Ras Lila is a dance-drama performed in the pure classical style of Jagoi Manipuri dance that symbolises a deeper human connect with the divine. Inspired by themes of Radha and Krishna, the dance drama features rounded soft movements of the performing women, and occasional fast movements by male characters. Unlike other classical Indian dances, the Manipuri dance artists do not wear anklet bells and the footwork is subdued and gentle. The stage movements are fluid and characterized by a composite movement of the whole body. The women performers are dressed like Manipuri brides, in their ‘Kumil’. A Kumil is an elaborately decorated barrel shaped long skirt stiffened at the bottom and close at the top. The upper body is dressed in a velvet blouse, and the head covered in a white translucent veil, to symbolically indicate elusive shyness.

Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei People in honor of their ancestors and deities. Like the Japanese, paying respect to ancestors is an important part of Indian culture, and indeed a Manipuri tradition. As in the Obon period, the supernaturals are believed to visit the Earth in summer and the Lai Haraoba dances are meant to pay respect and welcome their arrival every summer. This ritualistic celebratory festival has been observed since the ancient times and it reflects the culture of entire Manipur— both hills and plains.

Is a celebration heralding the Spring season in all its colors and vibrancy. The mood is encapsulated in the tempo of the drums and dance that changes cadence, beginning softly and ending in a roaring climax. The men performing Dhol Cholom perform acrobatics and dance with a large Dhol. The Dhol is a large drum that has great significance in most dances of the Manipur state. The participants are clad in colorful costumes for the performance.

Thang Ta is a popular, yet ancient Manipuri Martial Art that envisioned a deep world view ensconced within the culture of small ethnic communities. Much like the calligraphy and art associated with the Samurai, this art form connects the universe with the body. The body becomes a space where tensions and dynamics of creation are worked out in a system of movements reflecting the essence of these creative forces. The whole world and the dynamic cosmos is recreated in the body of man when its warlike engagements are over.