Manipur celebrates Ningol Chakouba on Wednesday: What the festival is about

Manipur will celebrate Ningol Chakouba, one of the state's best-loved family festivals, on Wednesday, November 11.

The festival falls every year on the second day of Hiyangei in the Meitei calendar. It celebrates the bond between married women and their brothers and parental families, All India Radio reported.

How it is celebrated

On the day, married women are invited back to their parents' home for a feast. They arrive in the morning in traditional attire, often with their children, carrying fruits, vegetables and other food items. After the meal, their brothers give them gifts.

Fish curry is an essential part of the Ningol Chakouba meal, which is why demand for fish peaks in the days before the festival.

Fish fair and price caps

To meet that demand, the Department of Fisheries holds its annual Fish Fair-cum-Fish Crop Competition in Imphal just before the festival. This year's 47th edition at Hapta Kangjeibung has about 200 stalls, more than 50 above last year, and a target of selling 2.2 lakh kg of fish, Ukhrul Times reported. Prize money for the fish crop competition, which rewards farmers for their produce, has been raised from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who addressed the fair, said Manipur's spending on fish brought in from outside the state had come down to below Rs 300 crore a year, and urged farmers to produce more locally. He announced a subsidy of Rs 3 lakh each for seven selected farmers rearing fish varieties brought from outside the state. Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho and Sekmai MLA Heikham Dingo also attended.

Director of Fisheries T. Phulen said local output of indigenous varieties such as Pengba and Ngaton had improved so much that they were now available all year, not only in the festival season. He said the remaining Rs 19 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana was expected by December.

The state government had also fixed ceiling prices for 18 food items ahead of the festival to keep markets in check.

A festival that has travelled

Ningol Chakouba is now also celebrated by Manipuri communities outside the state, including in Assam, Tripura and Delhi. For many families it is the biggest homecoming of the year.