Former President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil presented the Padma Shri Award to Khumanthem Ningol Nameirakpam Ongbi Ibemni Devi, who is renowned for her expertise in Khongjom Parva.
Every culture and society has its own ingenuous ways of commemorating the legacies of its ancestors. The Khongjom War Memorial Complex, located in the Thoubal district of Manipur, is a monument that commemorates the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives in the Anglo-Manipur War (1891). On the contrary, the Khongjom Parva, is an intangible heritage, a ballad that is a musical narration of the War. The Anglo-Manipur was fought between the British forces and the Manipur Kingdom, and the Battle of Khongjom was one of the fiercest battles fought.
The Khongjom Parva has had a musical legacy of over 120 years. Its origins could be traced back to the after of the Anglo-Manipur War to Dhobi Leinou, who had witnessed the war. The Khongjom Parva artists are not only excellent singers; they are also skilled dholak players. They narrate episodes from the war and glorify the sacrifice of brave hearts. Besides, they also narrate historic, legendary, and mythological episodes from Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, exploits of the kings of Manipur, and folk epic Khambi-Thoibi, amongst others.
A significant part of the intangible heritage of the society and culture of Manipur, the Khongjom Parva is a musical legacy that conscious people, organizations, and the state of Manipur are attempting to honor and continue for posterity.
Source: Indian Culture Portal