It is a custom to swab the area around the (much-revered by Hindus) tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) plant in a circular manner daily (sometimes even twice or thrice a day). The tulsi is also a medicinal plant of great value, in India.
Swabbing floor of the rooms and courtyards using mud and cow dung is common in Manipur state of North Eastern India. But this practice is no longer prevalent in houses with concrete floors.
Manipuris have a specific way of building houses. A typical Manipuri (Meitei) house has a verendah called 'mangol' where the right side is reserved for the oldest member of the family or clan. No women even of the family except the oldest female member is allowed to sit there. Then, climbing down the 'dhhari' the edge of the 'mangol' there's the courtyard called shumang in Manipuri. Right in the middle of the shumang is a tulsi plant. These days, concrete courtyards have a well cemented and smoothened circular area around the tulsi plant. Daily worships of Bina Devi( tulsi) and the sun God are done in the western part of this circular area.
A few yards to the east of the tulsi plant, there is a shed facing towards the house called 'mamang sang-goi', Mamang meaning east and sang-goi meaning shed.
Mamang Sangoi is often referred to the nose of the house and every house without a shed in the east is considered incomplete.
In the olden days, Wealthy people of the place also used to build another shed on the other two directions of the courtyard.
The Sang-gois or sheds are used for weaving, storing grains, woods etc.
Manipuris don't easily let visitors enter their house. So, the left side of the mangol or verendah is reserved for them. Unfamiliar people are given seats in the courtyards.
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