Published Paper Details:

This paper explores the intersection of Thaang-Taa, the martial tradition of the Meiteis, and Lai Haraoba, the ritual festival that enacts cosmological creation, cultural memory, and social practices of the community. While Thaang-Taa is often studied in terms of its martial discipline, this article highlights its ritual embodiment within Lai Haraoba, where tools and weapons such as swords, knives, spears, scissors, and agricultural implements appear not materially but symbolically through codified gestures and movements. Episodes like Nungnao Jagoi, Phisarol, Yumsharol, and Uyanlon reveal how martial and agricultural traditions are preserved in ritual performance. The study argues that the human body serves as the primary site where the spiritual, martial, and cultural converge, transforming material absence into symbolic presence. Drawing on performance studies and cultural analysis, this article demonstrates how Lai Haraoba sustains intangible heritage and positions Thaang-Ta as a living archive of Meitei identity, aesthetics, and philosophy.