Khamba Thoibi Jagoi

{{About|a traditional Meitei classical dance|the Classical Meitei language epic poem|Khamba Thoibi Sheireng|the general topic|Khamba and Thoibi}}

{{Redirect-distinguish|Khamba Thoibi ballet|Moirang Sai{{!}}Khamba Thoibi ballad}}

{{Copy edit|for=merging of duplicate references|date=January 2024}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox dance

| name = Khamba Thoibi Jagoi
{{small|{{Script|Latn|(Khamba Thoibi classical dance)}}}}

| image = ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ_ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ꯱.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Male and female dancers, re-enacting the classical performances of Khuman Khamba and Moirang Thoibi

| native_name = {{Langx|mni|{{Script|Mtei|ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯢꯕꯤ ꯖꯒꯣꯢ}}|}}

| etymology = {{Script|Latn|Khamba Thoibi dance}} or {{Script|Latn|Khamba Thoibi ballet}}

| genre = jagoi, classical dance, ritual dance, theatre dance (histrionic) ballet{{Cite book |last=Banerji |first=Projesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fXZKe3xHQAC&dq=khamba+thoibi+ballet&pg=PA74 |title=Indian Ballet Dancing |publisher= |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-391-02716-9 |location=India |pages=74 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Raina |first=Vimala |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460207/page/n7/mode/2up |title=Khamba Thoibi And Poems On Manipur |date=1963-01-18 |publisher=Digital Library of India; Internet Archive |others=Manipur Government Press; Manipur University Library; North Eastern States Libraries |location=India |pages=ii |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Banerji |first=Projesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fXZKe3xHQAC&dq=khamba+thoibi+ballet&pg=PA77 |title=Indian Ballet Dancing |publisher= |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-391-02716-9 |location=India |pages=77 |language=en}}

| signature =

| instruments =

| inventor = Khuman Khamba and Moirang Thoibi

| year =

| origin = Ancient Moirang

}}

{{Contains special characters|Meitei}}

Khamba Thoibi Jagoi ({{Langx|mni|{{Script|Mtei|ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯢꯕꯤ ꯖꯒꯣꯢ}}||{{Script|Latn|Khamba Thoibi dance}}|}}), also known as Khamba Thoibi classical dance or Khamba Thoibi ballet,{{Cite book |last=Banerji |first=Projesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fXZKe3xHQAC&dq=khamba+thoibi+ballet&pg=PA74 |title=Indian Ballet Dancing |publisher= |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-391-02716-9 |location=India |pages=74 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Raina |first=Vimala |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.460207/page/n7/mode/2up |title=Khamba Thoibi And Poems On Manipur |date=1963-01-18 |publisher=Digital Library of India; Internet Archive |others=Manipur Government Press; Manipur University Library; North Eastern States Libraries |location=India |pages=ii |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Banerji |first=Projesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fXZKe3xHQAC&dq=khamba+thoibi+ballet&pg=PA77 |title=Indian Ballet Dancing |publisher= |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-391-02716-9 |location=India |pages=77 |language=en}} is a traditional Meitei ritualistic and theatrical classical dance form,—{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h2rrAAAAMAAJ&q=classical+Khamba+Thoibi |title=Pathway Volume 41 |date=1988 |others=University of Michigan; Marg Foundation (Mumbai, India), Modern Architectural Research Group, Modern Artists and Architects Research Group, National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) |volume=41 |pages=XV |language=en |quote=First and foremost are the surviving ritual dances which have been absorbed into the repertoire. The Lai-haraoba and the Khamba Thoibi may be counted amongst these. Their historical and mythical theme makes them as classical as any of the later Vaishnavite dances.}}
—{{Cite book |last=Doshi |first=Saryu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xRbkAAAAMAAJ&q=classical+Khamba+Thoibi |title=Dances of Manipur: The Classical Tradition |others=University of Michigan |year=1989 |isbn=978-81-85026-09-1 |pages=XIX |publisher=Marg Publications |language=en |quote=First and foremost are the surviving ritual dances which have been absorbed into the repertoire. The Lai-haraoba and the Khamba Thoibi may be counted amongst these. Their historical and mythical theme makes them as classical as any of the later Vaishnavite dances. They have an element of abhinaya (histrionic representation)...}}
—{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fZA_AAAAMAAJ&q=classical+Khamba+Thoibi |title=DM Silveira's India Book |date=1994 |publisher=Classic Publishers |others=University of Michigan |isbn=978-81-900218-2-1 |pages=230 |language=en |quote=...Lai Haraoba is the ritual folk-cum-classical dance of Manipur and tells the story of creation according to the Manipuris. Khamba Thoibi is a popular Manipuri dance which tells the story of princess Thoibi and poor boy Khamba...}}
—{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PJLWAAAAMAAJ&q=classical+Khamba+Thoibi |title=Mãrg |others=Pennsylvania State University; National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) |volume=41 |pages=109 |language=en |quote=First and foremost are the surviving ritual dances which have been absorbed into the repertoire. The Lai-haraoba and the Khamba Thoibi may be counted amongst these. Their historical and mythical theme makes them as classical as any of the later Vaishnavite dances. They have an element of abhinaya histrionic representation)... |issue=1–2}}
—{{Cite web |last=Khuraijam |first=Bobo |date=2011-03-13 |title=Three Cheers – KanglaOnline |url=https://kanglaonline.in/2011/03/three-cheers/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |language=en-US |quote=... Would it not be like asking for a Hip-Hop dance from a classical Khamba-Thoibi jagoi performance if we expect street aggression from our teachers? ...}} which is usually enacted as a part and parcel of the Lai Haraoba performances,{{Cite book |last=Banerji |first=Projesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5fXZKe3xHQAC&dq=khamba+thoibi+ballet&pg=PA77 |title=Indian Ballet Dancing |publisher= |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-391-02716-9 |location=India |pages=77 |language=en}} dedicated to God {{langnf|omp|Thangching|Thangjing}}, the national deity of Ancient Moirang realm.{{Cite web |title=khamba Thoibi Folk Dance of Manipur |url=http://www.indianfolkdances.com/khamba-thoibi-folk-dance-of-manipur.html |access-date=2021-02-07 |website=www.indianfolkdances.com}}{{Cite web |title=Everything Experiential {{!}} Khamba Thoibi Dance |url=http://everythingexperiential.businessworld.in/tags/Khamba-Thoibi-Dance-91441 |access-date=2021-02-07 |website=Everything Experiential |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2012-03-19 |title=Khamba Thaibi Dance |url=http://www.dance.anantagroup.com/khamba-thaibi-dance/ |access-date=2021-02-07 |website=Indian Classical Folk & Tribal Dance |language=en-US}} Notably, it is one of the cultural elements, giving inspirations to the development of the Manipuri Raas Leela classical dance drama form.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GC9Vegt10IwC&dq=classical+Khamba+Thoibi&pg=PA19 |title=Dances Of India |publisher=Har-Anand Publications Pvt. Limited |year=2010 |isbn=978-81-241-1337-0 |pages=19 |language=en |quote=...The Rasa Lila dances of Shiva and Parvati, Radha and Krishna, and the local deities Khamba and Thoibi form the foundation of the Manipuri dance...}}

