) , native_name_lang = mni , translation = "Nongmaijing Mountain" or "Nongmaijing Hill" (

see here See or SEE may refer to: * Sight - seeing Arts, entertainment, and media * Music: ** ''See'' (album), studio album by rock band The Rascals *** "See", song by The Rascals, on the album ''See'' ** "See" (Tycho song), song by Tycho * Television * ...

) , pronunciation = /nong-māi-jīng chīng/ , authority =

Government of Manipur The Government of Manipur ( mni, Manipur Leingak; /mə.ni.pur lə́i.ŋak/), also known as the State Government of Manipur, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Manipur and its 16 districts. ...

, location =

Imphal Valley Imphal Valley ( mni, Imphal Tampak) or Manipur Valley ( mni, Manipur Tampaak) is located in the Indian state of Manipur and is an irregular almost oval shaped canyon that was formed as a result of the multiple small rivers that originate from ne ...

, country_type = , country = *

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 ...

(historical) * (present) , state_type = , state =

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 ...

, region_type = , region =

, district_type = , district =

Imphal East district , native_name_lang = Meitei , other_name = omp, Nongpok Yumphal , nickname = , settlement_type = District of Manipur , image_skyline = Imphal War ...

, part_type = , part = , settlement_type = , settlement = , range_coordinates = , range_coordinates_ref = , range = , borders_on = , topo_maker = , topo_map = , biome = Nongmaiching Reserved Forest , formed_by = , orogeny = , age = , type = , geology = , volcanic_region = , volcanic_arc = , volcanic_belt = , volcanic_field = , volcanic_arc/belt = , last_eruption = , first_ascent = By religious pilgrims or priests in Antiquity , easiest_route =

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

, normal_route = Nongmaiching Chingka Lambi () , access = , embedded = , module = The Nongmaiching Ching ( mni, Nongmaijing Ching, , Nongmaijing Mountain) and "Nongmaijing" ( mni, ) are interchangeably used. But "Nongmaiching" is the one mentioned officially in the "Manipur Gazette".), also known as the Selloi Langmai Ching, is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

. It has an altitude of around . It is a holy

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

site for the

Meitei people 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 ...

. In

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 ...

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, ...

(

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) , ...

), it is a

sacred mountain Sacred mountains are central to certain religions, and are usually the subjects of many legends. For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or other religious realms. Many rel ...

and the abode of God

Nongpok Ningthou ) , deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction , member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais , image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg , alt = , caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...

and Goddess

Panthoibi ) , deity_of = Goddess of civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom , member_of = Lairembis and Umang Lais , image = PANTHOIPI.jpg , alt = , caption = Goddess Panthoipi char ...

. In

Meitei folklore Meitei folklore is the folklore and mythology of the Meitei people of 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 n ...

, the Nongmaiching is described as the hill that produces ''"the seven

days A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two solar ...

of a

week A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...

"''.

Etymology

According to many scholars including

Thomas Callan Hodson Thomas Callan Hodson (1871–1953) was the first William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, where he was a Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, St Catharine's College, notable for his writings on Indian a ...

of the

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, the

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 ...

term "Nongmaiching" ( mni, ) is derived from the terms, "nong" ( mni, ), "mai" ( mni, ) and "ching" ( mni, ). Nong means

sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

, mai means

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

or "in front of", and ching means

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...

. So, "Nongmaiching" means "the hill that fronts the rain or sun". According to

Tarak Chandra Das Tarak Chandra Das (1898–1964) was an anthropologist of Calcutta University. He did his Masters' from Calcutta University in ‘Ancient Indian History and Culture’ and joined the then newly founded Department of Anthropology at Calcutta Univer ...

of the

Calcutta University The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...

, the term "Nongmaiching" is translated as "the hill which rises to the east of

Imphal Imphal ( Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the fo ...

and which is the scene of a rain-compelling ceremony." The terms "Nongmaiching" and "Nongmaijing" are interchangeably used. The term "Nongmaijing" ( mni, ) may also mean

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

(officially called Manipuri). According to the "Guide to the gods" by Marjorie Leach, the term "Nongmaiching" is defined as ''"A hill god of the Meitheis, Manipur, Assam, India. (Hodson, 1908: 111)"''.

History

In the history of

(early

), the three out of the seven clans of

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 ...

, namely the

Mangang Mangang is one of the seven clans of Meetei, which is among the Yek or Salai of Hao people of Manipur. It consists of several Yumnaks which are native peoples of ancient Kangleipak (now Manipur), one of the states of India India, of ...

( mni, ), the

Luwang Luwang is one of the seven clans of the Meitei people. Luwang consists of several Yumnaks which are native peoples of ancient Kangleipak (now Manipur), one of the States of India. Origin Luwang was the son of Iputhou Pakhangba also known as K ...

( mni, ) and the

Angom Angom is one of the seven clans of the Meitei people. Angom consists of several Yumnaks which are native peoples of ancient Kangleipak, now Manipur state of India. See also *Mangang *Luwang * Khuman *Moilang *Kha Nganpa *Salai Leishangthem ...

( mni, ) are historically associated with the Nongmaiching. Meitei King Konthouba ( mni, ) defeated many tribal chiefs and controlled their villages of Shelloi (Selloi) and Longmai (Langmai), near the present day Nongmaiching.

