Who Will Be Ningthou? (A Story From Manipur)

This series features cross-cultural, cross-lingual stories published simultaneously in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil. The stories, sourced from the rich oral traditions and folklore of India and other regions, emphasise the similarities and differences existing in this, our one world. Unfamiliar words and ideas are explained with the help of Wordbirds which streak across the pages and the child quickly acquires a multilingual vocabulary. Wordbirds nest in all the books in this series, ideal for 4 to 8 year-olds.

Manipur is a small state in northeastern India. Maitailon is a dialect spoken there. The Maitailon words in the story give readers a feel of the place and its people.

The Ningthou and Leima, king and queen of Manipur, rule well over their meeyam, their people. The people are happy and live in peace. And then it is time to name a successor to the throne. A contest is held. Who is named the next Ningthou?

This charming folktale gently leads the child to think about two very important issues: harmony with nature and gender equality.

Indira Mukherjee is a writer and storyteller based in Delhi. Well-Known artist A V Ilango is also a Professor of Mathematics, and lives in Chennai. His paintings are striking for rhythm and motion of line.