CLOTHING AS AN ASPECT OF MANIPURI CULTURE
Manipur is a cradle of human culture and civilization. aThe people of Manipur are endowed witha reach culture heritage. The variety of dress, cloth and costume worn by them are the reflection of this rich culture heritage. Their sense of beauty and love of colour,their social behaviour are reflected in thier dress code. The period of study is the period of the 19th century and the colonial period.
THE MEITEI DRESS / MEETEI DRESS
The Meiteis are an ancient people. They were a nation of warriors with a monarchy supported by the nobility,a national militia and the peasantry. All the classed in the society: the royalty,the nobility,the warriors and the peasants had appropriate dress code. The kings of Manipur introduced a sumptuary law.
The tradition male Meitei dress consisted of a Pheijom(Dhoti),Phurit[(Shirt){kurta}], a cotton shee(chadar or ngoubong) or woolen shawl.
In winter,those who could offord wore a padded or quited coat. Common people did not wear shoes. The Nobility and members of the royalty wore shoes,Menfolk wore turban or kokyet.
The Female dress consisted of the fanek,s a piece of cloth for covering the body. It was made of cotton or silk. The fanek had different stripes and patterns with appropiate colour. Over the fanek was worn a white sheet known as the INAPHI. This inaphi has rich varieties,pattern and qualities. In cold season a short jacket with long sleeves was worn in tight fitting. The material used was velvet or satin; black,blue and green were favourite colour. The female children before puberty wore the fanek.
National games and sports offered opportunity for special elaborate costumes: the anual boat-race, state wrestling, polo-games and popular race required the putting of appropriate clothes, KHAMENCHATPA, TURBAN, JACKET, TIGHT PHEIJOM AND LEGGING for the polo players. During the dance like the LAI HARAOBA, ELABORATE AND REFINED CLOTHES ARE PUT ON.
SUMPTUARY LAWS OF MANIPUR
Manipur during the heydays of its monarchy enforced the dress code known as the sumptuary laws as was in Europe. According to this regulation,unless permitted by the King,various items of dress and ornaments could not be worn. And permission to wear them was very much coveted. Certain clothes could be worned when bestowed on by the authoryty of the King. A brief list is given below.
KHAMENCHATPA:
Silk pheijom(dhoti) stamped with the purple pattern,supposed to represent the skin of the serpent god,Lord Pakhangba.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ANGANGBA:
A Red woolen Cloth.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ASENGBA:
Green woolen cloth.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ANGANGBA and PHIRANGJI PHIDA ASENGBA clothes were used by the dignitaries as rugs to sit on during official functions.
LAN-PHI:
The red or green embroidered with war cloth.
PHIGE-NAPU:
An orange coloured pheijom(dhoti)
JUGI MARI:
A red silk pheijom to be worn by the members of the Court of Cheirap and Royal favourites.
GULAP-MACHU:
A rose coloured silk pheijom.
KOKYET:
Turban of silk pattern to be worn by the decendents or relatives of the king.
INNA-PHI:
Women were not allowed to wear the inna-phi or chadar embroidered with gold in the presence of the King or elsewhere without royal permission. [reproduced from W.McCulloch (1859), T.CHodson(1908)J.C. Higgins(1927)]
Manipur is a cradle of human culture and civilization. aThe people of Manipur are endowed witha reach culture heritage. The variety of dress, cloth and costume worn by them are the reflection of this rich culture heritage. Their sense of beauty and love of colour,their social behaviour are reflected in thier dress code. The period of study is the period of the 19th century and the colonial period.
THE MEITEI DRESS / MEETEI DRESS
The Meiteis are an ancient people. They were a nation of warriors with a monarchy supported by the nobility,a national militia and the peasantry. All the classed in the society: the royalty,the nobility,the warriors and the peasants had appropriate dress code. The kings of Manipur introduced a sumptuary law.
The tradition male Meitei dress consisted of a Pheijom(Dhoti),Phurit[(Shirt){kurta}], a cotton shee(chadar or ngoubong) or woolen shawl.
In winter,those who could offord wore a padded or quited coat. Common people did not wear shoes. The Nobility and members of the royalty wore shoes,Menfolk wore turban or kokyet.
The Female dress consisted of the fanek,s a piece of cloth for covering the body. It was made of cotton or silk. The fanek had different stripes and patterns with appropiate colour. Over the fanek was worn a white sheet known as the INAPHI. This inaphi has rich varieties,pattern and qualities. In cold season a short jacket with long sleeves was worn in tight fitting. The material used was velvet or satin; black,blue and green were favourite colour. The female children before puberty wore the fanek.
National games and sports offered opportunity for special elaborate costumes: the anual boat-race, state wrestling, polo-games and popular race required the putting of appropriate clothes, KHAMENCHATPA, TURBAN, JACKET, TIGHT PHEIJOM AND LEGGING for the polo players. During the dance like the LAI HARAOBA, ELABORATE AND REFINED CLOTHES ARE PUT ON.
SUMPTUARY LAWS OF MANIPUR
Manipur during the heydays of its monarchy enforced the dress code known as the sumptuary laws as was in Europe. According to this regulation,unless permitted by the King,various items of dress and ornaments could not be worn. And permission to wear them was very much coveted. Certain clothes could be worned when bestowed on by the authoryty of the King. A brief list is given below.
KHAMENCHATPA:
Silk pheijom(dhoti) stamped with the purple pattern,supposed to represent the skin of the serpent god,Lord Pakhangba.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ANGANGBA:
A Red woolen Cloth.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ASENGBA:
Green woolen cloth.
PHIRANGJI PHIDA ANGANGBA and PHIRANGJI PHIDA ASENGBA clothes were used by the dignitaries as rugs to sit on during official functions.
LAN-PHI:
The red or green embroidered with war cloth.
PHIGE-NAPU:
An orange coloured pheijom(dhoti)
JUGI MARI:
A red silk pheijom to be worn by the members of the Court of Cheirap and Royal favourites.
GULAP-MACHU:
A rose coloured silk pheijom.
KOKYET:
Turban of silk pattern to be worn by the decendents or relatives of the king.
INNA-PHI:
Women were not allowed to wear the inna-phi or chadar embroidered with gold in the presence of the King or elsewhere without royal permission. [reproduced from W.McCulloch (1859), T.CHodson(1908)J.C. Higgins(1927)]
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