Geography

The Nongmaiching lies to the eastern side of

city. It separates

Thoubal , nickname = , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = View of thoubal.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = , pushpin_map = India Manipur#India , pushpin_label_posit ...

( mni, ) valley from that of the

Iril River The Iril River is a river that runs through the eastern suburbs of the city of Imphal in the state of Manipur, India. The name Iril derives from two words ''Ee'' and ''Rei/Ree''. The Meitei word ''Ee'', which means ''blood'', although "Ee" is als ...

( mni, ) and the

Imphal River The Imphal River ( mni, Imphal Turel), also known as the Turel Achouba, is a major river in Manipur state, northeastern India which originates in Kangpokpi district to the north of Kangpokpi district headquarters Kangpokpi. It is a tributary of ...

( mni, ). The Nongmaiching is close to the

Andro, Imphal East Andro is a town and a nagar panchayat in Imphal East district in the state of Manipur, India. Andro is an earmarked Scheduled Caste village which has been developed to represent the cultural heritage and artful creativeness of the Manipuri tribe ...

Religious associations

The Nongmaiching is a holy

site for the

. In

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) , ...

), the Nongmaiching is deeply associated with God

Lainingthou Sanamahi Laininthou Sanamahee (Meetei: ꯂꯥꯏꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯁꯥꯅꯥꯃꯍꯤ) is the Supreme Guardian God of mankind and the supreme deity of the household in Meetei religion and mythology. He originated from the ancient kingdom of Kangleipak (M ...

( mni, ) and God

Pakhangba Pakhangba ( mni, , omp, ) is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of a dragon, in Meitei mythology and religion. He is depicted in the heraldry of Manipur kingdom, which originated in ''paphal'' ( mni, ), the mythical illust ...

( mni, ). According to one legend, King Kangba ( mni, ) kept an idol of God Sanamahi at a cave in the Nongmaiching. The Nongmaiching is historically, mythologically and religiously associated with God Langmai Ningthou ( mni, ,

) and Goddess

( mni, , Nongpok Leima). This is mentioned in the Panthoibi Khongul, an ancient Meitei text. The Nongmaiching is the place where the

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 ...

was celebrated by the divine beings, after which it was imitated by the humans. "Kanglei Haraoba" ( mni, ), one of the major types of the

( mni, ) ceremonial ritualistic festival, is associated with the Nongmaiching. As a part of the

, the Kangleithokpa ( mni, ) ritual was performed at the Nongmaiching. It represents the marriage of God

Khoriphaba Khoriphaba (also, Khoiriphaba) is a God in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the son of Sky God Salailen and Goddess Konthoujam Tampha Lairembi. He came down from heaven to earth to ...

( mni, ). The Nongmaiching is the place where the final prayers for the worship ceremony associated with the three ancient Meitei deities, namely

, Nongshaba and Yumjao Lairembi, are done. The Loiyumba Shinyen Constitution mentions that the "Salam" family of

used to idolise the Langmai Ching (Nongmaiching mountain) and to act the role of God

. The same text mentions that the "Nongmaithem" clan of

used to glorify the Langmai Ching (Nongmaiching).

University of Sanamahi Culture

The University of Sanamahi Culture (Sanamahi Culture University) is a university under construction in the Nongmaiching Ching. It is deeply associated with the Sanamahi Kiyong shrine. The university aims to teach the future generations of people about the ancient Meitei culture of the

Sanamahi 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) , ...

. It will offer its students various subjects about indigenous art forms, dance forms, music,

Thang-Ta Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. In the Meitei language, means war while or can mean net, knowledge or art. consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapons ...

and

Sagol Kangjei Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

() etc. Around ₹ 23,70,000 has been spent as of 2009 on the construction of the University and around ₹ 25,00,000, including construction materials, were donated by volunteers. It is estimated that the total cost of the construction of the University will be around ₹ 7,00,00,000.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when there was an active combat between the troops of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and other

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

n states, the Nongmaiching serves as the most strategically important point in

Deforestation and forestation

Ecotourism development

The Nongmaiching is one of the important hills and mountains in

that have the strong potential for ecotourism development.

Reserve Forest

There is a

reserved forest A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

in the Nongmaiching.

Santhei Natural Park

The Santhei Natural Park located in the Santhei village of

, is at the foothills of the Nongmaiching. It is best known for its scenic natural beauty and serving as a picnic area.

Plant life

The Nongmaiching is the natural habitat for various plant species, including

Cymbopogon flexuosus ''Cymbopogon flexuosus'', also called Cochin grass, East-Indian lemon grass or Malabar grass, is a perennial grass native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. It is placed in the genus ''Cymbopogon'' (lemongrasses). Its essential oil is pr ...

and Goniothalamus sesquipedalis.

In popular culture

* Saktam Machet Machet Mang Macha Macha ( mni, ): A 1999

prose book by Kamal, Toijamba * Thaloi Nungkhailon ( mni, ): A

astronomy and astrology book by Bhudhachandra, Yumnamcha * Tingkhanglakta Gulap ( mni, ): A

poetry book by Kullachandra H

Notes

References

External links

Nongmaiching Ching
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

Nongmaiching
at {{Authority control Cultural heritage of India Landforms of Manipur Landmarks in India Meitei culture Meitei pilgrimage sites Mountains in Sanamahism Sacred mountains Tourist attractions in India