| Yaoshang | |
|---|---|
 Perhaps kids in traditional attire going for Nakatheng is the most sought after sight during the Yaosang festival | |
| Observed by | Meitei people |
| Type | Religious, cultural, sports, spring festival |
| Celebrations | After firing the temporary house, people started to celebrate it with colors, sports, dance and feasts. |
| Date | as perMeitei calendar |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Holi,Hola Mohalla andShigmo |
Yaosang is a festival celebrated inManipur for five days in spring, starting on the full moon day of the month of Lamta (February–March). Yaosang is indigenous traditions of theMeitei people.[1] It is considered the most important festival in Manipur.[2] But unlike Holi, the celebrations go far beyond just colours.
Yaosang begins just after sunset in every village with theYaosang Mei thaba, orBurning of the Straw Hut on the night of the fullmoon of Manipuri month of Lamta. Then the children ask at every house for monetary donations, callednakatheng. On the second day, groups of local bands performsankirtan in theGovindagee Temple in the Imphal-East district of Manipur. On the second and third days, girls go to their relatives for theirnakatheng and block roads with ropes for collecting money. On the fourth and fifth days, people pour or splash water on one another. A number of sport events liketug of war and soccer are also organised on this occasion. Apart from this, the local delicacies are also shared with the neighbours during the festival.[3]
Some recent trends during the festival ofYaoshang are music concerts, DJ and other forms of entertainment at open spaces. Local bands performs during such concerts.
Another feature of this festival isThabal Chongba (Dancing in the Moonlight). Men from various places will come to the site of the festival and dance in circles with the women, holding their hands. In 2016, this occurred 23–24 March.[4]
The locals also engage in feasting to celebrate this festival of merrymaking. Of late, there has been a trend of channelling the festive energy toward sporting events to spot out talents at the grassroot level, which is in line with the rich sporting spirit of the Meiteis.[5]
However, rather than starting a completely new religious system, their efforts have focused on establishing a parallel culture to counter the Vaishnavite forces, for example observance of Yaosang (Meitei version ofHoli) during the same period as the Hindu Dol jatra festival. This movement may try to create a political fissure within the society, but it is very difficult to sort out which elements are purely Hindu and which indigenous, because people have long internalized both elements in their way of life.
{{cite book}}:|journal= ignored (help)The third, and most important, of the Krishnaite festivals is Dol Jatra, or, to give it itsMeitei name, Yaosang. This is the greatest of the Meitei festivals and is celebrated on the full moon of Lamta (February––March), lasting for six days.
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