The game of Kang

Physically, a fine race, the Manipuris is devoted to sports and games. There are number of traditional games that have their origin back in Manipur. One of the most popular indoor game among them is Kang. The game, Kang is known to the Bishnupriya Manipuris as Gilla (though Gilla is developed as a variant of Kang) and Kanga-Sanaba to the Meiteis. It is an indigenous Manipuri game played on the day between Manipuri New Year’s Day (Cheiraoba/Bishu) and the Ratha Jatra (Kang) festival.

A round object called Kang which is the seed of a creeper (Uri) is used in this game. It is about one and a half inch in diameter and ¾ of an inch in thickness. The game is played among two teams each of seven either males of females usually mixed up. A player has to Shoot a point from a fixed position. If the parties hit the target twice with the Kang then, Lamtha is adopted. Lamtha is played by propelling the disk on its flat side along the surface of the ground by the force of middle finger of the right hand acting the finger of the left.. At the end of half a duration of the play, interchange of the directions takes place. Of the two teams, the one who can hit the target for a greater number by two Chekpheis (shooting from a standing position) and one Lamtha is the winner.

There are tales, both legendary and mythological, that claim that Kang was played by gods and goddesses, soon after the earth was created. According to some sources Kang is played by the deity “Panthoibi”. It is believed that the seven players on either side represent the seven days of the week and the Chekphei and Lamtha kangkhul are believed to 15 in number on one side and both sides represent 30 days, making a complete month. There are evidences that the Manipuris began to play this game well before the arrival of Vaishnavism in Manipur. Earlier, the dignitaries of the Palace including the Maharani and the Maharaja also participated on social functions. In the old days Kang was played during summer starting from Cheiraoba/Bishu to Kang.

Presently, the game is played in several tournaments through out the year. Rules and regulation have been modified to suit the changing needs of the game. In Bangladesh a Kang Federation is formed to organize the game annually. Besides there are few individual attempts to preserve the cultural tradition of Manipur in some Bishnupriya Manipuri localities like Tilakpur, Ghoramara etc.

To download the special issue of Pouri Patrika on Bishnupriya Manipuri Kang celebration and the Game of Kang click here.

Kang celebration of Bishnipriya Manipuris

The Kang festival of Bishnupriya Manipuris is a festival of nine-day duration in the bright fortnight in the month of Ashar (June-July) with elaborate paraphernalia. It is observed with great festivity and celebration. On the first day and the last day of Kang festival, Chariot-Procession with the idol of Lord Jagannatha is led out.In Manipur the Kang festival was introduced by Maharaj Gambhir Singh on 1832 AD. He founded the images of Jagavandhu, Balarama and Subhadra and commenced worship on the model of Puri. It should be mentioned that in the village Leishangs image of Lord Jagavandhu is worshippedwith proper rites.

The images are bathed on the day of Snana-Yatra, before fifteen days of Kang. The images are carried out on the Kang ( A wooden chariot specially made for Lord Jagannath) to the accompaniment of music, offerings of fruits by individual house-holders. Sometimes persons stand behind the image and fan it with the Chamora. The structure of the Kang is squire, it has four huge wheels, its head takes the shape of Burmese pagoda and there are two or more long ropes so that the divotees can pull the chariot.

The songs sung during the pulling of Kang in praise Lord Jagannath are both devotional and humorous in nature. One of the songs goes like this–

Akhi paka Jagannath ( Lord Jagananth with giant eyes)
Att tuppa Jagannth ( Lord Jagananth with no hands)
Theiping Chora Jagannath (Lord Jagananth who steals jack fruits)
Chehem Chora Jagannath (Lord Jagananth who steals pineapples)
Heinou Chora Jagannath (Lord Jagananth who steals mangoes)

It is said that Lord Jagannath doesn’t mind if the divotees make fun of his physical appearance. Reciting the physical appearance is not regarded as an offence where its sole aim is the complete devotion toward the lord, rather it improved the literary value of the devotional songs. It should be mentioned that the soul of Bishnupriya Manipuri Vaishnavite culture is ‘Bhagabat Lilagiti’s or ‘Radha-Krshna Lilagiti’s. From Birth to death it is our mandatory tradition to observe the rituals through ‘Bhagabat Lilagiti’s along with ‘Nrityabadhya’s. To Manipuris, praising the lord with his quality by singing is more devotional than merely chanting his name.

Every evening during the periods of nine-days of Kang festival, devotional songs are sung, particularly those from the great Vaishnavite literature Gitagovinda of Jayadeva, who is considered to be the most eminent ‘Vaisnnav Padakarta’ of Bengal. The songs are sung along with clapping and dancing, by the people in the Mandav’s or shed for religious and cultural performances. After the singing of devotional songs, feasts of ‘Khichuri’s (a kind of dish made of rice and split pulses) offered everyday by the people in turns, are distributed among the folks.

Kang is an important event in the socio-religious-cultural life of Bishnupriya Manipuris. There is a traditional game called Kang, also related with this Kang festivals. From the early modern and modern literatures of Bishnupriya Manipuri we can find the cultural significance of Kang festival. That’s why renowned Bishnupriya Manipuri poet Sri Madan Mohan Mukharjee writes –

Khalparor kang

Jitegate Akta oya

Aloyte thang thang

Kngaor dine horou oya

lengka marup khomkoriya

Akta oya sajel koriya

Khalparor kang

Tiloilaha, tiloilaha

habbi hato gang