It is ominous.On the day it was sprouted,it was not noticed as it was Ratha Yatra day,and large crowds thronged at Govindaji temple.But the 4 inch water sprout on the north east side,could not escape notice the next day.
Barish Sharma asked Pandit Khomba what significance it held.Pandit Khomba recalled how last year on Krishna Janmashtami,there was a similar sprout,and the Kuki war backlash upended social order,still haunting the present day .” How was it worshipped?” , Barish asked.
“A vessel of gold should cover the sprout.But as Royalty has ended,there is no vessel of gold,so a small vessel of gold as large as the face of the nail was made on the night of Janmashtami,and the sprout was covered with rituals.It reduced the impending doom and disaster “,Pandit Khomba replied.
This time too,the same ritual was performed.
But Pandit Khomba is not very happy with the state of affairs, as he felt ritual and historical background is ignored while giving the key focus to development of the temple.Shri Govindaji temple has its “ kayats” framed during 1903 to 1906.
It would be against the kayats, therefore,to undertake construction beyond Takhen Khong.But now,the cow shed has been placed across Takhen khong
There is something that doesn’t love going against religious practices.In 2004,0n 3 May ,a group of women with shaved heads bathed inside Kangla,the old fort.On May 4,the next day,hails as hard as stones rained,making it probably the first time in centuries.
In May,1942,there was a water sprout at Kangla Fort,and then within a few days,the Japanese bombs fell on Imphal.Manipur was invaded by Japanese,and there were fierce battles fought.
Temple insiders and religious scholars opined that important events were before hand hinted by these unusual happenings in religious places.If the the Gods are worshipped in time,the harmful effects of these disasters are minimally reduced.
After the water sprout on Krishna Janmashtami last year,Kukis intensified attacks ,and there was instability in the popular govt.There was no let up to violence,and conflict became the order of the day.
And ultimately in February this year,the popular govt .fell with the resignation of the chief minister ,N.BirenSingh .President’s Rule was imposed.
In 1942, following the water sprout at Kangla,there had been great changes in the political structure of Manipur.After the 2nd world war,the British left India and Manipur,and when Manipur became a Part C state of the Indian union,great structural changes and transformation occur,changing the lives of the Manipuris.
The writer is a freelance writer and journalist
