IMPHAL, Oct 20: Ningol Chakkouba, the largest festival of the State, was celebrated today in Manipur with gaiety and fervour. Married women and their children went to their parental houses to savour grand feasts where gifts were showered on them.
Fish is the main delicacy prepared in every household during the festival and fish melas had been organized in every part of the State to enable people to buy all varieties of fish. Heavy discounts were announced as a Ningol Chakkouba offer in most shops.
All the communities of the State observe the festival and the popularity of the festival can be gauged from the traffic in the streets. After 1100 hours, the streets wore a deserted look as all households were observing the festival.
Inter community feasts organized by various organizations were, however, cancelled as the JAC against killings of Rabina and Sanjit on July 23 in alleged fake encounter appealed to all to observe the festival in a low key.
The families of Sanjit and Rabina, who died on July 23, and people of Khurai Tinsid Road, Imphal East, from where Sanjit hails, also did not celebrate the festival.