📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / AjayDas
Religion
Manipur observes Mera Hou Chongba with rituals as law-and-order concerns linger
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 26 Oct 2026, 03:05 PM
👁 19
The northeastern state of Manipur marked the cultural festival Mera Hou Chongba with traditional ceremonies, while police remained on high alert over law‑and‑order issues.
Manipur celebrated Mera Hou Chongba, a traditional festival that promotes unity among its diverse ethnic communities, on Saturday. The event, observed annually across the state, features folk dances, communal feasts and symbolic rituals that reinforce social harmony.
In Imphal and several district headquarters, cultural troupes performed age‑old songs and dances while locals gathered at community halls to share a common meal. The rituals, which include the lighting of ceremonial lamps and the exchange of traditional gifts, were conducted according to customary protocols passed down through generations.
Authorities, however, kept a heightened security presence throughout the celebrations. Police units were deployed at major venues and along key routes to deter any disturbance, citing recent reports of unrest in parts of the state. The law‑and‑order situation was described as “sensitive” by senior officials, who urged participants to remain peaceful.
Despite the security alerts, the festival proceeded without major incidents. Residents expressed optimism that Mera Hou Chongba would continue to serve as a platform for cultural cohesion, even as the administration monitors the broader security climate.
In Imphal and several district headquarters, cultural troupes performed age‑old songs and dances while locals gathered at community halls to share a common meal. The rituals, which include the lighting of ceremonial lamps and the exchange of traditional gifts, were conducted according to customary protocols passed down through generations.
Authorities, however, kept a heightened security presence throughout the celebrations. Police units were deployed at major venues and along key routes to deter any disturbance, citing recent reports of unrest in parts of the state. The law‑and‑order situation was described as “sensitive” by senior officials, who urged participants to remain peaceful.
Despite the security alerts, the festival proceeded without major incidents. Residents expressed optimism that Mera Hou Chongba would continue to serve as a platform for cultural cohesion, even as the administration monitors the broader security climate.