Gostha Lila

Understand

Where Gostha Lila comes from

Gostha Lila (literally 'the dance of the cowherd-society') is the Manipuri devotional-dance-drama of the cattle-herding episodes of Krishna and the gopis of Vrindavan, performed at the Janmashtami festival of the Manipuri Vaishnavite tradition. The dance is the central Janmashtami celebration of the Meitei Vaishnavite community, with the central performance in the temple of Shri Govindaji in Imphal and in the regional Vaishnavite shrines. The dance is the central performance of the cultural festival of the Manipuri Krishna-bhakti tradition and is one of the four classical Manipuri dance forms. The dance is associated with the Jagoi (the traditional female-dance element) and with the pung (the Manipuri drum).

How it's practiced

Gostha Lila is performed by the Maibas and Maibis of the Meitei community at the Janmashtami festival at the temple of Shri Govindaji in Imphal. The dance is the devotional-dance-drama of the cattle-herding episodes of Krishna, with the Maibis performing the dance of the gopis and the Maibas performing the dance of Krishna and the cowherds. The dance is in the small swaying-step vocabulary of the Manipuri tradition, with the pung and the dhol accompanying. Costume is the Vaishnavite traditional dress — the cylindrical kumil for the women and the dhoti and turban for the men. Performances are at the temple of Shri Govindaji and at the cultural programmes of the state.