Mrs Lousenlung Rongmei, 55 years from Tamenglong Leisok village is a lady handloom artisan who weaves various traditional attires of Kabui community, an indigenous ethnic tribe settled in the state since time immemorial. The lady handloom artisan weaves the Kabui traditional attires on loin looms manually at her house.
Like other communities, Kabui has different traditional fabrics to be used during different religious occasions/rituals – birth, death, festivals etc. she said that a wife of the Kabui Khullakpa wears a special traditional attire called Lousenglung. she shares her stall at the ongoing Manipur Industrial expo 2016 with her younger sister Marta, a state awardee in handicraft.
Mrs Lousenlung learnt weaving of Kabui traditional fabrics from her late mother and mother right from her tender age of 15 years. She was serving as primary teacher in a government school. She is now stating at Mahabali Kabui khul, palace compound. An elderly lady endeavoring to promote the legacy of the colourful traditional fabrics of Kabui community, she used to supply the woven material to both wholesalers and retailers.
Some of the Kabui traditional fabrics she makes include Langjenpheisoi, Bungkham, Pheingao Pheisoi, Lengrang, Lakmu Pheisoi, Pheingao Phei (shawl), Lenglan (worn by boys used in traditional dance), Mareipan, Haopheishoi, Lakmu Pheisoi some of the traditional dress she design with artistic motifs. She also weaves Sinaiphai, a traditional scarf mainly worn by both boys and girls of Kabui community during religious festivals like Chakan Gan-Ngai.
