| Meitei Sankirtan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Medium | Ritual singing, drumming and dancing |
| Originating culture | Meitei |
| Originating era | 18th century AD – present |
| Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur | |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Reference | 00843 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2013 (8th session) |
| List | Representative |
Meitei Sankirtan (Meitei:Meitei Nat Sankirtan), also known asMeitei Sankirtana (Meitei:Meitei Nat Sankirtana) orManipuri Sankirtan (Meitei:Nat Sonkirton) orManipuri Sankirtana (Meitei:Nat Sonkirton), is aMeitei intangible cultural heritage, and a performing art form, involving ritual singing,drumming and dancing performed in the temples and domestic spaces inManipur in India. Through the performances which exhibit unparalleled religious devotion and energy, the performers narrate the many stories ofKrishna often moving the spectators to tears.[1] It is practiced primarily by theMeitei Hindus (primarilyVaishnavas) in Manipur and by the Vaishnava Manipuri population settled in the neighbouring States ofTripura andAssam. In December 2013,UNESCO inscribed "Sankirtana: Ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur" in theRepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[2]
Meitei Nat Sankirtana, along with the fusion of three other performing art forms,Huiyen Lallong,Lai Haraoba andRaaslila, gave rise to theSangeet Natak Akademi-recognisedIndian classical dance form, popularly known as the"Manipuri dance".[3]
The Nomination file for Inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity prepared bySangeet Natak Akademi describes this performing art thus:
"Starting with ritual observances which involve singing and dancing in the temples of Manipur, Sankirtana encompasses an array of arts performed also in the home and the street to mark occasions of religious import and stages in the life of the Vaishnava people inhabiting the Manipur plains. The theology and lore of Krishna is central to these performances, but they assimilate in their rendering formal features carried over from music and dance in Manipur’s pre-Vaishnavite past. The core of Sankirtana practice is to be found in the temple, where it narrates through song and dance the lives and deeds of the Lord. These are typically presented in the round, in a hall (Mandapa) attached to the temple before devotees. The main repertoire consists of Nata Pala, which is performed all over the Manipur valley. The Ariba Pala and Manohar Sai Pala, less often in evidence today, are also temple-centred. Outside the temple, Sankirtana assumes forms such as the Holi Pala celebrating the festival of colours in springtime or Shayan performed in the winter months. Khubak Eshei is celebrated within the temple during the rains, marking the chariot festival of the Lord. In the setting of the home, Sankirtana is offered as prayer at all life-cycle ceremonies, such as the ear-piercing ritual (for both males and females in childhood), the donning of the sacred thread (for adolescent males), marriage, and the rites of passage at death. Thus pervading the life of the Manipuri Vaishnava, Sankirtana is regarded as the visible manifestation of God."[4]
The classical dance of Manipuri was born out of rituals that are danced by the Meitei community residing in Manipur, India. The style of Manipuri that we see on stage is a confluence of traditions that are associated with four rituals. These rituals are observed as devotional service, or rites of passage, or propitiation rites, or all. Dance is derived from each of these rituals – Lai Haraoba, Huyen Langlon, Nata Sankirtana and Raaslila. These dances are considered as genres of Manipuri dance, alongside being integral part of Meitei social fabric. However, the classical Manipuri tradition is often associated with only the Raaslila tradition, which is debated by different institutions.