POLANG AND THUMOK:





















            
          POLANG






 















                
                THUMOK


Polang and thumok are the baskets which is made by bamboo.
The bamboos which are used in making polang and thumok are mainly collected from dense forests which involves trekking through unfriendly terrain.

After the bamboos are collected from the forest, these are cut into fine pieces (locally known as Paya). Thumok, Polang are made by interweaving the Payas each other. However, craft maker can complete making Thumok in a day.
The finished products are then distributed through local woman traders for sale at Imphal market and every district market. Polangs (hamper) are used for storing vegetables and rice etc.

 

 A bamboo craftsman who intends to make Thumok (basket)and Polang  cuts up the whole bamboo poles into many pieces. The cut bamboo pieces are then divided vertically into two. The divided halves are again split vertically into two which is locally known as wachets. The hard outer layer of the split bamboo is removed by scrapping with a Thangjou (Machete) while it is still wet. The protruding parts on the nodes are also removed. The wachet is split vertically into several pieces to form payas. The payas are directly and closely interwoven each other to make baskets and other items.

 
PHANEK MAYEKNAIBA












  






 







Phanek mayek naiba is a phanek (long wrapper) most precious traditional cloth. it is made by silk which is stripes lines and embroidered on border of phanek mayek naiba. There are different colour with different name of phanek mayek naiba like thambal leikhok, loirang, meiri makong, sana manbi etc.


























Loom of Phanek mayek naiba

  
The embroidered on phanek mayek naibi border has different types, they are khoi mayek, khoi charong, ningam samjee, tharoi mamai, potloi mayek etc. 
















               KHOI MAYEK


















    THAROI MAMAI MAYEK


Phanek mayek naiba is worn on special occasion like luhongba, jeiga, swasti puja, heijingpot, etc. It indicates the identity of Manipuri women.

 

 
 

PHIRUK:












                                  JATRA PHIRUK





















                     PHIRUK 



Phiruk is the special the special kind of storage basket used in Manipur. The Meitei use it for marriage ceremony. 

Womenfolk in traditional attire carry these marriage presentations during the procession held by the family of the groom during Heichingpot (a ceremony held before to marriage function) and on the auspicious day of Luhongba (Marriage).


The basket is beautifully constructed with a square base made of flattened bamboo. It is woven with double -wall structure that flares out into a circular rim. The lid is semi-spherical and contains beautiful geometrical designs at the marginal space from the rim. This diamond shaped designs are ingeniously prepared where naturally dyed black colour wefts are skillfully inserted in the weave. The designs are believed to have been taken out from the traditional textile motifs.
 

Kangla bujia

Kangla bujia is a mixture bujia. It is a type of food product of

Kangla Food Products which was started by Akhom Birendra Singh

in 2004  as a small Namkeen & Wafers manufacturing unit. It is the

vision and dedication of this single-minded entrepreneur that today

Kangla Foods has established itself as a successful brand in

Northeast India with a product rang comprising of 23 different

varieties of ready to eat packaged snack food items. Kangla bujia is

one of the delicious food among them.

INGREDIENTS:

Wafers:

Potato, Banana, Refined edible oil, Iodised salt spices.

Made out of all or any of the following items:

Wholesome grains, flour, cereals, puffed rice, edible oil, iodized

 salt, spices and condiments  nuts, sugar, citric acid, dehydrated

vegetables and permitted seasoning.

SEMFU:

It is an earthenpot bank which is made by clay and water in

different shapes such as Phiruk, Chengfu , Emoinu etc.

Children are saving money in this semfu.

Mostly we are buying earthenpot bank during festival like

 Janamasthami, but we can buy any time from market.

 Some earthenpot bank are here:

 

 

 

 

 

Kajenglei











Kajenglei is a headdress, has another name leitreng. It imitates the plant Khekwaai, which grows abundantly in hilly areas. The plant, more, goes by the name of Kajeng. It is contended that Kajenglei appeared during the reign of king Gambhir Singh.

Kajenglei as an adornment of female ancestral deities are used in the ancestral shrines and temples through out the valley of Manipur. This head ornament is also used as an adornment to symbolically represent Goddess Panthoibi, Moirang Thoibi in the performances of a various forms of folk and classical dances of Manipur.

Kajenglei (a headdress) is wearing in Leima jagoi, Luhongba and other traditional dance.



 

Eta Laidhee ( My Doll )














Laidhee is a type of doll make by threads, paddy straws, a piece of white cloth, paper, some sparkling threads ( kinar ) sparkling buttons etc.

Laidhee wearing ( Potloi ) traditional bridal dress. It looks very cute and beautiful. Children are played doll marriage.





Ladhee Shop 

Laidhee are available in different types like Khamba-Thoibi and others.

Khamba-Thoibi doll

 

 

 

  Hawaijar:













Hawaijar is a traditional fermented soybean indigenous in Manipur. It uses naturally occurring micro organisms. It is distinguished by it's high pH (8.02-8.2) and stickiness and dominant ammonia odor because of its powerful smell, strong flavor and slimy texture.

 

Traditionally, Hawaijar is prepared by

1. Boiling soyabean seeds and washed with hot water.
2. Packed  tightly in a bamboo basket layered with banana leaves(Musa Species)  or Asse Heibong (Ficus hispida).
3. The baskets are incubated near an earthen oven or covered with gunny bags to achieve above ambient temperature.
4. After 3-5 days, it will be ready ( with high quality products having mucilage fiber production and dark brown color).                                                                                               

 
Hawaijar can be used in making chutney with U-morok. 

Chagempomba












 
      COURTESY: SANGEETA NAMEIRAKPAM

 
 BORI












Bori is made up of black gram and some spices. It adds flavor to some dishes. It is made up of black gram, jeera powder, coriander powder and hing( Asafoetida, a spice derived from the plant Ferula assa-foetida)
  
 Some steps are:

a) Black gram soak in water for 12 hours.

b) Rinse 3 or 4 times.

c) Peel off black cover of black gram properly.

d) Black gram, jeera powder, coriander powder and hing are grind.

e) After grind mix all properly and make paste.

f) Make small round shapes(bori) from paste.

g) A large pan is heated for roasting.

h) Little oil(mustard oil) was painted all over the pan to make non  sticky.


People are very fond of Maroi-bori thongba . It is very delicious dish. yummy..... 

Maroi-bori thongba

                                              

SOIBUM

 

SOIBUM

 

 

 In Manipur, a state located in the north eastern part of India, bamboo shoot is consumed as fresh or fermented. Fermented form, locally called soibum is a highly prized item and its consumption dates back time immemorial.

 

Steps of soibum (Bamboo shoot) fermentation:

 

a) Collection of bamboo shoot.

b) Peeling of shoot.

c) Slicing of bamboo shoot.

d) Collection of slice shoot in the basket.

e) Pouring the slice shoot on the container for fermentation.

f) Pressure is being applied by hands for giving more compactness and air tight.

g) Heavy weights are placed for giving pressure during fermentation.

h) 4 to 5 months of placing in the container for fermentation.

i) The fermented shoot is ready for use.

 

 

 

 

Soibum is a potential source of dietary fibre. Low content of lipid and absence of trans fatty acid also indicated its health promoting nature. Element like Potassium, Sodium, Chlorine, Manganese, Copper etc were present in significant quantity. Fermentation also showed to reduce the amount of reducing sugar to a great extent converting them to acid. Therefore, acidity rises up until reducing sugar bio- conversion get exhausted.

 

 

Soibum thongba