IMPHAL/UKHRUL: Mera Hou Chongba 2026 was celebrated at Kangla in Imphal on Monday, bringing together traditional hill chiefs, community leaders and representatives from across Manipur in a renewed call for unity between the hill and valley communities.
Chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh said the state’s 36 communities had stood together to protect Manipur through different periods of conflict, underscoring the importance of maintaining unity amid the prevailing crisis.
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The state-level celebration was organised by the State-Level Organising Committee on Mera Hou Chongba 2026, a traditional festival that symbolises the historical and cultural ties between Manipur’s hill and valley communities.
The celebrations began at Sana Konung, where titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba, Angom Ningthou and members of the royal household participated in traditional rituals.
During the programme, Khemchand honoured traditional leaders from various hill areas by presenting them with gifts and traditional garments. A souvenir commemorating the occasion was also released.
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Addressing the gathering, Sanajaoba said Mera Hou Chongba had long served as a platform for strengthening relations between the hill and valley communities. However, he noted that the ongoing crisis in Manipur had affected the observance of festivals and other cultural events, leading to the curtailment of several programmes.
He stressed the need to sustain the festival as a means of fostering closer ties between the communities, particularly during the current challenging period.
Home minister Govindas Konthoujam, Art and Culture minister Khuraijam Loken, Ukhrul MLA Ram Muivah, other legislators, traditional hill chiefs and community leaders from different parts of Manipur attended the celebration.
