritual procession of Hari Naam being chanted by the devotees followed by Arati. Later, men and women of all ages, flanked by Bishnupriya Manipuri traditional attires and not to forget the Namsha put by all, the Kaang was drawn, with the Dakulas and Isalpas leading the procession by chanting Hari Naam and other devotional songs. At many places, Dhol Chalan was also performed b...

Hidol is not just the very own delicacy of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community but it is like the golden thread that weaves the whole community people to their origin. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata As ' makei di roti sarso da saag ' relates to the Punjabis, ' macher jhol ' to the Bengalis and ' khar ' to the Assamese etc, ' hidol ' is related to the Bishnupriya Manipuriis. Hidol is the fermented preparation of dry small fish and katchu . A Bishnupriya Manipuri food habit can hardly be described without the preparation of a dish with hidol . Irrespective of economic status, geographical extremity etc., hidol asserts equal fervor from the whole Bishnupriya Manipuri community people. A Bishnupriya Manipuri, whatsoever sophisticated he/she may be, maybe ashamed of introducing himself/herself as a Bishnupriya Manipuri, yet their ultimate relish is paltoi or irolpa . Most of the Bishnupriya Manipuris staying away from their home may or may not receive anything ...

Bishnupriya Manipuri weekdays are vanishing from the consciousness of the community. But no more. Read By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata How many of us (the Bishnupriya Manipuri people) do really know Sunday as Lamboishing and Thursday as Shakolsher ? Someone would say they have heard it once or twice uttered by their parents or grand parents; again some would wonder what it is all about. These are the Brishnupriya Manipuri terms used to address the seven days of the week. I have heard it many years back when I used to visit my parental village from my grand parents and from the elderly people. Also my mother sometimes used to utter " Aji te Shakolsher, aji niramish radani ". But nowadays these terms are not heard at all. We are very much comfortable with either addressing the seven days of the week in English as Sunday, Monday or in Bengali as Ravibar, Sombar etc. Many of us does not even know that there are Bishnupriya Manipuri terms to address the seven days of the week. Myself k...

Holi the festival of colour and joy is celebrated with great enthusiasm by all. This festival is celebrated in different ways by different communities. Our Bishnupriya Manipuri community also has its own way of celebrating this colourful festival. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Holi or Phagua is a major festival of the Bishnupriya Manipuri community. In the villages on the day of ' Phagu Purnima ' most of the individuals fast during day time. On that day the ' Firal ' (Bishnupriya Manipuri holy flag), put on each and every house of the village are collected. With the poles of the ' Firal ' a tower like structure with a hollow inside is built. The structure is called the ' Jarma ". The ' Jarma ' is built on the empty paddy field. After sunset all the villagers irrespective of gender, age and status assemble near the ' Jarma ' with flowers and bhog (fruits, sweets etc) to offer to the Lord. The village priest than appears at the site wit...

Chakam - the Bishnupriya Manipuri kitchen has significance of its own. The traditional chakams are built on the ' Agni Kun ' according to Vaastu Sastra. It is mainly build at the rear end of the house. It usually has two doors - one connecting it to the rest of the house and the other opening at the backyard. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata The Bishnupriya Manipuri kitchens are very spacious and has 'kutcha floors'. It usually has two earthen chulhas known as 'leirang' and a make shift chulha known as the ' Phunka ' or ' Udal ' which is mainly put at the centre of the kitchen. A common sight that is seen at every chakam is the household granary known as the ' Barong ', built at one corner of the kitchen. Every morning the Chakam is cleaned and mopped with a mixture of mud and cow dung. No overnight used utensils are kept in the kitchen. No one is allowed to enter the chakam without taking a bath. Shoes and slippers are a big NO NO in there. On...

What are rituals? Are rituals the dead remains of our ancestors? There are many questions associated with it that has to be addressed. It is still intriguing to many, and it is. It is one among many questions that has no answers. Ranita Sinha, Kolkata It is said that the soul does not die. There is a strong belief in Hinduism that there is life after death. But Christianity does not believe in re-birth. All these are mere assumptions or it may be rightly denoted as belief. There were debates and will always be regarding the cycle of birth and death. We Bishnupriya Manipuri community, being a conservative community, follow an elaborate ritual on anybody's death. With utmost care and devotion all the customs are performed so that the soul of the deceased person may rest in peace. On the 13th day of the death the ' Shradh Ceremony' takes place. On the day of Shradh , in our Bishnupriya Manipuri community, early morning the ritual of " Sajya Katkorani " is perf...

Motherhood in every woman's life comes as the priceless moment. But is it so...there is a price tag attached to it. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Human nature always have an inclination to turn simple things complex. As we Bishnupriya Manipuri also fall in this category, how could we be lacking behind.Rather, it will not be wrong to say that we are a step ahead compared to others. Earlier there was a custom prevalent in our society- where a pregnant lady was fed a meal by her parents on the 7th or 9th month of her pregnancy, with different kinds of delicacies of her choice. Also a few of the elderly relatives and neighbors were invited for the feast. This custom is prevalent in almost all Indian communities. Bengali people call this Sadh Bhokhon . I do not know the exact Bishnupriya Manipuri term for this custom but in general it is called " Baat Khowani ". I do not either know the exact motive or belief behind it but I find it very sweet and emotional gesture. Earlie...

