The spiritual essence of Emoinu Iratpa: A festival of light, wealth, and womanhood
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Laishram Tombisana
Emoinu Iratpa, also popularly known as Ima Emoinu Iratpa, is an annual indigenous Meitei festival dedicated to Emoinu Ahongbi, the goddess of the household hearth, wealth, peace, and prosperity in the Meitei community. It is observed annually on the 12th lunar day (Taranithoini panba) of the Wakching month according to the Meitei lunar calendar and usually falls between December and January in the Gregorian calendar—a period associated with purification, renewal, and the quiet rhythms of winter.
Mythologically, Emoinu Iratpa originates from the Meitei indigenous religion, Sanamahism, and centers on the worship of Emoinu Ahongbi, the goddess of womanhood, who is primarily considered a manifestation of Leimarel Sidabi, the supreme mother goddess. According to Meitei mythology, Goddess Emoinu descends to earth on this auspicious day and visits every household to bestow her blessings. It is believed that the festival brings each household into a state of sacred preparation.
On this day, families engage in domestic rituals that begin early in the morning with the thorough cleaning of the kitchen, the careful arrangement of the hearth, and the sanctification of the space where offerings will be placed. Traditionally, the Meitei household contains a hearth, known as the leirang, where offerings to the goddess are made. These actions symbolize not only physical cleanliness but also moral discipline, as households are believed to attract the blessings of Emoinu only when their members uphold purity, harmony, and respectful behavior.
On this day, as evening approaches, homes are illuminated with lanterns, oil lamps, and candles placed at the hearth, doorways, courtyards, and kitchen spaces. In present times,electric lights and decorative illuminations have replaced oil lamps in many homes, symbolizing continuity through adaptation. Light signifies the presence of the goddess and represents the banishing of misfortune, disorder, and scarcity. The festival is therefore often described as a “festival of lights,” where illumination functions as a spiritual medium to invite prosperity, stability, and emotional warmth into Meitei households.
Culinary traditions followed during the celebrations include offerings of rice (chak), locally and seasonally available vegetables, fruits, fish, and specially prepared dishes, which are arranged neatly in front of the hearth or household shrine. Non-vegetarian dishes are strictly prohibited on this day, a tradition that has been maintained since time immemorial. According to the beliefs and lore of the Meitei community, ritual protocol often specifies odd-numbered offerings (chang taba) and vegetarian or fish-based items, thereby reinforcing ritual propriety and cultural continuity. Notably, sareng and especially nga angouba (white fish) are considered essential offerings to the goddess. The offering tray symbolizes abundance and gratitude, serving as a ritual expression of reverence toward Emoinu Ahongbi, who is venerated as the divine nurturer and guardian of the household. Through these offerings, devotees acknowledge her role in sustaining food security, ensuring economic stability, and maintaining harmony and peace within the domestic sphere. The act of presenting carefully selected and ritually prescribed food items reflects the community’s belief that material prosperity and moral order are inseparably linked to divine blessings, reinforcing the sacred relationship between the household, sustenance, and spiritual well-being.The key ritual features observed on this occasion include vegetarian offerings prepared by ritually purified women, the prohibition of tasting prior to offering, and the distribution of the food among family members after the ritual.
Although Emoinu Iratpa is primarily a domestic festival, it extends into the public sphere through community rituals, cultural gatherings, pena music, and traditional dances. Several locations in Manipur, such as Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal and Yumnam Leikai, organize large community celebrations. The Kangla Religious Committee also observes this auspicious occasion at the sacred site of Kangla. In addition, under the initiative of the Government of Manipur and the Department of Fisheries, a State Fish Fair has been organized annually since 2023, highlighting the cultural and ritual importance of fish in the festival. These collective activities reinforce a shared Meitei identity, making Emoinu Iratpa not only a religious observance but also a communal celebration of cultural heritage.
A central spiritual theme of Emoinu Iratpa is the culturally significant role of women. Women lead most of the preparatory and ritual activities, including cleaning the hearth, preparing offerings, lighting lamps, and reciting prayers. Through these practices, they act as custodians of the home, moral order, and cultural continuity. Their responsibilities reflect the deep reverence for feminine energy in Meitei cosmology, where the household is considered a sacred extension of the goddess herself. Consequently, the festival serves as a moment to acknowledge women’s spiritual authority, nurturing power, and essential role in sustaining family life and cultural traditions.
In contemporary times, Emoinu Iratpa is celebrated not only by Meitei communities in Manipur but also by Meitei populations residing in Assam, Tripura, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Due to globalization and migration, Meitei communities living overseas also observe the festival, using it as a means of preserving cultural purity and conservation of Indigenous Knowledge with their ancestral roots. The festival’s spiritual significance, ritual practices, gendered symbolism, and role in sustaining Meitei identity underscore its importance. The festival now also serves as a medium to transmit indigenous knowledge and values to younger generations. Emoinu Iratpa thus functions simultaneously as a domestic religious practice, a public symbol of cultural continuity, and a gendered space where community ideals of prosperity, purity, and feminine generosity are negotiated and enacted.
