📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / The National Archives UK
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Manipur Men Turn Into ‘Human Washing Machines’ to Clean Festival Carpets in Stream
✍️ India Today
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 07:04 PM
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After a local festival in Manipur, a group of men waded into a nearby stream and repeatedly passed carpets through the water, describing their effort as a ‘human washing machine’.
Manipur residents took an unconventional approach to post‑festival clean‑up on Saturday, when a team of men entered a stream to wash large ceremonial carpets. The participants repeatedly submerged the woven mats and pulled them through the flowing water, likening the process to a human‑operated washing machine.
The carpets, which had been displayed during the concluding rites of the regional festival, were heavily soiled with food particles and incense ash. Rather than using mechanical cleaners, the men opted for the natural stream, believing the current would efficiently rinse the fabrics.
Local observers noted the coordinated effort, with several volunteers rotating positions to keep the carpets moving. The act drew curious onlookers and sparked conversations on traditional versus modern cleaning methods in rural Manipur.
Authorities did not intervene, acknowledging that the community’s self‑help initiative aligns with long‑standing practices of collective maintenance after public celebrations. The event has since been shared widely on social media, highlighting the ingenuity of grassroots solutions in the state.
The carpets, which had been displayed during the concluding rites of the regional festival, were heavily soiled with food particles and incense ash. Rather than using mechanical cleaners, the men opted for the natural stream, believing the current would efficiently rinse the fabrics.
Local observers noted the coordinated effort, with several volunteers rotating positions to keep the carpets moving. The act drew curious onlookers and sparked conversations on traditional versus modern cleaning methods in rural Manipur.
Authorities did not intervene, acknowledging that the community’s self‑help initiative aligns with long‑standing practices of collective maintenance after public celebrations. The event has since been shared widely on social media, highlighting the ingenuity of grassroots solutions in the state.