page_title: Lai Haraoba
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Lai Haraoba / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Lai Haroaba Manipur festival dance folk dance of manipur
context_page_description: Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with Meetei People, celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means "merry making of the Gods" in Meetei.
context_section_description: The rituals within the festival are the same except in some items or hymns, such as ikouba, ikourol, and yakairol at the beginning and mikon thagonba, ngaprum tanba at the end of the festival. In the performances, the evolution story with the amorous love-affairs of Nongpok Ninghthou and Panthoibi is depicted and played equally in all kinds of lai haraoba.
  Lai Haraoba is a ritualistic festival of the Meiteis observing from the ancient times. It is a ritual enactment of the creation myth. It mirrors the entire culture of Manipur and depicts the close affinities between the hill and plain people. It is in fact the combination of religious recitations, traditional music and dance, traditional social values and ancient cultural aspects.
caption: Dancers at the festival
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