Ningol Chakkouba: Manipur's Family Festival, Date and Meaning

Ningol Chakkouba is Manipur’s festival of the bond between married women and their paternal families: daughters return to their childhood homes, are feasted by their brothers and parents, and leave with gifts. It falls on the second day of the Meitei lunar month of Hiyangei, which lands in October-November; the exact Gregorian date is announced each year by the community, so confirm before planning travel around it.

What actually happens

Married daughters (“ningol”) are invited formally (“chakkouba” is the invitation) to their maternal home. The day is a feast: traditional dishes stacked on banana leaf, new clothes, and the emotional centrepiece, brothers and parents honouring the daughters with gifts. For Meitei families across Manipur, and the diaspora in Assam, Tripura and beyond, it is the family reunion of the year.

Travelling for it

Imphal fills up: bookings, traffic and market energy spike in the days around the festival. Everything Manipur travels status-first: check the current advisory before locking plans, and travel with an operator who tracks it daily. Our Manipur guide explains the status-first approach and the permit page covers entry formalities.

Beyond the valley

The festival travels with the Meitei community: you will find Ningol Chakkouba celebrated in Cachar, in Tripura’s valleys, anywhere the community settled. It pairs naturally with a November Manipur plan if conditions allow.

Quick answers

What is Ningol Chakkouba? The Meitei festival where married daughters return to their paternal homes for a feast and gifts, on the second day of the lunar month Hiyangei.

When is Ningol Chakkouba 2026? It falls in the October-November window; the community announces the exact date each year, confirm close to the festival.

Who celebrates it? Meitei families of Manipur and the diaspora.

Planning a Manipur festival trip? Message us for a status-checked plan.