“Pung Cholom is the ‘soul’ of Manipuri Sankirtana music which allow us to express our love and belief towards Vaishnav life,” Guru Kirti Singh, a well-known Manipuri Bhakti Sankirtana guru said during an interaction with ‘The Hitavada’ on Tuesday. Guru Kirti Singh and his troupe was in the city to perform the dance form during the 8th International Convention of SPIC MACAY. Kirti Singh, who is also a guru in Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy, Manipur, said, “It is a Sadhana for us. The dance form is an indispensable part of our religious and social rituals.” “The cultural significance of the dance thus lies in the use of this venerable instrument, essential to the sacred tradition,” said the guru of the dance form. The explosive techniques in Pung Cholom require intense physical training, with dancers taking 10 years to perfect their craft, he said.

“The dancer needs to be physically strong, agile, and open to a regular training regimen under his Guru,” says Singh, who is teaching the dance for decades. The dance requires rock-hard core strength and perfect shape of limbs for the continuous acrobatic jumps the dance demands, he added. This dance form is perhaps the most complete manifestation of classical Manipuri performing arts both in the form of music and dance used in every religious occasion, Singh explained.

When asked about the future of this dance form, Singh said, “Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy is doing a great job in promoting this dance form in Manipur and some other states of North-East. There is a need to reciprocate this dance form not only in the country, but also in the world, and these type of events are the best way to do so.”

Talking about his Dance Academy, Singh said, “The first Prime Minister of India Pandit Nehru, on his maiden visit to Manipur in 1952, witnessed Raas Leela at the Royal Palace of Manipur. Nehru was so happy by the spectacle of the Raas that he took the initiative of founding an institution of Manipuri dance in Imphal. Thus was born the Manipur Dance College in 1954 which was later named as Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy.”