Lai Haraoba Ishei

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Laihraoba songs are played by the Pena Players (Among the less known Indian musical instruments, Pena of the Manipuris is one of them. Believed to have been in use even before the Christian era, Pena occupies a special place in the cultural history of the Manipuris for the reason that this instrument had been an inseparable companion in the transmission of oral tradition whether devotional, religious, amorous, festive or legendary. It is the song or the vocal music which not only supplements the Pena performance but acts as the clan vital of the performance itself. Manipuri songs associated with Pena are very much susceptible to both allegorical and literal interpretations, and it is at this juncture that the styles and techniques of the gurus reflect their individualities. The songs have been classified into devotional, romantic, festive and life-cyclical) and Amaibis (priestesses), during the main three different forms of Lai Haraobas (Kanglei Haraoba, Chakpa Haraoba, and Moirang haraoba) festivals peerformed in various places in Manipur. In Lai Haraoba, each and every sequence is often associated with dance performance by the amaibis and the local participants and musical presentations by the Pena players. The songs associated with Pena are many and varied. However these may be grouped into 9 major categories namely (1) Tengtharol or Shikaplol, (2) Panthoibi Seisak or Kalen Seijing, (3) Kalen Seiding or Khutlang Eshei, (4) Leimarel Seisak, (5) Ayang Leima Seisak, (6) Nongthangleima Seisak, (7) Lamin or Pi-thadoi, (8) Anoirol Seisak or Hepli Seisak and (9) Ngangsak or Haisak. The styles associated with these nine categories are presented in the traditional Manipuri Lai Haraoba festival.

One of the most popular song and music items at Lai Haraoba is what is called Panthoibi Seisak. This song and music performance of the Pena player is woven around the lore of Goddess Panthoibi and her search for her beloved God Nongpok Ningthou.

Panthoibi Seishak: It was the time of setting sun when the bright light on the face of the hills decreased, and the rising smoke in the hills gradually receded to meet the rising smoke from the plain. Panthoibi was unaware of the whereabout of Nongpok Ningthou and in her helpless condition she beseeched the tall trees of the hills and the leafy ones of the plains to help her find her beloved.

Some of the specimens are giveb below:

The specimen song of Yakairol (or Lai Yakeiba) at Lai Haraoba, describing day break.

Now there is day break, The early birds begin to sing, The milky way turns its back, The brave dogs sharpen their teeth, The male python too turn its back, The dark hours have ended – , And the bright hours of the morn begin – , Bamboo and tree groves become bright – , The eastern hill too becomes bright – , Wake up O! God – , Wake up O! Goddess - - - -

The most significant songs sung by the Pena players in archaic Manipuri expressing the primitive concept of cosmology is known as Anoirol and a few lines of it have been presented below in order to throw some light on the ancient concept of the creation of the world, the living beings particularly the human being by creating its different parts one after another and the growth from childhood to adulthood, the formation of society etc. A rough and brief translation have been given below:

The creator has created, The sky, the sun, the moon and the stars, Created the earth, mountains and rivers. And also created men and women, and other living beings, parts of the bodies one by one. And thus formed the societies, Of men and other living beings.. , Families came into being, for the generations to continue.

Category: Meitei music