Watch video: the doyen of Manipuri Pung speaks about the philosophy of the art form

Sarungbam Khomei started learning the pung (drum) at the age of five. At 35, he became a master. Now 76, he lives in Haoreibi Awang Leikai in Imphal, Manipur, from where he tells us about the tradition of pung and the culture of Sankirtan.

The double-headed pung is considered the king of musical instruments by the Meitei community. Nothing is complete without it, neither song nor the unique dance derived from martial traditions, the Pung Cholom.

Anubha Bhonsle & Sunzu Bachaspatimayum

Anubha Bhonsle is a 2015 PARI fellow, an independent journalist, an ICFJ Knight Fellow, and the author of “Mother, Where’s My Country?', a book about the troubled history of Manipur and the impact of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Sunzu Bachaspatimayum is a freelance journalist and a national award-winning filmmaker based in Imphal.

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