Imoinu Iratpa

Imoinu Iratpa or Emoinu Iratpa or Wakching Taranithoini Pānba is a religious festival celebrated by the Meitei people. It is a festival of lights dedicated to the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Imoinu Ahongbi. The festival is celebrated on the twelfth lunar day of Wakching month of Meitei calendar. The festival is celebrated in Manipur, Assam and Tripura states in North Eastern India and observed by some in the neighboring Myanmar. The festival involves sacrifices and prayers to the goddess, followed by various other cultural events.

Etymology

Iratpa means "sacrifice" and Imoinu Iratapa translates to "sacrifice to the goddess Imoinu" in Meitei language. The festival is also known as Wakching Taranithoini Paanba, which translates to the "twelfth day of Wakching" (Taranithoini meaning "twelfth day" and Panba meaning "to be"), referring to the day on which the festival is celebrated. == Background ==

Background

The festival is dedicated to mother goddess Imoinu Ahongbi. According to a Meitei mythology, goddess Emoinu visits earth every year on the day and visits every home to shower her blessings. According to Meitei history, the worship of Emoinu began in the fifth century CE when the royal family worshiped the goddess and later by the 15th century CE, the common people also began to worship her. == Occurrence ==

Occurrence

Imoinu Iratapa is celebrated on the 12th of lunar day of the Wakching month of the Meitei calendar. It usually falls on the month of December-January in the Gregorian calendar. == Observance ==

Observance

Imoinu Iratapa is a festival of lights, celebrated by the Meitei people following the traditional religion Sanamahism. The festival is also observed by Meitei people, who follow other religions such as Hinduism. It is also observed by some of the people settled in the neighboring Myanmar. It is a public holiday in Manipur. == Practices ==

Practices

During the festival, people offer rice, vegetables, fruits and sweets to the goddess Imoinu. Traditional martial art performance of Thang-Ta using a sword (Thang) and a spear (Ta) is also performed. Since 2022, a fish fair or fish festival is being organized as a part of the festival, in the days leading up the main festival day. The Emoinu fish festival is conducted to procure the necessary fish for the festival and encourage aquaculture. ==References==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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