Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 7(1), January 2008, pp. 141-147 Natural dye yielding plants and indigenous knowledge of dyeing in Manipur, Northeast India Lunalisa Potsangbam, Swapana Ningombam & Warjeet S Laitonjam* Department of Chemistry, Manipur University, Canchipur 795 003, Manipur E-mail: warjeet@yahoo.com Received 9 September 2005: revised 5 October 2007 The people of Manipur, which lies under the Indo-Burmese region, have been using indigenous dyestuffs from plants since time immemorial, in handicrafts, handlooms, fine arts, etc. There are more than 50 plants species in Manipur, which are used as dyes right from ancient times, before chemical dyes were introduced in the state. Strobilanthus flaccidifolius is one such plants being traditionally used by the people of the state for preparing dye. Many tribes and Meitei community of Manipur have been using species like Parkia javanica, Melastoma malabathricum, Pasania pachyphylla, Solanum incidum, Bixa orellana, Tectona grandis, etc. The Maring tribes still uses the fruit of Melastoma malabathricum for staining teeth in dark blackish red; it strengthens the teeth and protects from gum diseases and cavities. These plants are used traditionally in combination with other plants for extraction and preparation of dyes utilizing indigenous processes. The compounds isolated from these dye yielding plants and the indigenous knowledge on dye preparation in Manipur is reported. Keywords: Meitei tribes, Maring tribes, Natutal dye, Manipur, Indigenous knowledge IPC Int.CI. 8 : D06P, D01H13/30 Manipur, a Northeastern Indian state lying at 23°49 / - 25°41 / N latitudes and 92°59 / - 94°45 / E longitudes is rich in plant diversity of ethnobotanical and economical importance. The people of the state have been using indigenous dyestuffs from plants since time immemorial, in handicrafts, handlooms, fine arts, etc., as mentioned in the old literature of the state like the Royal Chronicle (Cheitharol Kumbaba). The total geographical area of the state is 22,327 sq. km with the forest area covering about 15,154 sq km (67.8% of the total geographical area). The state neighbours Nagaland in the North, Myanmar in the East, Mizoram and Chin Hills of Myanmar in the South, and Cachhar district of Assam in the West. The mean temperature varies between 5°C and 32° C, while relative humidity varies between 43% and 92%, respectively. The average annual rainfall measures about 146.71 cm. Different ethnic groups and communities inhabit the state, giving rise to a rich mosaic of culture and tradition. According to 2001 census, 29 recognized tribal communities (30% of the total state population) belongs to Kuki and Naga groups, and 57% of the population is constituted by the Meiteis, an Indo- Mongoloid group speaking Tibeto-Burman language. Besides these, Meitei Muslims (7% of the state population) and 7 schedule caste communities also inhabit the state. A tribe can be recognized by its dress and custom. There has been a linguistic and cultural affinity between Meiteis and the hill tribes, and has played equally important roles in the long ambiguous process of accumulating the present artistic and cultural heritage of the state, despite the geographical separation. The Northeast India falls under the Indo-Burmese region, which is the sixth among the 25 mega diversity hot spots of the world. There are more than 50 plants species in Manipur, which are used as dyes right from ancient times, before chemical dyes were introduced in the state, around 1905 AD. Fast chemical dyes were found to be available in the Imphal market since 1930 AD. The process of dyeing was started during the reign of King Taothing-Mang (264-364 AD). The system of dyeing progressed during the reign of King Yanglao Keiphaba (969-984 AD), who introduced the beautiful textile Hij Mayek (later known as Hijam mayek) colourfully dyed, and worn by the women folk of Manipur. During the reign of King Loyumba (1074 _________ *Corresponding author