IMPHAL, March 27 - Yaoshang, the greatest festival of the State has concluded on Sunday with various forms of merry making activities and sports extravaganza in localities level.
As the celebration of the festival, which commences on full moon day (March 23), continues at their respective localities or villages, Imphal town and almost all roads leading to the State capital wore a deserted look for the continuous fifth day on Sunday.
Even as the Government declares holiday on March 24 and 25 (for Yaoshang and Good Friday), the attendance in the Government offices are reportedly poor. Imphalites and other living in the State had been witnessing the colourful annual festival as youngsters sprayed (coloured) water each others as well as passersby, elders and older also plays pichkaris at the Shree Shree Gobindajee Temple while some organise grand feasts at different levels.
The people in the valley had been listening to the sound of pipers and beating of drums in the night as the young ones continues to perform Thabal Chongba, a Manipuri folk dance where boys and girls form a circle and hold hands and sing and dance, at their respective localities. Donations are collected from house to house and the passersby and the money collected is spent on parties, merry making and in organising games and sports activities in every localities or colonies.
With the changing times, sports meet in connection with the Yaoshang festival has become an inseparable part of the Manipuri society. Even the 250 plus journalists community in the State organised 6th edition of Yaoshang sports meet. In other words, the Yaoshang sports help in creating the desire to pursue a career in sports in a tiny state of Manipur which hardly has a population of only 0.3% of India�s population.
Meanwhile, marking the victory of Jesus Christ over death for the redemption of mankind from sin, Manipur celebrated Easter by holding special mass for healing, peace and reconciliation within the Christian society at most of the churches. Several believers, both young and old, on Sunday prayed that with the power of resurrection, the people can be free from fear, division, corruption and guilt.
