Mera Wayungba - The seventh month in traditional Manipuri lunar calendar is known as Mera . Mera which coincides with advent of autumn season, is a very significant transitional phase in the life of the people in Manipur, not only from the religious point of view but also from the socio-economic aspect. It is that time of the year when the tillers of the soil reap the fruit of their hard labour and they are in a mood to rejoice in the company of friends and relatives and make thanksgiving offering to the almighty for the bounteous blessing. In Manipur, the advent of autumn is heralded with celebration of Mera Chaoren Houba on the first day of Mera and throughout the remaining days of the month, various religious rites as well as rituals including Mera Santuba and Mera Kwak Tanba, etc. were performed for the well-being of the land and its people. It is also during this month of Mera that festivals like Mera Hou Chongba and Mera Wayungba, which best exhibit the inalienable bond of unity and brotherhood that binds together different groups of people living in the State since time immemorial, are celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety in the truth spirit of camaraderie and oneness.

The Sangai festival is an annual cultural festival organized by Manipur Tourism Department, and is generally held from November 21 to 30 each year. Even though many editions of this Festival have been celebrated over the past few years under the name of Tourism Festival, since 2010 is has been renamed as the Sangai Festival in honour of the shy and gentle Brow-antlered Deer popularly known as the Sangai Deer - the state animal of Manipur.

As this festival is being celebrated to promote Manipur as a world class tourism destination, it showcase the best of what the state has to offer to the world in terms of art and culture, handloom, handicrafts and fine arts, indigenous sports, cuisines, music, eco and adventure sports as well as the scenic natural beauty of the land of Manipur.

Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Its people include the Meitei, Pangal (Muslims), Naga, and Kuki, Zomi and Gorkhali(Nepali) who speak different languages of branches of the Tibeto-Burman family. The state is bounded by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west; Burma lies to the east. It covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi).

The Meitei, who live primarily in the state's valley region, form the primary ethnic group (60% of the total population).The term Meitei now refers to five social groups -- the Meitei marup (believe in only Meitei culture and God), Meitei Christians, Meitei goura Chaytonya (believe in both Meitei and Hindu gods), the Meitei Brahmins (Manipuri Brahmin locally called "Bamons") and the Meitei Muslims (called Miah Meitei or Pangal). All of them has Meiteilon as their mother-tongue. Their language, Meiteilon (also known as Manipuri), is the lingua franca in the state.

Source: Wikipedia, www.hueiyenlanpao.com

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