) , deity_of = Goddess , member_of = Lairembis , image = KOUCHENG LEIMA.jpg , alt = , caption = "Koucheng Leima", the Ancient Meitei name of goddess Koujeng Leima, written in archaic Meetei Mayek abugida , other_names = Koujeng Lairembi ( omp, Koucheng Lailempi) , hiro = , Old_Norse = , script_name = , script = , affiliation =

Meitei mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) 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 tradi ...

(

Manipuri mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) 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 tradi ...

) and

Meitei religion () , native_name_lang = mni , image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya) , ...

(

Sanamahism () , native_name_lang = mni , image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya) , ...

) , cult_center = , abode = , planet = , weapon = , battles = , artifacts = , animals = , symbol = , adherents = , height = , age = , tree = , day = , color = , number = , consort =

Koupalu Koupalu (also, Koubaru or Koubru) is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the Guardian of the North West direction. Legend says he is the founder of civilization in Ancient Manipur, starting from the Mount Koubru, a pea ...

(

Koubru Koupalu (also, Koubaru or Koubru) is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the Guardian of the North West direction. Legend says he is the founder of civilization in Ancient Manipur, starting from the Mount Koubru, a pea ...

) , parents = , siblings = , offspring = , predecessor = , successor = , army = , mount = , texts =

PuYa Puya may refer to: * ''Puya'' (plant), in the family Bromeliaceae * Puya (river), in Russia * Puya, a variety of Guajillo chili * ''Puya'' (Meitei texts), traditional or mythological texts of the Meetei people * ''Culoepuya'' or ''Culo'e Puya'', V ...

s , gender = Female , Greek_equivalent = , Roman_equivalent = , Etruscan_equivalent = , Christian_equivalent = , Slavic_equivalent = , Hinduism_equivalent = , Canaanite_equivalent = , equivalent1_type = , equivalent1 = , equivalent2_type = , equivalent2 = , region =

Ancient Kangleipak The Manipur Kingdom was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...

(

Antique Manipur An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...

) , ethnic_group =

Meitei ethnicity The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...

, festivals =

Lai Haraoba Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meiteilon. In this festival, the people worship ...

Koujeng Leima ( omp, Koucheng Leima) is a goddess in

and

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

. She is a wife of God

(

). She is of tribal origin, but later worshipped by the

Meiteis The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...

. She is one of the nine Laibenthous (goddesses who participated in the festival of God

Eputhou Thangjing Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty of Ancient Moirang. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Lo ...

Etymology

The female given name "Koucheng Leima" (ꯀꯧꯆꯦꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ, /kə́u.ceŋ lə́i.ma/) or "Koujeng Leima" (ꯀꯧꯖꯦꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ, /kə́u.jeŋ lə́i.ma/) is made up of two

Meitei language Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...

words, "Koucheng" and "Leima". Morphologically, "Koucheng" (ꯀꯧꯆꯦꯡ, /kə́u.ceŋ/) is made up of "Kou" (ꯀꯧ, /kə́u/) and "Cheng" (ꯆꯦꯡ, /ceŋ/). In

(

Manipuri language Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in pa ...

), "Kou" (ꯀꯧ, /kə́u/) means "short" or "insufficient". The term is usually used to mean clothes, curtains, draperies, dresses or tapestries. "Cheng" (ꯆꯦꯡ, /ceŋ/) or its derivative "Jeng" (ꯖꯦꯡ, /jeŋ/) means "to become narrower" or "to get compressed" in

(

). The Meitei term "Leima" (ꯂꯩꯃ, /lə́i.ma/) means

queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. The word "Leima" (ꯂꯩꯃ, /lə́i.ma/) itself is made up of two words, "Lei" (ꯂꯩ, /lə́i/) and "Ma" (ꯃ, /ma/). "Lei" (ꯂꯩ, /lə́i/) means

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...

and "Ma" (ꯃ, /ma/) means

mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...

Mythology

Legends say that goddess Koujeng Leima ( omp, Koucheng Leima) is a tribal lady. So she has a separate home. She is not allowed to participate in the assembly of the gods and goddesses at the

of God

. In the evening of the day of ''Lai Lamthokpa'' ceremony of the

festival, God

, his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law visited the shrine of goddess Koujeng Leima.

Worship

One day of the

of God

is especially shifted to the abode (pantheon) of Goddess Koujeng Leima. It is done in her honor. In the shrine of goddess Koujeng Leima, every single events done at other days will be re-enacted. During the period of political turmoil in September, 2009, many pilgrims offered prayers to Goddess Koujeng Leima in her sacred shrine of the ''"Koujeng Leima Lairembi Laiphamlen"'' in

Sekmai Sekmai is a village in the Imphal West district in the Indian state of Manipur. See also *Phayeng Phayeng is a small village in Imphal West , native_name_lang = Meitei , other_name = omp, Nongchup Yumphal , nickn ...

. They invoked her for the success of the movements led by the ''Apunba Lup'' and for the restoration of peace in

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

Namesake

The ''"Koujeng Leima Youth Development Organisation"'' is an active youth group in

region of

. It functions in the actions against drugs and intoxicants. On the 31st December 2013 and the New Year Day of 2014, the organization imposed a ban on

picnicking A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

. Later, the ban was lifted. However, they cautioned people not to drink alcohol and become drunk.

References

Bibliography

* Division, India Census (1969). Minapur. Office of the Registrar General. p. 15. * Lancha, Ningthouja. KANGLA LANPUNG Volume VIII Issue II: Summer 2014. RK Sanatomba Memorial Trust, Imphal. * General, India Office of the Registrar (1962). Census of India, 1961. Manager of Publications. p. 48. {{Sanamahi1 Abundance goddesses Arts goddesses Asian goddesses Beauty goddesses Dance goddesses Fortune goddesses Leima Love and lust goddesses Magic goddesses Maintenance goddesses Marriage goddesses Meitei gods and goddesses Mountain goddesses Music and singing goddesses Names of God in Sanamahism Nature goddesses Peace goddesses