Cane and Bamboo Crafts of Manipur
- Part 10 -

By: Mutua Bahadur *

UMBRELLAS People in the rural areas use three types of bamboo umbrella or Yenpak, worn or borne on the head, to ward off heat and rain while going to work and even when working in the paddy-fields. The types of yenpak thus used are:
Yenkhrung (Fig.83),
Salaitep and
Yetigoi (Fig.84).

People venturing out to fish on the Loktak lake wear on their heads a smaller version of the Yengoi umbrella. When working in the paddy-fields, the use of Yenkhrung umbrella safeguards the upper part of the body from the direct heat as well as from getting wet when it rains. As such, the Yenkhrung umbrella is commonly used by the rural populace living in the plains as well as by those living on the hill slopes.

For some villages in the eastern part of Manipur, even today it is prohibited to use the Yenkhrung umbrella. This is based on oral folklore of this region that had been handed down the ages and which has got something to do with this particular type of yenpak. The Salaitep umbrella is practically out of use.

At times, when carrying conical baskets laden with goods, this particular umbrella is used to ward off the rains and keep the goods and the body, so to say, safe and dry. The women-vendors sitting in unsheltered places use big Yengoi umbrellas, perched on bamboo poles, to ward off the heat and the rains.

In Manipur, Gouriya Vaishnavites use small Yengoi umbrella at the time of a person's death and at the 'Shraadha' ceremony of the deceased person. This is true of people who have been adorned with the sacred thread.

The yenpak, made with the primary objective of warding off heat and rain, has a pattern of weave conforming to diagonals filled in, the texture of the open hexagonal weave. It has a Double Weave with an intermediary layer of very light, dry Leihoura leaves. This makes the yenpak waterproof. Some people use Waarukak (Culm-sheath) for the intermediary layer in place of the Leihoura leaves.

But it is rarely used since it tends to make the yenpak heavier. Yenpaks with the intermediary layer of waarukak are often used for death ceremonies such as the 'Shraadha'. People in the hills use broad, crisp leaves (of trees such as teak) for the intermediary layer. After completing the inner and the outer weaves of the yenpak, and after inserting the intermediary layer, the rim of the yenpak is bound tightly with cane splits to secure it firmly.

HEADGEARS AND ORNAMENTS

On festive occasions, when people come out to participate in community dance etc., tribal folks decorate their head and ears with a variety of headgears and ornaments made of cheap and readily available materials. As much as the several tribes differ from one another in feature and in habitat, so do their headgears and ornaments.

And again, there is distinct differences between headgears worn by men and by women of any given tribe. Bamboo and cane splits are compulsory components for structuring the basic forms of the headgears and ornaments. Tribal menfolk use a headgear, woven with cane splits, which is made to fit neatly like a cap and which they wear when dancing.

The Kharam tribals decorate their ears with flowers made of bamboo. The tribal people also decorate their arms and legs with Khudangyai or wrist-let and Khubomyai or anklet respectively. Both the Khudangyai and the Khubomyai are made of cane. Besides being a form of decorative ornament, the Khudangyai and Khubomyai both serve as protective gear in battles, fights, etc.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

The tribal people in the hills use a wide range of wind musical instruments made of bamboo. These are mainly played with the mouth. In earlier times Meiteis made use of bamboo and bamboo roots to make the Perm, an indigenous musical instrument. The Lamgang tribals contrive cut tubes of a small variety of bamboo to make a flute-like wind musical instrument called Puleh. This instrument has 4 to 7 holes.

The Maring tribals too use a similar musical instrument called Toutri (Fig.88). The Koms call it Theibe. The Thadou tribals cut three tubes of different lengths from the same bamboo stem and the tubes are seperately blown with the mouth to produce different musical notes. The Thadous call such musical instrument Ttieiphit.

The Lamgang tribals use a peculiar wind musical instrument called Relru which is a one-metre long hollow bamboo tube with an attached projection in the middle, through which one blows with the mouth to produce musical notes. Almost all the tribal groups use a musical instrument made of four to five bamboo tubes of uneven sizes that are joined together, the smaller tubes being partly inserted into the bigger tubes. The instrument is played like a bugle (Fig.87).

The Lamgang tribals make use of both the hard outer layer or skin of the bamboo and the pulpy inner layer to make a musical instrument. The necessary length of both the layers is 30 cm. Many of the tribal groups configure fine bamboo splits or Paya to make an interesting musical instrument that is played with the mouth. The paya must be 15cm. long and 1.5cm. broad. The Mao tribals call it Khetsh; whereas it is known as Marao (Fig.90) by the Tangkhuls.

TOTEMS

Totems in the form of tall bamboo poles decorated with three to nine circular bamboo rings, draped with cloth cut in geometrical shapes, are a marked feature of the Meitei society. The bamboo poles have to be straight ones, and of the biggest variety. The rings are of uneven sizes, with the smallest ring adorning the tip of the poles. The biggest ring comes last. These totems are known as Shattra (Fig.91).

They are considered a must for various rituals and ceremonies. Shattras are offered and used as a sacred item for festivals honouring the Umanglais (Sylvan Deities). Such totems are also used in rituals connected with 'shifting' of Pukhris (ponds), 'shifting' of temples, etc. and in death ceremonies and 'Shraadha', 'Phiroi' (first death anniversary), etc.

At Karang, an island on the Loktak lake, people put up tall straight bamboo poles, with a lovely cluster of small branches and leaves at the tip, in their courtyards. These totems signify that the marriageable daughter in the family is engaged to her future husband.

On the festive occasion of Hari-oo-than, Meitei Hindus erect tall straight bamboo poles, of the biggest variety, on which circular bamboo rings are fixed. In the villages, young girls prepare garlands of marigold flowers with which they decorate the rings on the bamboo poles, thus presenting lovely flower-totems. When erecting totems to appease or to honour Wangbren, one of the Umanglais of the Meiteis, the practice is to select tall straight bamboo poles with enough foilage on the tip on which small bells are hung, and to erect them in the courtyard of the temple.

The Maring tribals put up several bamboo totems in their courtyards on the occasion of the Yaakiyo ceremony. These totems are erected to inform the people and the ancestors of the particular families that the ceremony is being observed.

On the tip of these totems are hung replicas of birds and animals made of bamboo and wood. An elevated balcony of bamboo is constructed all around the courtyard. This serves as seats for the people who play drums, gongs, etc. on the occasion.

See a gallery photo of Cane and Bamboo Crafts of Manipur here.

To be continued ....

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Mutua Bahadur

* Mutua Bahadur contributes to e-pao.net regularly. This article was webcasted on January 10, 2012.