Original Article ISSN (Online): 2582-7472 ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts January-June 2024 5(1), 82–96 How to cite this article (APA): Premchandra, K. (2024). Enacting the Gods: The Performance of Haoba Nurabi Episode in the Lai Haraoba of Manipur. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 5(1), 82–96. doi: 10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1.2024.725 82 ENACTING THE GODS: THE PERFORMANCE OF HAOBA NURABI EPISODE IN THE LAI HARAOBA OF MANIPUR Kshetrimayum Premchandra 1 1 Assistant Professor, Department of English, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar-799022, Tripura, India ABSTRACT This paper examines the performance of the Haoba Nurabi episode in the Meitei Lai Haraoba of Manipur. It attempts to delve into the intricate rituals of Lai Haraoba, a celebration that combines elements such as dance, music, sports, and sacred ceremonies to honour the presiding deities. The paper also provides insights into the performance space known as the laipung, shedding light on the staging and realisation of this traditional performance style. Throughout this paper, the terms drama, theatre, and performance are used interchangeably with due emphasis on spectator experience rather than the technicalities of the terms and methodological challenges. The episode under consideration reenacts the interactions between the divine lovers Haoba and Nurabi, who initially fail to recognise each other, which offers moments of humour and clever dialogues while performing activities like tilling, sowing, and harvesting. With multiple constituent elements making this propitiatory festival an entity unto itself, Lai Haraoba holds significance within India's broader landscape of performance traditions. And Haoba Nurabi sets itself apart within the ritual-rich ambience of the Lai Haraoba festival by exhibiting structural and presentational similarities to contemporary drama. Received 11 October 2023 Accepted 10 January 2024 Published 23 January 2024 Corresponding Author Kshetrimayum Premchandra, kshetrisingh@tripurauniv.ac.in DOI 10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1.2024.725 Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. With the license CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author. Keywords: Manipur, Ritual, Lai Haraoba, Sacred Space, Theatre, Drama, Performance 1. INTRODUCTION: CONTEMPORARY DRAMA AND OTHER PERFORMANCES In a historic achievement, a theatre troupe from Manipur clinched their first- ever victory outside their home state at the theatre festival/competition in New Delhi, which took place from November 22 to December 25, 1954. The festival was divided into four categories: modern, traditional, folk, and historical. It was meant for 15 languages which were included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Legend has it that Manipuri, a non-scheduled language at that time, was permitted to stage a play with the consent of the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Manipur Dramatic Union (MDU) represented Manipur and staged