Meet the toy stall man
“Selling point – it is not upto the expectation but quite ok. Ben 10 World is the name of the stall. We are based in Thangmeiband andsells toys and other stuff. Wedowhole sale business. We also run a retail shop. We are first time in Sangai Festival. Profit point is high. For a 100 rupees product, I gain Rs 50 as profit @Rs 150 selling price. Today we sold product valued aroundRs 15,000.
The investment in getting the stall is almost covered however we have a good stock to sell off I think I can recover the stall investment amount with some profit at the end of the festival”, says KeishamJotchandra.
Meet the dry flower stall lady
Martha flower from Yaingangpokpi wishes to participate in the Manipur Sangai Festival next year too. She has sold Rs50,000 worth dry flower till the eight day and has gain Rs25,000 as profit. Martha flower is a team of three girls. They make dry flowers. “It is a big sell. We find it hard to manage the shop now as customers are visiting the stall frequently. Our products are dry flower found in the hills. Maize leaf crafted flowers, stuffed flowers, and flower pots imported from outside the State”, says Martha.
Meet the journalists who was taking public opinion
“Many people have expressed their happiness over the festival this time as there was improvement from last year. Cultural events from Myanmar and Thailand have drawn the attention of the spectators as they were exposed to never seen art form in front of their eyes. Almost extinct indigenous games like Mukna, Arambai, Sagol Kangjei bedazzled the nationality feeling of the citizen as the skilled performers showed their best feat. The handloom and handicraft products, the food stalls have proved quite a favorite hot spot, says Nabakumar a young journalists.
Personal opinion – “the festival is maturing and the police are doing well and rest of the time the festival will improve”.
Variety Store Stall.
“Last festival we had a stall. The police security and reception is not up to the mark from last year. Selling point is good. We sell kitchen item, gift items, winter jacket, and imported bed sheet made of cane. We sold items worth Rs 12,000, Rs 8,000, Rs 4,000, Rs 5,000 varying on the number of potential customer turn up during the festive days. Profit wise 80 % of the cost price we gain. It is fun to be part of the fest and promoting our own business banner during the fest”, says the proprietor.
Rebeka store stall in the cluster group
We have sold items worth Rs 50,000 till the eight day. It was not much of a big sale however our main motive was to highlight our business as we will be opening a ladies garment stall soon at Keishamthong. Pasmina, shawls, handloom and handicraft products were our main items. Bangalore silk, Guwahati silk, all ladies garments will be available at our shop says the stall keeper.
Food Star
“Running a food stall was a fun. We deposited Rs 30,000 for two joint stall and at the end of the festival we gain a profit of around Rs 35,000 says Venkat who is a passionate cook. Pork and Beef steak, chicken pakora, macroni, fried rice, chowmein, coffee were our main items. Customer picks up at around 3 pm and peak hour is the evening time till 8 pm. Early morning we have to wake up at around 6 pm and go for shopping vegetables and meat. Preparation starts in the kitchen and it was great fun, we were three individual venture and we have a junior to assist us in the kitchen. In a day our piggy bank scores Rs 7 or Eight thousand. Our biggest sale was Rs 15,000 on Saturday and Sunday. We would love to participate in the next festival but the police frisking at the entry while fetching our raw material was discouraging for us”, says Venkat.
Crowd
The public response was huge everyday turn up was good, almost hit a lakh number with the last two days score of one and half lakh people at Hafta Kangjeibung main venue. People were in the middle aisle, the stall pavement were jam packed. The amphitheatre was overcrowded and the securities have to block the entry. The ticket counters were shut down for few hours as the queue was beyond manageable limit. The exit gate and the entrance gate notice a circular syndrome as the huge people walking out of the venue seems to have left no space when the space got filled up from the incoming spectators of the fest. The festival seems to have overgrown from the last few years and it definitely needs additional venue for the coming years.
Adventure tourism
Especially the MMTA has done a splendid job with Sumo Fighting ring box, a stone climbing spot, boating, rope walk, ATV ride, Space balloon roll, and a display of the Mount Everest trekking suit and tools along with a dummy mountain and organized camps. There was this suit stalls for sports lover within the complex. Besides the paraglide work on the opening day where two gliders gave a hovering hand wave greetings 20 feet above the sky as they flew towards the site from Koirengei was a thrill movement for everyone as they follow the gliders movement. The water sports at Loktak Lake were captivating and innovative. In fact interested and daring adventurous people had a fine time.
