The Myanmar Manipur Conference on the Conservation of Cultural Heritage took place from November 23-25, 2015, in Imphal, India, gathering artists and scholars from various countries to discuss the preservation of cultural heritage. The conference featured public sessions, presentations, and performances related to the art and culture of Myanmar and Manipur, with field trips to significant cultural sites enhancing the discussions. It was part of the annual Manipur Sangai Festival, aimed at promoting tourism and cultural exchange in the region.

1. MYANMAR MANIPUR
CONFERENCE ON THE
CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL
HERITAGE
November 23-25, 2015
Chorus Repertory Theatre
Imphal, Manipur (India)
IMASI
THE MAHARAJ KUMARI
BINODINI DEVI FOUNDATION

2. ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Artists and scholars from
Myanmar, US, Australia, and
France discussed issues of the
cultural heritage of Myanmar and
Manipur and its preservation with
their counterparts from Manipur
and the rest of India.
It was open to the public but
seating was limited and prior
registration was required. An
average of 40 people attended each
session over 3 days.
It was a part of the Manipur
Sangai Festival.
Guests from Myanmar arrive on a special Golden
Myanmar chartered flight from Mandalay

3. The Conference was presented as part of the
Manipur Sangai Festival of 2015
The festival is the annual tourism festival of Manipur,
presented by Manipur Tourism
Asian Cultural Council, New York, was the
International Sponsor
Chorus Repertory Theatre of director Ratan
Thiyam was the Venue Sponsor
The Conference was presented in association
with Laihui Ensemble
The Department of Myanmar Studies of
Manipur University
Ministry of Tourism, New Delhi

4. STAFF
Project Director
L. SOMI ROY
Program Manager
M.MANGANGSANA
Guest Relations
DHANESHWARI DEVI
Events Coordinator
DEVAJANI SORAISAM
Assistants
SURESH KHUNDRAKPAM
SURAJ ROY
PREMANANDA
Technical Assistant
BIJU DAS

5. DOCUMENTATION
The Conference was documented by
Jessie English and Eric Feigenbaum
of ReMedial Media, New York

6. CONFERENCE FLYER
(Front)

7. CONFERENCE FLYER
With Speakers and Topic (Back)

8. MYANMAR
Francois Tainturier
Grace Swe Zin Htaik
Kyaw Minn Htin
Pyiet Phyo Kyaw
Tin Maung Kyi
MANIPUR
Augustine Shimray
Chanam Hemchandra
Doren Oinam
Mutua Bahadur
Nahakpam Aruna
Ratan Thiyam
RK Achoubisana
RK Jhalajit
Somi Roy
Wangkheiphee Mantri
Yashawanta Chungkham
OTHER
Eric Feigenbaum
Jessie English
Kamesh Salam
Kathryn Deyell
Uma Dasgupta
Thaiu Mag
PRESENTERS

9. PRESENTATIONS The Conference was on art and culture. It was open to the public
but attendance was limited to 60 (actual attendance averaged 40). It
strove to make attendance mandatory but with mixed results.
Presentations and discussions were in English, in the outdoor
courtyard theater and in the rehearsal studio when projection was
required.
The Conference included field trips for visitors to help establish a
common frame as well as complement discussions. Sites included
Kangla Fort, the Manipur State Museum and a private manuscript
archive.
The Conference focused on art and artists. There were 5
performances: a demonstration of singing styles from the Lai
Haraoba rituals, a Manipuri Bacchae, Tangkhul Naga tribal folk and
ethnic rock, an environment and wildlife Manipuri dance-drama,
and classical Maha Ras at the Palace temple.
FEATURES
FIELD TRIPS
PERFORMANCES

10. FIELD TRIP 1
Kangla Fort
The field trip to Kangla Fort in the
center of Imphal brought the visitors
to the heat of Meitei civilization.
With comparative insights into
coronation ceremonies, dragon boats,
moat culture, serpent worship, and
shaman rituals.
Dr. Tin Maung Kyi: “Why does the
chindit have horns?”

11. FIELD TRIP 2
Manipur State Museum
The visit to the museum
complemented the presentation
on the Lai Haraba festival and its
performance rituals, the artifacts
of Kangla Fort from the early
British period, discussions on
archeology in Bagan and
Manipur, and textile design.

