Manipur celebrates low-key Holi

Imphal: The Holi festival, celebrated on Friday by the majority Meitei community in violence-hit Manipur, was low-key for the second year in a row.

One of the biggest festivals of the community, Holi or Yaosang is held for five days in the northeastern state and it officially commenced on Friday evening with the burning of straw huts built at Shri Govindaji temple complex in Palace Compound and at a few other localities.

Like the previous year, the event has been restricted to religious activities associated with the festival and community sports events.

No entertainment programmes such as the nightly cultural dance would be held, according to organisers.

Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023, rendering at least 250 people dead and thousands homeless.

Devdutta Phurailatpam, a Meitei priest, said, "The festival is low-key due to two reasons. People, particularly internally displaced persons, are yet to return to their native places and are facing hardships. Besides, there are apprehensions of attacks by miscreants at the peripheral part of valley areas during the celebrations."

During the Yaosang, children walk from door to door in their neighbourhood, give blessings to adults, and in return, they receive money.