Tarpan/Tarpon Offering of Khurkhul Village

Khangembam Indira *

"Laangban Chara Tamba" (Laangban Gi Nongma Panba) ceremony at Lainingthou Sanamahi Laishang on 16th September 2023 :: Pix - Khaba Kh

Ancestral veneration and worship are deeply ingrained in the religious and cultural fabric of our society. Religion, in simplest terms, involves belief in supernatural forces, and these form the foundational value of our society.

The Meiteis of Manipur are the followers of Vaishnavite Hinduism since the early seventeenth century. Along with Hinduism, they also believe and practice tenets of their traditional religion called Sanamahi.

Interestingly, a growing number of Meiteis now claim a stronger affinity for and adherence to Sanamahism over Hinduism. Among the Meiteis, the Loi/Chakpa Meiteis residing in the foothills of Manipur, particularly in villages of Khurkhul, Sekmai, Phayeng, Koutruk, Leimaram, Tairenpokpi have retained many of the pre-vaishnavite religious concepts. These ancestral thoughts and ideas find expression through various rituals conducted within their community.

In normal circumstances, the tarpon ceremony is performed to honour deceased family members or ancestors of the sagei (lineage).

However, unfortunately, with the ongoing tragic conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis that started since 3rd May 2023 which have led to the loss of around 200 precious lives belonging to both the communities, numerous clubs and associations belonging to Meitei community have come out to conduct tarpon rituals, offering fruits and flowers as a collective expression of respect for the departed souls who made the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of society, achieving martyrdom.

With this backdrop, the article endeavours to discuss the Langban (name of a month in Manipuri calendar) Tarpon which is also called Ashi-laman (Ashiba means death and laman means gratitude) khuramba (prayer) by taking Khurkhul village as a case.

Like in any other Meitei villages of Manipur, tarpon is a significant rite conducted by the Loi/Chakpa Meiteis. Langban tha (month) in Manipuri calendar usually falls in the month of September-October and the ritual of Langban tarpon is carried out from the very next day right after the full moon day of Langban month till the thashi (last day of the month).

Langban Heitha Leithaba Numit : For martyrs of Great June Uprising at Kekrupat on September 30th 2023 :: Pix - Khaba Kh

For countless generations, the Manipuri society, particularly, the Meitei society has upheld a tradition of honouring the deceased by offering of fruits, flowers and meals. This annual practice of tarpon khuramba is more than a mere custom; it is a fundamental aspect of their kinship system, symbolising the enduring connection between the living and their deceased kins.

According to Meitei belief, the spirits/souls of the departed return to the earthly realm for a brief period each year, specifically during the last 15 days of Langban tha. Thereby, the ritual is practised by an individual household or a group of households belonging to the same sagei as a closely-knit group having the same blood line with their ancestors.

Married daughters, their spouses and children are also invited to offer fruits and flowers to the deceased relatives. The presence of a maiba (priest) to conduct the ritual still holds significance even today. For the rite, the members see an auspicious day but now-a days any convenient day to the members is taken into consideration to perform the occasion.

One day prior to the tarpon offering in a particular house, an invitation by a priest reciting prayer to the deceased individuals belonging to the same sagei usually in the name of the person whose death had last taken place in the group takes place.

In Khurkhul and other Loi/Chakpa Meitei villages, besides fruits and flowers, a proper meal consisting of non-vegetarian food such as chicken, pork, fish along with rice and other delicacies are also offered on the day of tarpon prayer which differentiates them from other Meitei villages. The belief among them is that only the best food which their ancestors enjoyed eating while alive should be offered.

It signifies that whatever the living persons offer to the spirit, they will eat and bless the living before returning to the spirit realm where they belong. During the ritual, the maiba addressed the deceased individuals to happily accept the offerings made by their children and grandchildren and share a meal.

The maiba further requested the spirits to bless the living descendants and future generations with good health, material prosperity, success and well-being. After the completion of the ritual offering of the food items to the deceased, the people assembled for the ceremony consumed the offerings and relished the delicacies.

After having the meal and other offerings, the spirits are requested to go back and live happily in the other world. The villagers also believed that they had been protected by their ancestors from heavenly abode.

It can be argued that the ritual serves in (re)connecting the living kins and relatives, at the same time immortalising their ancestors in the collective memory of their lineage and community at large, serving a significant latent function as reflected in Mertonian sociology.

On a critical note, although in earlier tradition the offerings are directed to the deceased individuals of the previous seven generations.

Unfortunately, at present, with the process of urbanisation with people moving away from the village stronghold of close affinities of kins and relatives, also due to the absence of the written record, many villagers cannot recall the name of the seven generations thereby restricting their offerings in the name of the known three deceased generations.