Abstract
The Kang Chingba festival in Manipur is regarded as one of the important religious and cultural events in the state owing to the way it manifests both physically and spiritually the syncretic culture of the Meitei. The report on Kang Chingba explains how Vaishnavism has evolved throughout history and has been brought to Manipur from the 15th century (rule of King Kiyamba) to reach its peak during the reign of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra in the 18th century and consolidated under the rule of Maharaja Chandrakirti. It also elaborates on the iconography of the Kang (chariot) with images such as Gajendra Moksha, Sheshashayi Vishnu, Hanuman, and Vamana Avatar. The pictures inscribed on the kang do not serve only to beautify it, but also assume major theological meaning as Gaudiya Vaishnavism “in motion". The report further talks about the process of combining international Meitei beliefs like Sanamahism and Lai Haraoba with those of Vaishnavism under the topic of syncretism. Finally, the report discusses the theme of Kang Chingba’s unifying function as a space where people work together and remember one another.