Hinduism in Manipur

Hinduism in Manipur has witnessed three different stages. The people of the land used to practice Animism before the introduction of Hinduism in the region. Although Hinduism reached later in this part of the world due to geographical barriers, the religion has gradually emerged as one of the most popular religions in Manipur.

The first stage of Hinduism in Manipur was witnessed during the reign of King Charai Rongba who ruled during the 15th century. A royal guru, Guru Aribom, was adopted by the king who preached and taught Hinduism to his subjects.

The second phase was during Garib Niwaj's rule in the 18th century. During his rule different sects and cults of Hinduism like Vaishnavism and Ramanadi emerged in Manipur. His Guru Gopal Das propelled him to adopt Vaishnavism. The king popularized the Bhagwat in the region. During his rule a Hindu preacher called Santi Das introduced and spread the Ramanandi cult in Manipur.

After the death of Garib, his successors Jai Singh accepted and promoted the Chaitnaya School of Vaishnavism. Today Hinduism is among the leading religions in Manipur and is followed by a large number of people. The Manipuri Hindus follow the Vaishnavism sect and do not eat meat. However, they eat fish and wear Tilak on their foreheads. They strongly believe in the holy books of Hindus like Gita, Mahabharata and Ramayana. They observe festivals like Rathyatra, Diwali, Durga Puja, Ras Lila and other Hindu Festivals.