The oldest form of dance is found in the Lai Haraoba festival. The word "Lai" means God, and the word "Haraoba" means merrymaking. Lai Haraoba means merrymaking of the gods. The festival generally lasts for a month and is held every year in the months of May and June. The Maibi community holds the Lai Haraoba festival. Maibis are female priests, although there a some male priests too. There are specific rituals that the maibis follow during the festival. They dance and worship the forest gods, called the "Umang Lai". There are also household gods, for example the "Sanamahi" or "Panthoibi". All these gods are worshipped in the Lai Haraoba festival. The Maibis dance and show the formation of earth and life. They use 364 hand gestures to show this. During the festival the people of Manipur sing, dance, act, play instruments and play sports. The rituals are pre-determined and all the village people participate.