The first day of January brings new hopes and renewed energy. Worldwide celebrations and hard partying set the scene for the new year. The Manipuri New Year however falls on a totally different date and month of the year. This community of North East India follows their lunar calendar for festivals and auspicious ceremonies. New Year for them falls in mid-April during Sajibu, the first month of the Manipuri lunar calendar. The New Year is warmly welcomed with widespread celebration of the Cheiraoba Festival The exact day of Cheiraoba is debatable. Followers of Sanamahi religion celebrate Cheiraoba on nongma paanba or the first day of the Sajibu month. Vaishnavites celebrate Goura Cheiraoba on Pohila Baisaakh. Markets bustle with shoppers on the eve of Cheiraoba. Houses are thoroughly cleaned with special focus on the kitchen. On the morning of Cheiraoba, the chengphu or the container used to store cleaned rice is filled to the brim. It is the belief that this ritual will ensure the household a prosperous year ahead. In the past, missionaries of Hinduism have succeeded in instilling a deep thread of Vaishnavism in the Imphal valley. Despite their efforts, they were unable to completely end the people’s faith on their ancient religion and so, both indigenous as well as Hindu deities are worshipped with equal reverence though the ancient tribal deities hold more importance inside homes. Lai Phi Hongba or offering new clothes to deities is an important part of Cheiraoba morning rituals. Next is Athenpot Kaabaa or offering the season’s produce to the gods. This is a form of expressing gratitude to the Gods for the preceding years and invoking their blessings for the future. Local seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers like kusum lei and kombirei are a must. Rice, betel leaf and betel nut, along with money, incense and meira or fire completes the offering. After the meira and incense burn out, the offerings are used as ingredients for the morning’s lunch. A variety of vegetarian dishes are prepared on this day. Meiteis are lovers of fish although all other forms of meat are forbidden in their kitchen. However the Cheiraoba lunch has to be prepared without fish in any form. Cooking fish delicacies on this occassion are a new trend. The majority however prefers to stick to old rules. Manipuris consider even numbers inauspicious. The numbers of dishes to be cooked and items offered to the deities have to be odd. Singju, uti, eromba, champhut, kang-hou, pakoras, mixed vegetables and lentils are an essential part of the day’s cuisine. Small portions of rice and prepared dishes; fruits, flowers, betel nut, betel leaf, money, fire and incense are offered in the slots prepared. Cheiraoba offerings make little boys rich. Boys run around the locality waiting for a family to make offerings. As soon as the person gets inside, they compete amongst themselves to steal the money offered. Dishes prepared are shared with neighbours. After the distribution, the family
