Housing and Food

The Bishnupriya Manipuris are a simple race. They do not build their houses in hill areas but in the plane lands. Their traditional house is called Inchau made of wood and bamboo fenced by Khapak, a kind of hemp plant with the fibers of the hemp of the top. Also tins are used to build houses. Although now days modern building are also found in the Bishnupriya Manipuri locality, orthodox Bishnupriyas are proud to build their houses with the traditional pattern.

Their dishes are very simple. They are mainly vegetarians. Rice, vegetable, fruits and milk constitute the principal article of food. They are very fond of their traditional items like Erolpa, Paltoi, Chhinchou, Maroi-jhool etc. they are fond of Lonchak - a kind of vegetable bean produced in a special tree. As there are social restrictions, the Bishnupriya Manipuris don't have meats, eggs and any kind of wine. All these things are treated as unholy and totally avoided. But there is no restriction of taking fish. However, fish-eating is probably a pre-Aryan custom or might borrowed from the Mongolian people in the Manipur Valley. The different devices of catching fish like the Hangkel and the Inchel - a kind of fishing net and Hupa or Hogra - a kind of fish trap are no doubt of Tibeto-Burman origin. 

The females usually wares blouses with traditional Lahing/Chakshabi (a coarse cloth with length wise stripes and embroidered on both sides length wise) with an Enaphi ( Single or multicolor coarse cloth with laces on both ends) and a Angei or blouse. The extreme beauty of women dress is the design of Moirang, a special and artistic type of embroidery which is done by the weavers. Married women wear Muror Futi or vails and take special cale of their hair. They paste sindoor on the forehead and also wear kharou or Shakhas like the Bangali Hindus.

Their ornaments usually made of Gold and silver, and the main designs are - (1) Aangthi (Ring), (2) Kharau ( Ring bracelet), (3) Khonanakpi( Necklace), (4) Kanberi (Earing), (5) Khathisuri ( A type of Gerland), etc. worn in the fingers, arms, ears and the necks. References are found that a special kind of finger ring made up of coconut barks.