PUMNGOU PHANEK: A traditional loin cloth of Meitei women

PUMNGOU PHANEK: A traditional loin cloth of Meitei women

Pumngou Phanek is the most important traditional loin cloth of the Meitei women In Meiteilon  “Pumngou” means completely white.As the name suggests, this phanek is complete of white colour. But in practise, this dress is found in different in plain colours with or without border strips. The border strips are either in plain design, in distinct colour different from the colour of the cloth, or in the popular design called Moirangphee Chanba, that is, the series of triangle woven along the borders. Thus Pumngou Phanek may be of the following types:

a) Complete white or light pink with no border strips. Pumngou Phanek of complete white are used by the Maibis(priestess) and the Pumngou Phanek of the light pink are worn by the Meitei women on occasion of mortuary ceremonies and at the time of prayers at temples.

Maibis(priestess) with Pumngou Phanek

Meitei woman with light pink Pumngou Phanek (photo credit:e-pao. net)

b) Colored Pumngou Phanek with plain border strips, in colour distinctly differ from that of the body of the cloth. More commonly, girls put on this type of phanek on casual occasion than on festivals.

Coloured Pumngou Phanek

c) Coloured Pumngou Phanek with border strips of Moirangphhee Chanba does not differ from the variety with the plain border strips. It is considered to be a fancied variety of the latter.

Pumngou Phanek Moirangphee Chanba

Data source:"Traditional dress of the Meiteis" by Dr. K. Sobita