Pakhangba is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of a Meitei dragon, in Meitei mythology and religion. He is depicted in the heraldry of Manipur kingdom, which originated in paphal, mythical illustrations of the deity in the traditional beliefs of Sanamahism in Manipur. Among the Meiteis, it is believed that the ancestor of one of the clans manifested himself as the Pakhangba.
Panthoibi, also known as Nongpok Leima, is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak. She is a consort of the God Nongpok Ningthou. She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of Leimarel Sidabi and is also identified as a form of Goddess Nongthang Leima. She is worshipped mainly by the Meitei people in Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Nongshaba is a lion god in Sanamahism and Meitei mythology. He is also regarded as a king of the gods. He is credited with producing light in the primordial universe and is regarded as the maker of the sun. He is worshipped by the people of both the Ningthouja clans as well as the Moirang clans. God Nongshaba was worshipped by the people of Moirang clan as a lineage deity and regarded as the father of God Thangching (Thangjing). He is the greatest of the Umang Lais in Ancient Kangleipak but he made his only son Thangching (Thangjing) the chief deity of Moirang.
Nongpok Ningthou, also known as the Sovereign of the East or King of the East, is a deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling guardian deity of the eastern direction. Legend says Nongpok Ningthou and his consort Panthoibi were united in the Nongmaiching Ching mountains. Later, they were worshipped as the civilization giving deities in Meitei religion.
Thongalen is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld in Meitei mythology and Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the Guardian God of the nadir..
Khuman Pokpa or is the Apokpa, or ancestor god of the Khuman clan. He is regarded as the founder of the Khuman dynasty. He is one of the three members of the Mangang Luwang Khuman in Meitei mythology and religion. He represents the time of the sunset and the night.
Leima Lainaotabi is a goddess in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. She is the youngest wife of God Thongalel of the underworld kingdom. Thongalel sent her to be the wife of Poireiton, her brother-in-law. Lainaotabi gave birth to a son with Poireiton. Her legend says she made the first clay pot. She was worshipped by the people of Ashangbam clan.
Pureiromba is a God in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the giver of rain and agricultural prosperity. He is one of the major Umang Lai deities. He is the Ancestor God of the Angom clan of the Meitei ethnicity.
Mongba Hanba is a forest god in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is mainly worshipped in the sacred forest Mongba Hanba Umang on the banks of the Imphal River.
Meitei mythology is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with traditional Meitei religion of Sanamahism. Meitei myths explain various natural phenomena, how human civilization developed, and the reasons of many events.
Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Loktak lake. He is one of the four cardinal Umang Lais. The guardianship of the south western direction is alluded to Thangjing and the other directions to Koubru, Marjing and Wangbren.
Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, was the first Meitei monarch of the Ningthouja dynasty, who ascended the throne of the Kangla of Kangleipak realm) in 33 AD, after the withdrawal of the mainstream powers of the Khabas. Before the reign of king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, the clans, or salais were already in existence.
The ancient legend of Khuyol Haoba and Yaithing Konu is one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak. It concerns the fateful love of Khuyol Haoba, an orphan man, for the beautiful Yaithing Konu. Khuyol Haoba was the son of late Khundouremba, a court official of Moirang. Yaithing Konu was the daughter of Luwang Huiningsumba, an influential nobleman of Moirang.
The ancient legend of Khamba and Thoibi is a classic, as well as one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Ancient Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak . It is referred to as the "National Romantic Legend of Manipur" by Padma Vibhushan awardee Indian scholar Suniti Kumar Chatterjee.
The Nongmaiching Ching, also known as the Selloi Langmai Ching, is a mountain in Imphal Valley, Manipur. It has an altitude of around 5,133 feet (1,565 m). It is a holy pilgrimage site for the Meitei people. In Meitei mythology and religion (Sanamahism), it is a sacred mountain and the abode of God Nongpok Ningthou and Goddess Panthoibi. In Meitei folklore, the Nongmaiching is described as the hill that produces "the seven days of a week".
The Nūngpān Ponpī Lūwāopa is an ancient Meitei language narrative text (puya), about the legendary story of the eponymous prince of the Luwang, who got back successfully the life of his wife Koubaron Namoinu, from the hands of her former consort Thongalen, the God of death and the ruler of the underworld. It is an old story of near tragic end. In the legend, there are fights between a mortal and the gods. It mentions about the dowry system of the then ancient times. It is, in a sense, the reverse of the Chothe Thangwai Pakhangba.
Meidingu Hongnemyoi Khunjao Naothingkhong was a Meetei ruler of Ningthouja dynasty of Ancient Manipur. He was the successor of Ura Konthouba and the predecessor of Khongtekcha. He ran away from the Kangla at the age of about 10 or 12 years and went to live along the Shelloi Langmais in the Nongmaiching Hill in the eastern Manipur. He was mad in love with Pitang-nga, a Langmai girl and married her. They lived in her parents' house. This is the first reference to the matrilocal residence in the history of Manipuri ethnicity. According to ancient sources, he has six wives from different clan principalities of Ancient Manipur. In fact, he has nine total wives, out of which three are childless. So, in general cases, it is regarded as he has six wives. He married Princess Ewanglon Namun Chaobee after engagement. Luwang Ningthou Punshiba of Luwang dynasty gave training of state craft and the art of governance to Naothingkhong when he was a prince. Besides, the great-grandson of Luwang Ningthou Punshiba married Naothingkhong's daughter.
Meidingu Naophangba was a Meetei ruler of Ningthouja dynasty of Ancient Manipur. He is the successor of Naokhamba and the predecessor of Sameiraang. He promulgated a proto-Constitution in 429 AD, which later grew into the Loyumba Shinyen, a written constitution in 1100 AD, during the reign of King Loyumba. He is one of the most outstanding figures in the history of Meitei architecture of Ancient Manipur. He laid the foundation stone of the Kangla, the "Namthak Sarongpung", which is the holiest place to the Manipuri ethnicity. During his reign, the coronation hall in the Kangla was inaugurated and a hog was sacrificed. According to the Loyumba Shinyen, he took command from Mangang Luwang Khuman for the administration of justice in the kingdom. According to the Chakparol, the ten villages of the Chakpas separated during his reign. It was right from his reign that the newcomers (immigrants) were assigned and admitted to the yek salai (clans) and the yumnaks (families) of the Meitei ethnicity. According to the Thengkourol, copper and brass were imported from Burma and China during his reign.
Animals have significant roles in different elements of Meitei culture, including but not limited to Meitei cuisine, Meitei dances, Meitei festivals, Meitei folklore, Meitei folktales, Meitei literature, Meitei mythology, Meitei religion, etc.
