A scene from Tangkhul Saram Pakhang. Picture by H. Shatananda Sharma

Panthoibi symbolises a woman of substance. Although she is part of a myth, Manipuris revere her as the mother of women’s freedom.

Panthoibi, Emouinu and Konthoujam Lairembi comprise the iconic goddesses of Manipur. Of them, Panthoibi is an Amazonian character who likes riding a tiger or a horse and is a woman of free will and indomitable spirit.

To her, there is no room for gender bias and she always stands against the social structure of a patriarchal society.

During the forties, there was a proscenium stage movement involving folk drama, but it was replaced by modern theatre. Nowadays, such folk plays are rarely staged.

Script, costume, language and movement are purely Manipuri, but the way of presentation is heavily influenced by Western play production style.

The Cultural Forum, Manipur, organised a nine-day All Manipur Folk Play competition at Rupmahal Theatre in Imphal from November 21.

Eight groups vied for the top spot. Langmeidong Dramatic Union staged Tangkhul Saram Pakhang on Monday (Bachelor of Tangkhul Saram).

The play is written by E. Birkumar Singh who lost his vision before making the play. It is directed by Y. Radheshyam.

Manipur earlier comprised many princely states, including Kanglei and Chenglei. Princess Panthoibi was the daughter of the Kanglei king. Tangkhul Haraoba was born as Nongpok Ninghtou. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou fell in love.

But because of close ties between Kanglei and Chenglei kingdom, the Kanglei king was keen on marrying her daughter off to the son of the Chenglei king.

Thus Panthoibi was married off to the prince against her will. But she had an extra-marital affair with her old flame Nongpok Ninghtou. The Chengleis expelled Panthoibi from their kingdom accusing her of being a woman of loose morals. Panthoibi was actually the reincarnation of goddess of wealth.

She was known as rice-spirit mother, goddess of sustenance and fertility.

Director Radheshyam in the role of Nongpok Ningthou held the audience spellbound with his wonderful acting. Benu Devi, who played Panthoibi, too did her part very well.