Manipuri Brahmins are believed to be having their origins as far as Gujarat to West Bengal, Bangladesh, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, etc. Most of the Manipuri Brahmins are pesco-vegetarians, while foods cook during religious ceremonies and festivals are strictly lacto-vegetarian even without onion and garlic. Most common surnames or titles are: Sharma, Choudhury, Goswami, Adhikari etc. while girls and women may use Devi as their title sometimes. Each Brahmin family within the community belongs to a specific Gotra indicating their origin.
Manipuri Brahmins are the descendants of Indo-Aryan people. Brahmins from different parts of India like Bengal, North India, Orissa, etc., began to migrate into Manipur Valley from the 15th Century. . They started worshiping Hindu gods in Manipur by constructing temples. The appearance of Brahmins in Manipur in the 15th century may be due to the rise of Muslim power inBengal and the subsequent repression and religious persecution of the Hindus there . In 1717 Common Era, a Bengali Brahmin named Shantidas Gosai (or Shantidas Adhikari) converted KingPamheiba of Manipur to Hinduism . A particular form of Vaisnavism was also adopted and spread under the reign of King Kyamba through to King Khagemba in the 19th century. Towards the end of the 19th century and at the advent of the 20th century, a great force of Gaudiya Vaishnavism came and spread in Manipur. Many Hindu temples were also constructed during this period and more number of Brahmins came to Manipur and settled as pujaris for the temples. These Brahmins, living with the Meiteis and sharing with them a corporate life by adopting Meitei ways of living and language. , formed the Manipuri Brahmins.
Brahmins in Manipur write the conferred yumnaks or occupational names either given to them as a gift by the Manipuri kings or else which they have adopted being in Manipur for a long time. It is usually written as their first names, however they may or may not use their yumnaks in their names. Each yumnak helps in identifying his or her gotra. For example, the yumnak 'Gurumayum' belongs to Sandilya gotra while 'Aribam' and 'Phurailatpam' belong to Vatsa gotra.
King Pitambar Charairongba of Manipur adopted a Hindu preacher as guru. Thus his descendants use 'Guru Aribam' as their occupational name. These descendant Brahmins (Guru Aribam) occupy a full locality (till now) in Brahmapur, Imphal. Some common occupational names or yumnaks of Manipuri Brahmins are: Aribam, Anoubam, Adhikarimayum, Brahmacharimayum, Bisnulatpam, Bachaspatimayum, Choudhurymayum, Gotimayum, Hajarimayum, Hanjanbam, Hidangmayum, Kongbrailatpam, Kakchingtabam, Laimayum, Leihaothabam, Phurailatpam, Sanglakpam, Shamurailatpam, Shijagurumayum, Takhelchangbam, etc.
Important Festivals
Maha Shivratri
* Holi (called 'Yaoshang' in Manipuri)
* Cheiraoba
* Rath Yatra (called 'Kang' in Manipuri)
* Jhulon
* Janmashtami
* Radha Ashtami
* Vishwakarma Puja
* Durga Puja
* Diwali
* Govardhan Puja
* Ningol Chakouba
* Lakshmi Puja
* Hari Uthan
Language
Manipuri Brahmins speak Manipuri as their first language.