Laa Khanganui - Virgin dance of Tangkhul | Luira festival

LAA KHANGANUI
(The virgin maiden dance of Luira Festival)
Every year Hungpung village celebrated Luira festival in the first week of March to begin the annual agricultural cycle.
"Laa Khanganui” is typical of the unmarried virgin damsels and the dance is performed only during the Luira (tilling and sowing) festival of Hungpung village. Hence this dance is called as “The Virgin Damsel Dance.” It is a sacred ritualistic dance, whereby the physical fitness and beauty of the participants are adjudged. In days of old, the damsels wear only the loin clothes, covering from hip down to the knee, carefully covering their plump breasts with their luxuriant long hairs and necklace called Kongsang. The ritual has no sense of carnality or vulgarity. Eligible bachelors of the community rallied around the performance to find their life partner.
The graceful feminine, gentle and dexterous rhythm of the songs are adagios - slowly swinging and swaying benignly, clinking and jingling their “Fashon bells” and bracelets. The lyrics are varied but all centred around some special historical events, epics, legends etc.
Adorned heavily, the damsels are assisted by older ladies who see to it that their necklaces, head dresses and hairs are not dishevelled or disarrayed.
‪@ekhon6467‬ #Luiraphanit #Virginian-Pilot #Hungpung