Attire of the Priestess or Amaibi





The priestess or amaibi, from an early period, dress using a covering of the upper body and no shirt accompanies it. A piece of cloth bordered with the sarong is put over the shoulder. Later on, amaibi used a white phanek and a long sleeved white shirt.




Experienced priestess use a sarong crossing over the shoulder and letting the two ends fall in front which was in vogue till the early 1960s. At present, sarong is used to encircle the waist. A sanglakpi, an attaché to the palace and observer of rules, will put on a namthang phijin; the shirt is white. The amaibi accessorises with khuji (bracelet) and a tan, with the chomai as earring. The asuppi (head priestess) has to use a resham (velvety cloth) shirt along with khuji, tan, chomai and a namthang. The priestesses of Chakpa Andro have not used sarong phijin and namthang up to now. 


Reference - Manipuri Costumes Through the Ages (India, Bangladesh, Myanmar) by Mutua Bahadur

Disclaimer - I do not own the images in this blog post.

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