Meitei Cheiraoba

Meitei Cheiraoba is the traditional new-year festival of the Meitei community of Manipur, celebrated on the first day of the Meitei lunar month Sajibu (mid-April). It combines house-cleaning, community feasting and a ceremonial climb of the sacred Cheirao Ching hill above Imphal.

The festival is family-centred: houses are cleaned, painted with rice-paste designs, and new clothes are worn before the family shares a traditional Meitei chak-luk meal on plantain leaves.

• Cheirao Ching Kaba — the ceremonial hill climb above Imphal
• Traditional Meitei chak-luk (rice meal) shared with neighbours
• Ritual cleaning and blessing of the home by the eldest woman
• Prayers at the Sanamahi shrine kept in every Meitei household

• A living Meitei new-year rooted in Sanamahi belief, not the Hindu calendar
• Cheirao Ching climb offers sweeping views across the Imphal Valley
• Combine with a visit to Kangla Fort and Ima Keithel women's market

Cheiraoba predates the arrival of Vaishnavism in Manipur in the 18th century and is rooted in the older Sanamahi religion of the Meitei. The name derives from 'cheirak' (a wooden stick struck at the start of the new year) and 'oiba' (to announce).

The state government of Manipur formally recognises Cheiraoba as a public holiday, and the Sajibu Cheiraoba Committee organises the collective hill-climb from the base of Cheirao Ching each year.

• Annual date: the first day of Sajibu (usually 13 or 14 April).
• Venue: Meitei households across the Imphal Valley; the community hill-climb takes place at Cheirao Ching, north-east of Imphal.
• Government offices in Manipur are closed for the day.

The Meitei are the majority community of the Imphal Valley, with a population of around 1.7 million. Their language, Meiteilon, is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is written in the revived Meitei Mayek script.

Meitei society is organised around seven salai (clans) and retains a strong artistic tradition — the Ras Lila dance, the martial art Thang-Ta and the Sanamahi household shrine are all central to community life.

Cheiraoba is both a household new-year rite and a public affirmation of Meitei identity. The house-cleaning marks a spiritual reset for the year, while the collective climb of Cheirao Ching is understood as an ascent toward prosperity, health and success in the year ahead.

• Cheirao Ching Kaba — the community hill-climb from the foot of the hill to the summit shrine.
• Chak-luk — the traditional Meitei new-year meal of rice, kangshoi (light vegetable stew), eromba (fermented fish chutney) and singju salad, served on plantain leaves.
• House decoration with kolam-like white rice-paste designs at the threshold.
• Exchange of ritual gifts (chak-hongba) between neighbours and relatives.
• Traditional Meitei attire — men in white dhoti and turban, women in the innaphi and phanek.

• Air: Bir Tikendrajit International Airport (IMF), Imphal — direct flights from Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Bengaluru.
• Rail: There is no major railhead in Manipur; the nearest working railway is Dimapur (DMV) in Nagaland, 215 km via NH-2.
• Road: Imphal is connected to Guwahati and Dimapur by NH-2 and NH-37; buses and shared sumos run daily. Cheirao Ching is 15 km north-east of Imphal by road.

Following the December 2024 Ministry of Home Affairs order, foreign nationals require a Protected Area Permit (PAP) to enter Manipur. Apply through the FRRO or an Indian mission abroad well in advance.

Indian nationals do not require a permit for Manipur, but should carry a government-issued photo ID.

Given the current security advisories, check the latest travel advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs and your embassy before planning a visit.

Mid-April in Imphal is warm and pleasant, with daytime temperatures of 24–30 °C, cool nights of 15–18 °C and occasional pre-monsoon showers. Pack light cotton clothing, a light jacket for the hill-climb and a compact umbrella.

Imphal has a modest range of mid-range hotels and heritage guesthouses in the city centre and near the airport. Meitei homestays offer the most authentic Cheiraoba experience — enquire through the state tourism department.

Book two to three weeks in advance; Cheiraoba coincides with a public holiday and stays can be tight.

• The chak-luk meal is best photographed with soft window light — avoid direct flash inside Meitei homes.
• The Cheirao Ching climb is a long procession — use a wide-angle for the crowd and a short telephoto for portraits along the trail.
• Ask before photographing household shrines (Sanamahi Kachin); these are sacred family spaces.

• Kangla Fort — the ancient seat of the Meitei kings in central Imphal.
• Loktak Lake and the Sendra viewpoint (48 km) with floating phumdi biomass islands.
• Ima Keithel — the historic all-women's market of Imphal.
• INA Memorial at Moirang, associated with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Meitei Cheiraoba is a living cultural event hosted by the Meitei community. Please attend as a respectful guest, not a spectator.