Background

The beautiful but remote north-eastern state of India, Manipur, has a rich repertoire of Ras dances (pertaining to Lord Krishna, his beloved Radha and the village belles/milkmaids, gopis) which are performed only by women and girls. The Ras dances have been greatly influenced by the religious movement of Vaishnavism, the worship of Lord Vishnu, and have flowered in the familiar dance in a circle by Krishna with his female companions.

Basic features

Basically there are four types of Rasa lilas, performed on various occasions and festivals. The traditional music of Manipur, accompanying all dances is heavily influenced by the kirtan style of singing prevalent in Bengal, owing to the influence of Vaishnavism, as mentioned earlier.

Besides Rasa lilas, there are other dances called Natasankirtana, in which a group of men play cymbals and dance in a circle or in two rows singing praises of God. Sankirtana is essentially a tradition of singing and dancing, imbued with the idea of achieving union with Lord Krishna.

In Pung Cholom, the dancers play upon a pung, (or mridangam, a typical traditional Indian drum), and dance while playing the intricate time cycles, executing somersaults and leaps into the air. Another variation Kartal Cholom, is performed by men or women with cymbals in their hands.

Costumes and ornaments

In this dance form the costume of a female dancer is rather picturesque. The head dress originally consisted of a tight-fitting, velvet conical cap, trimmed with a border of pearls, under a white gossamer-thin veil. However the cap has gradually been done away with and its place taken by the hair coiled into a bun at the side of the head. The choli (blouse) is a tight fitting garment, below which lies the twirling flounces of a broad cylindrical skirt (dotted with sequin work). The male dancer wears a dhoti with embroidered bands across his chest ending in flaps that fall over both hips.

In another form of Manipuri dance, the costumes consist of a richly embroidered silk or satin dhoti for both male and female dancers. Over the dhoti, in the middle, is a pleated/ frilled cloth hanging from the waist to the knees. The upper portion of a male dancer’s body remains bare save for a necklace. On the other hand women wear a tight fitting choli or bodice its colour and fabric matching that of the dhoti.

The jewellery includes bangles, bracelets, besides chains and necklaces of varying lengths some almost reaching upto the navel of the dancer.