Lai-Haroba

Lai-Haroba is a festival of Manipur when the traditional deities of the region are worshiped. Celebrated in the month of May, the Lai-Haroba festival is initiated by worshiping one’s ancestors and local deities like Umang Thai. The Lai-Haroba festival in Manipur celebrates the process of creation and is a time to rejoice with songs and dances. The basis of the Lai-Haroba festival can be found in the age old legends of Manipur.

As the legend says, Guru Sidaba was great lord who resided in a dark vacuum. One day the dark room of Guru Sidaba was illuminated by the different colors of a rainbow and it was this bright light that motivated him to create the world. Thus Atiya Guru Sidaba was sent down to earth along with a creature and was entrusted with the task of creating a cohesive wiry network in which the human life was to get entangled and integrated.

However, soon Atiya Guru approached Guru Sidaba with the plea of further solidifying the framework. Sidaba Guru went on to provide him with nine men and seven women and some dirt from his naval. Atiya Guru thus initiated his work but was interrupted by Harba. Thus the Goddess of lightning was sent to rescue Atiya Guru who now enslaved Harba. Finally, Atiya Guru succeeded in hardening and defining the framework which now became suitable for human life. It is this process that the Lai-Haroba festival celebrates and is a very pious occasion for the Manipuri people.