Mera Chaoren Houba in India 2023: Date, History, Reason

An ancient Meitei religious celebration, Mera Chaorel Houba is alternatively referred to as Mera Chaoren Houba.

The Mera Chaoren Houba festival is observed on October 15, which is the first day of Mera Tha, the seventh month of the Manipuri Lunar calendar, which falls on that date this year. The regulations governing this calendar are in stark contrast to those of the Islamic lunar calendar and the Hindu solar calendar. Mera Chaoren Houba is a regional public holiday celebrated in Manipur, a state in northeastern India. Statewide, this is an annual holiday celebrated with great reverence. Best wishes for Mera Chaoren Houba to all celebrants!

The background of Mera Chaoren Houba

An ancient Meitei religious celebration, Mera Chaorel Houba is alternatively referred to as Mera Chaoren Houba. Lord Lainingthou Sanamahi, the supreme divinity of a Manipuri household, and Leimarel Sidabi, the goddess of earth, nature, and the originator of all universely creations, are honored with festivities. The Meitei people, along with various other indigenous tribal communities of Manipur, observe Mera Chaoren Houba.

Mera Chaoren Houba is most fervently observed in the Sanamahi Temple and Kangla Palace, both located in the Imphal district of Manipur. Offerings of fruits, vegetables, rice, and incense are brought by devotees to the deities. They entreat for favors of prosperity and good health. Offering water to the temple’s deities from the Nungjeng Pukhri, Kangla Palace, is the most momentous occasion of the celebration.

Mera Chaoren Houba is an additional celebration dedicated to the preservation and promotion of unity and integrity among all Manipuri communities. Additionally, the festival inaugurates the Manipuri month of ‘Mera,’ which occurs from September to October. Certain individuals from Manipur observe the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri concurrently with Mera Chaoren Houba. Moreover, now is the moment to pray for and preserve the centuries-old tradition of brotherhood, solidarity, and affection between the valleys and the people of Manipur. Additionally, we learn from Mera Chaoren Houba how to coexist harmoniously with birds, creatures, and nature. We are reminded through the festivities that we inhabit this planet with other sentient beings that are equally deserving of dignity and esteem as we are.