The writer is PhD research scholar at Department of Home Science, Dhanamanjuri University, Imphal
Emoinu Iratpa, also popularly known as Ima Emoinu Iratpa, is an annual indigenous Meitei festival dedicated to Emoinu Ahongbi, the goddess of the household hearth, wealth, peace, and prosperity in the Meitei community. It is observed annually on the 12th lunar day (Taranithoini panba) of the Wakching month according to the Meitei lunar calendar and usually falls between December and January in the Gregorian calendar—a period associated with purification, renewal, and the quiet rhythms of winter.
Mythologically, Emoinu Iratpa originates from the Meitei indigenous religion, Sanamahism, and centers on the worship of Emoinu Ahongbi, the goddess of womanhood, who is primarily considered a manifestation of Leimarel Sidabi, the supreme mother goddess. According to Meitei mythology, Goddess Emoinu descends to earth on this auspicious day and visits every household to bestow her blessings. It is believed that the festival brings each household into a state of sacred preparation.
On this day, families engage in domestic rituals that begin early in the morning with the thorough cleaning of the kitchen, the careful arrangement of the hearth, and the sanctification of the space where offerings will be placed. Traditionally, the Meitei household contains a hearth, known as the leirang, where offerings to the goddess are made. These actions symbolize not only physical cleanliness but also moral discipline, as households are believed to attract the blessings of Emoinu only when their members uphold purity, harmony, and respectful behavior.
On this day, as evening approaches, homes are illuminated with lanterns, oil lamps, and candles placed at the hearth, doorways, courtyards, and kitchen spaces. In present times,electric lights and decorative illuminations have replaced oil lamps in many homes, symbolizing continuity through adaptation. Light signifies the presence of the goddess and represents the banishing of misfortune, disorder, and scarcity. The festival is therefore often described as a “festival of lights,” where illumination functions as a spiritual medium to invite prosperity, stability, and emotional warmth into Meitei households.
Culinary traditions followed during the celebrations include offerings of rice (chak), locally and seasonally available vegetables, fruits, fish, and specially prepared dishes, which are arranged neatly in front of the hearth or household shrine. Non-vegetarian dishes are strictly prohibited on this day, a tradition that has been maintained since time immemorial. According to the beliefs and lore of the Meitei community, ritual protocol often specifies odd-numbered offerings (chang taba) and vegetarian or fish-based items, thereby reinforcing ritual propriety and cultural continuity. Notably, sareng and especially nga angouba (white fish) are considered essential offerings to the goddess. The offering tray symbolizes abundance and gratitude, serving as a ritual expression of reverence toward Emoinu Ahongbi, who is venerated as the divine nurturer and guardian of the household. Through these offerings, devotees acknowledge her role in sustaining food security, ensuring economic stability, and maintaining harmony and peace within the domestic sphere. The act of presenting carefully selected and ritually prescribed food items reflects the community’s belief that material prosperity and moral order are inseparably linked to divine blessings, reinforcing the sacred relationship between the household, sustenance, and spiritual well-being.The key ritual features observed on this occasion include vegetarian offerings prepared by ritually purified women, the prohibition of tasting prior to offering, and the distribution of the food among family members after the ritual.
Although Emoinu Iratpa is primarily a domestic festival, it extends into the public sphere through community rituals, cultural gatherings, pena music, and traditional dances. Several locations in Manipur, such as Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal and Yumnam Leikai, organize large community celebrations. The Kangla Religious Committee also observes this auspicious occasion at the sacred site of Kangla. In addition, under the initiative of the Government of Manipur and the Department of Fisheries, a State Fish Fair has been organized annually since 2023, highlighting the cultural and ritual importance of fish in the festival. These collective activities reinforce a shared Meitei identity, making Emoinu Iratpa not only a religious observance but also a communal celebration of cultural heritage.
A central spiritual theme of Emoinu Iratpa is the culturally significant role of women. Women lead most of the preparatory and ritual activities, including cleaning the hearth, preparing offerings, lighting lamps, and reciting prayers. Through these practices, they act as custodians of the home, moral order, and cultural continuity. Their responsibilities reflect the deep reverence for feminine energy in Meitei cosmology, where the household is considered a sacred extension of the goddess herself. Consequently, the festival serves as a moment to acknowledge women’s spiritual authority, nurturing power, and essential role in sustaining family life and cultural traditions.
In contemporary times, Emoinu Iratpa is celebrated not only by Meitei communities in Manipur but also by Meitei populations residing in Assam, Tripura, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Due to globalization and migration, Meitei communities living overseas also observe the festival, using it as a means of preserving cultural purity and conservation of Indigenous Knowledge with their ancestral roots. The festival’s spiritual significance, ritual practices, gendered symbolism, and role in sustaining Meitei identity underscore its importance. The festival now also serves as a medium to transmit indigenous knowledge and values to younger generations. Emoinu Iratpa thus functions simultaneously as a domestic religious practice, a public symbol of cultural continuity, and a gendered space where community ideals of prosperity, purity, and feminine generosity are negotiated and enacted.
The writer is PhD research scholar at Department of Home Science, Dhanamanjuri University, Imphal