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata A Bishnupriya Manipuri cuisine is not complete without a serving of Chinchu - the mouth watering Bishnupriya Manipuri salad. It is an essential serving in most of the Bishnupriya Manipuri households. Though chinchu require much effort to prepare, yet it is popular as it is very healthy and because of its awesome taste compared to other ordinary salad. It is also full of nutrition. Chinchu requires lots of herbs to be added to it. The main ingredients used for preparing this particular salad are – cabbage( banda kobi ), papaya( khobol ), budding mustard leaves( leur dem ), green chilli and chana. But all these are not enough. Lots of herbs are added to it. They are- phakpoi, tokpaningkong, pirihou, leihapor pata, telikodomor pata and telikodom seed, owar phakeitom, phakeitom etc. For the preparation, first the vegetables and the herbs are properly cleaned and excess water is drained out properly. Then, the vegetables and herbs except, the papaya are finely ...

I do not find any valid reason for this ritual. As already on the day of the death of the husband an elaborate ritual of breaking the bangles of the wife, wiping her bindi and shedding colorful attire and wearing white clothes, the color of mourning is done. Are, all these act not enough, that her head is being shaved? By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata In a country like India, where so many ill practices like Sati Pratha , dowry system, female infanticide, child marriage etc are prevalent; I feel lucky and proud enough to be born in the Bishnupriya Manipuri community, where such ill practices does not exists. But it will be wrong on my part to delineate our Bishnupriya Manipuri community free of any ill practices. It rather practices a more perilous one in the name of custom. It is –"the custom of tonsuring the head of a woman on the 12 th day of the death of her husband". I feel indescribable pain, as I try to put in words this diabolical act. A girl gets married with so many d...

It was getting dark. So, the game was stopped and every one was served with hot and spicy allur baja on banana leaf. I got astonished when I tasted the dish. It was so different in taste from the one that is prepared at home. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Here comes the month of December and January, which reminds me of an incident I experienced during one of my visits to my parental village. To visit a village during the winter season, I suppose to be an ideal time. Because of this time harvesting is complete and all the houses are filled with paddy, grains, potatoes etc, more or less for the whole year. Moreover, looking at the faces of the people it gives an impression as if a mysterious contentment is crossing their faces. There is no sign of poverty. The surrounding seems full of life and activity. During one of my visits to the village in the winter season, one day, my cousins told me that they would show me something, which, I had never seen before. They asked me to get ready to...

Sri Tanu Babu Sinha, besides being the disciple of Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur, he was an educator, a social reformer, a philanthropist; and above all this he was a man of vision, writes Ranita Sinha. Sri Tanu Babu Sinha, the renowned disciple of Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur , was born on the 3rd day of Poush 1285 (Bengali Calendar Year). He was born in Kanaibazar village of Karimganj subdivision under Sri Hatta district- before the partition of Bengal in a Bishnupriya Manipuri family. From his childhood, Sri Tanu Sinha was a meritorious student. He studied at a renowned government English Medium School at Sri Hatta Town. He passed the entrance examination under Calcutta University, attaining 1st position in the state of Assam and 3rd position in Calcutta University. Later, he took admission in graduation with English and Sanskrit as the main subjects in the Presidency College. He passed out with English honors in the year 1902 securing the 1st position in the whole univers...

We looked here and there to find if anybody had left it by mistake. But there was no one. Seeing all this my whole body started shivering, I was not able to utter a single word, of fear or of excitement, I don’t know. By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Way back in the year 1996 me, my sister and my parents went to visit our relatives  at our parental village, Tinokhal in Patherkandi , Assam . It was in the month of January. Those days there was a saying that Lord Shiva , Durga and Ganesha emerged at a farmer's house at a village called Nuagang . I am not a person, who believes in superstitions or ghosts or such things. I was not able to believe what I heard. But people from far and wide were coming to have a glimpse of the miracle. Curious to know the whole thing, I asked one of my cousin to take me there. He instantly refused saying that it was quite far and we had to walk more than 5 Kms, up and down. But I somehow convinced him. That evening at around 6 o'clock, me, my s...

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata Our Bishnupriya Manipuri community is gaining momentum steadily. Now, the parents do not think twice or hesitate to spend money to provide their children a better life and better education. Now, both the boy and the girl child is given the same priority. The parents are ever ready to send their children to far off places to gain better education and a better job opportunity. For this reason, now Bishnupriya Manipuri people are seen in every city of India as well as abroad. Most of the students like migratory birds go out for higher studies and in search of better jobs opportunities, because of this they tend to stay away from their cosy home. Everybody do not want to stay away from home, while some voluntarily take the decision to settle outside, but the bottom line is that they have to stay away from home, for a better livelihood. Most of the Bishnupriya Manipuri villages have developed. Most of the houses are well build with all modern amenities. The pare...

By Ranita Sinha, Kolkata The All Kolkata Bishnupriya Manipuri Society celebrated the 137th Abhirbhab Tithi of Sri Sri Bhubaneshwar Sadhu Thakur in a simple yet traditional way. The Tithi was observed on 10th of Nov 2007(a day in advance due to some unavoidable circumstances). The venue being the premise of Sri Brojo Kishore Sinha, Tegoria, Dum Dum. It was the third consecutive year, the Bishnupriya Manipuri of Kolkata were celebrating the utsab. Though this year the turn out of people were less (most of the families being out of station for some reason or the other), yet it was celebrated with full devotion and enthusiasm. A member from Durgapur also attended the occasion despite the pain he had to take for driving six hours (up and down) all alone. Most of the members, both male and female were in their traditional attire ( Chakchabi and Inafi and Kurta Pyjama ) and not to forget the most sacred ' Nungsha ' on their forehead. And the most important thing is that, all the peo...