Ningol Chakkouba Festival

Current Context : Recently, Ningol Chakkouba festival was held with religious fervour and gaiety across the State of Manipur.

About Ningol Chakkouba Festival

• Celebration:Held annually on the second day of Hiyangei in the Meitei lunar calendar.
• Main Tradition:Married women (Ningols) are invited to their parents’ home for a grand feast (Chakouba), symbolizing family reunion.
• Custom:Sons invite their married sisters a week in advance.
• Significance:Promotes peace, harmony, and family unity, with gifts exchanged during the gathering.
• Growing Popularity:While mainly celebrated by Meiteis, other communities now participate in the festival.

Meitei Community

• Location:Primarily in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, with diaspora in Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Bangladesh.
• Language:Meitei (Manipuri), an official language of Manipur.
• Culture:Organized into clans with no intermarriage between them.
• Economy:Mainly rice cultivation in irrigated fields.