Imphal: Manipur launched its first North East Waree Leeba Festival this week. The five-day event kicked off Monday, November 2, at the Irom Meijrao Mamang Community Hall in Imphal West. It draws performers from Manipur, Assam, and Tripura to protect the region's fading narrative art.
Organizers include the Repertory of Waree Leeba (ROWLM) and the Irom Meijrao Women for Cultural Centre. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Art and Culture Minister Khuraijam Loken Singh led the opening ceremony. They offered floral tributes to three late Waree Leeba gurus before felicitating practitioners from across the Northeast.
Governor Bhalla addressed the crowd during the inaugural session. He argued that these stories carry the weight of history and myth. He said, "The art form should not be viewed merely as entertainment, but as a living tradition through which the knowledge, beliefs, myths and legends of previous generations are passed on."
Modern life threatens the craft. Globalization and social shifts force the tradition to lose ground. ROWLM director and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Takhellambam Shyamkanhai Singh called for long-term policy support. He noted that the festival provides a rare stage for artists to exchange techniques and wisdom.
The Governor watched a performance based on the Mahabharata during the event. He praised the delivery and skill of Shyamkanhai Singh. The festival aims to boost the visibility of the art form for younger generations. It seeks to bind the Northeastern states through shared cultural heritage.
Updated at 3rd November 2026 at 2:05am
The event, officially dubbed the 1st North East Waree Leeba Festival 2026, sheds light on the technical nature of the craft. It is a formal, ritualistic performance where a solo male chronicler re-enacts religious epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata using rhythmic speech and specific gestures. Beyond just folklore, the practice serves as a medium to pass down moral values and educate the community.
ROWLM director Takhellambam Shyamkanhai Singh holds the Sangeet Natak Akademi's Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar. Officials also used the opening ceremony to publicly honor and felicitate master storytellers who traveled from Assam and Tripura to participate.
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