Devotees of Divine Panthou brought prayers and blessings to the heart of Imphal’s historic Mothers’ Market on October 21, performing an indigenous religious ritual at Khwairamband Ima Keithel while Manipur continues to grapple with violence and loss.
Seven devotees arrived at the market carrying fruits, flowers and customary offerings, heading not to the stalls but to the shrines of the market’s presiding deities. The ritual, known as Lai Keithel Kaba, formed part of the 32nd Panthou Sanglen Laipung Halao Thouni Ilaat 2026. They prayed for peace in the land, protection from death and suffering, and freedom from illness. The devotees also distributed Senkok Senyai, or blessed coins, among the women vendors, with devotee Thokchom Maniton presenting them alongside prayers for the recipients’ health and well-being.
The observance reflects Manipur’s indigenous Sanamahi tradition, in which marketplaces are seen as more than commercial spaces. Traditional markets have their own presiding deities, including Lairembi, a female divine guardian. The shrines at Ima Keithel are associated with Lairembi and Lairamba, the female and male deities to whom devotees offer prayers and customary offerings. In this worldview, the sacred and the everyday are inseparable — the place where a mother earns her livelihood is also a place where divine protection is sought.
The festival began on October 11 at Divine Panthou’s sacred abode at Meitei Laikol in Selloi Langmaiching, with songs, dances and cultural programmes planned alongside religious observances. But the tragic incident at Nongshum on October 19 changed course. Organisers discontinued all entertainment programmes, continuing only essential rituals, in keeping with Panthou’s teachings on concern for human life. The decision meant performers’ preparations and months of planning were set aside so festivities would not proceed while families grieved.
The October 21 offerings are also linked to a further ceremony scheduled for October 26, Mera Thanil, when they will be presented during the Meitei Fambal Tongba and Piba Makok Hapa observance. Within Divine Panthou’s tradition, these ceremonies carry aspirations for the elevation, dignity and collective advancement of the Meitei people.
Members of the Khwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee welcomed the devotees and accompanied them during the ceremony. Committee convenor Laishram Mema appreciated the initiative and expressed support for programmes concerned with collective welfare amid the state’s difficult circumstances.
The prayers carry particular weight in a state that has endured violence, displacement and loss of life since May 2023, leaving thousands of families struggling with disrupted livelihoods and everyday insecurity. For the women vendors of Ima Keithel — who have for generations sustained families, educated children and shaped the state’s social and political history — prayers for peace speak to daily anxieties rather than abstract ideals. Blessings at their workplace, organisers and devotees suggest, connect religious devotion directly with the welfare of ordinary people.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/opinion/story/lai-keithel-kaba-when-divine-panthous-prayers-for-peace-reach-the-ima-keithel-1467136-2026-10-25?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-10-25 14:21:00
