Yaoshang (Dol Jatra)

YAOSHANG (DOL JATRA)

Another important religious festival of Manipur is Yaoshang.

The Yaoshang festival is celebrated for five days.

 This Yaoshang festival starts from the full-moon day of Phalgun i.e. month of February/ March.

The Yaoshang festival is celebrated before the Cheiraoba festival in the Manipur lunar calendar.

The Yaoshang festival is called ‘festival of colors’.

The festival of colors is also known as the ‘Dol utsav’ which celebrates the advent of the Spring season.

During the Yaoshang festival the people of Manipur joyously apply natural powder colors called holi or ‘gulal’ on each other.

This Yaoshang festival is also popularly known as ‘Dol Jatra’.

WHAT IS DOL JATRA?

‘Dol Jatra’ is dedicated to Lord Krishna.

An inseparable part of this festival is the Thabal Chongba dance.

Lord Krishna is one of the avatars or incarnations of the Lord Narayan or Lord Vishnu.

Lord Narayan or Lord Vishnu is the main Hindu deity presiding over the world.

The Hindus believe that the Almighty comes down to terra firma in various avatars or incarnations. The advent of any avatar happens in very nondescript ways. The objective of any such incarnation or avatar of the Almighty is to root out evil and establish the rule of Heaven once again.

The composite term ‘Dol Jatra’ is made up of the two Sanskrit words: ‘dol’ and ‘jatra’. The connotation of the term ‘Dol’ is the idol of Lord Krishna; while the meaning of the Sanskrit word ‘Jatra’ is ‘journey’.

Therefore, the meaning of the composite term ‘Dol Jatra’ is the ‘Journey of the idol of Lord Krishna’.

During this festival, the womenfolk religiously carry in their arms the idol of Lord Krishna.  The idol is then taken to every household. The womenfolk sing hymns. 

The respective household people eagerly await the arrival this congregation during Dol Jatra festival. The householders pray the idols and gives offerings in the name of the Lord.