Titular king and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba visited the shrine of Ibudhou Awang Asuppa at Koubru Leikha and attended a ritual arranged by Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL), Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) and Manipur Youth Organisation.

Even as the titular King attended the rituals at Koubru Leikha, about 200 pilgrims have made their way up Mt Koubru.

For generations, pilgrims particularly from the Meitei community have been trekking to the peak of Mt Koubru to offer prayers, generally one week after Sajibu Nongma Panba .This year Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba fell on April 13.

Taking the situation into consideration, especially the stand off over Mt Koubru in the past few days before an understanding was reached with the Government on April 20, strict security measures were taken up near the foothills of Mt Koubru.

Earlier, a number of police personnel were deployed atop Mt Koubru and its surrounding areas, after a bridge leading to the peak of the mountain was found dismantled.

Leishemba Sanajaoba said that ‘Scaling Mt Koubru during the Manipur calendar months of Sajibu and Inga is a tradition practised by Meitei for ages’.

Maintaining today’s pilgrimage and the ritual didn’t intend to hurt the sentiments of any particular community but performed as per the traditions of Meitei, the MP appealed all not to cause any sort of disturbance to pilgrims while performing their religious rites at the mountain in future, later he added.

Convenor of UKAL Mutum Maniton on the other hand, stated that the rituals performed at the shrine of Ibudhou Awang Asuppa was not against any community.