The dance form is believed to be first performed by Khuman Khamba and Moirang Thoibi, in the premise of the deity.

File:ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ꯵.jpg

Another remarkable achievement of Meitei cultural heritage, directly related to the Khamba Thoibi dance, is {{Langnf|mni|Khamba Thoibi Sheireng|Epic poem about Khamba and Thoibi}}, the third longest Indian epic poem, next to the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which is a classical Meitei language epic poem,{{Cite web |last=KanglaOnline |date=2011-04-04 |title=The great Meitei Reconciliation Process: Revisiting the classical folklore on "Emoinu Chakhong Ngahongbi" by Late Shri Ningomabam Angouton Meetei – KanglaOnline |url=https://kanglaonline.in/2011/04/the-great-meitei-reconciliation-process-revisiting-the-classical-folklore-on-emoinu-chakhong-ngahongbi/ |access-date=2023-11-12 |language=en-US |quote=... The folklore of Emoinu Celebration from the story “Washak Ngakpa” meaning Keeping the Promise, written by Late Shri Ningombam Angouton Meetei and the classical love story “Khamba -Thoibi” are classical examples of successful reconciliation process of the old Meitei factions...}}{{Cite book |last=Delhi |first=All India Radio (AIR), New |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xf_2DwAAQBAJ&dq=manipuri+classics&pg=PA7 |title=AKASHVANI: Vol. XXXIII, No.12 ( 17 MARCH, 1968 ) |date=1968-03-17 |publisher=All India Radio (AIR), New Delhi |location=India |pages=7, 8 |language=en |chapter=Some Classics of Manipur |author-link=All India Radio}}{{Cite book |last=Bond |first=Ruskin |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZv0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT4 |title=The Penguin Book of Classical Indian Love Stories and Lyrics |date=2000-10-14 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-93-5118-814-8 |pages=3, 4 |language=en |chapter=The Story of Khamba and Thoibi |author-link=Ruskin Bond}} having 39,000 lines, recognised and honoured to be the national epic of the Manipuris, originated from the traditional ballads, popularly sung by minstrels or bards, by playing Pena (musical instrument).{{Cite book |last=George |first=K. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C&dq=Khamba+Thoibi+Sheireng&pg=PA258 |title=Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems |date=1992 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=978-81-7201-324-0 |location=India |pages=258 |language=en |quote=H. Anganghal Singh's Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (Poem on Khamba Thoibi, 1940) is a national epic of the Manipuris based on the story of Khamba and Thoibi of Moirang. The poet composes the whole epic in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads sung by minstrels or bards popular in Manipur.}}{{Cite book |last=Datta |first=Amaresh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zB4n3MVozbUC&dq=Khamba+Thoibi+Sheireng&pg=PA1186 |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=1988 |isbn=978-81-260-1194-0 |location=India |pages=1186 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Sisir Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sqBjpV9OzcsC&dq=Khamba+Thoibi+Sheireng&pg=PA190 |title=A History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956, struggle for freedom : triumph and tragedy |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-7201-798-9 |pages=190 |language=en |quote=His epic Singel Indu was published in 1938 which was followed by his magnum opus Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (1940), a poem of 39000 lines, considered to be the 'national' epic of the Manipuris, written in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads.}}