12. FIELD TRIP 3
Manuscripts Archive
The visit to the manuscripts archive of
traditional scholar Chanam Hemchandra
offered a first hand and hands-on look
at the puya tradition of Manipur.
The visit complemented the
presentation and discussion on the
endangered status of Old Manipur.

13. PRESENTATION
Keynote
Theatre director Ratan
Thiyam of Chorus
Repertory Theatre delivers
the keynote address of the
Myanmar Manipur
Conference on the
Conservation of Cultural
Heritage
Dr. U Tin Maung Kyi from
Mandalay responds.

14. PRESENTATION
Manipuri Textiles, and Costumes in
India, Bangladesh and Myanmar
Mutua Bahadur
Manipuri independent scholar and
curator Mutua Bahadur on the
Manipuri kathe community in
Mandalay and beyond.

15. PRESENTATION
The Ramayana in Myanmar
U Tin Maung Kyi
Mandalay’s physician scholar and
authority on puppets presents the
Burmese Ramayana.
“In the Manipuri Ramayana, the celibate
bachelor monkey-god Hanuman, takes a
wife called Chandni.”
“In the Burmese Ramayana too, but his
wife is half fish and half monkey.”

16. PRESENTATION
Bamboo Culture in NER and Myanmar
Kamesh Salam
“The Army is the biggest consumer of
Bamboo in NER.”

17. PRESENTATION
Endangered Old Manipuri
Prof. Yashawanta Chungkham
On the need to save archaic forms of
Manipuri language (Aribalon).
Discussants: RK Jhalajit Singh,
Chanam Hemchandra
“Manuscript digitization essential to save
Old Manipuri language”
“The Manipuri script has 63 alphabets for
every sound in existence.”

18. PRESENTATION
Kazeiram
Kathryn Deyell (Australia)
A short film on loss and
reclamation of Tangkhul
Naga identity. Featuring
performance artist
Augustine Shimray
“Tangkhul Nagas believe you
can visit a true love in the Land
of the Dead. But just once.”

19. PRESENTATION
Discovering "Arakan" in Northeast India
Kyaw Minn Htin (Singapore)
Myths, history and culture of the
Mog community of Tripura
Discussants: Prof Aruna
Nahakpam, Thaiu Mag

20. PRESENTATION
The Lai Haraoba
RK Achoubisana
On the rituals, dance and
music of the Lai Haraoba
of Manipur

21. PRESENTATION
Cultural Identity and Myanmar Cinema
Grace Swe Zin Htaik
The five periods of Cinema from
Myanmar
Discussant: Doren Oinam
“Sudden pregnancies are a common plot
device in Myanmar cinema”

22. PRESENTATION
Bagan Visual Art Works
Pyiet Phyo Kyaw
Conservation of the mural and
sculptural remains in Bagan.

23. PRESENTATION
Classical Manipuri Textile Design
Wangkheiphee Mantri
Display and discussion of
traditional weaving and classical
embroidery designs of Manipuri
handloom textiles.

24. PRESENTATION
Conservation of Shwe Nandaw
Monastery in Mandalay
Francois Tainturier (France)
World Monuments Fund
conservation work on Myanmar’s
oldest teak structure, including
VR model created by University
of Florida

25. PERFORMANCE 1
12 styles of Lai Haraoba singing
Lourembam Bedabati

26. PERFORMANCE 2
Euripides’ Bacchae
Chorus Repertory Theatre
Special performance dress
rehearsal of Chorus Repertory
Theatre’s Manipuri style
interpretation of the Greek
classic. Directed by Thawai
Thiyam.

27. PERFORMANCE 3
Keibul Lamjao:
Dancing Deer of Manipur
Keibul Lamjao, a dance drama
ballet on wildlife
conservation and
environment by Jawaharlal
Nehru Manipur Dance
Academy used folklore,
classical dance and folk
music.

28. KEIBUL LAMJAO: DANCING DEER OF MANIPUR
Invitation (Front)

29. KEIBUL LAMJAO: DANCING DEER OF MANIPUR
Invitation (Back)

30. PERFORMANCE 3
Hao-la
Augustine Shimray
Musician and performance artist
Augustine Shimray from the
Tangkhul Naga tribe in northern
Manipur sings traditional hao-la
folk songs, and his own Naga
rock compositions.

31. PERFORMANCE 3
Maha Ras
Palace Temple
Traditional full moon
performance of the greatest
of the four ras offerings of
Manipuri classical dance

32. www.imasi.org
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2015