) , deity_of = Goddess of civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom , member_of = Lairembis and

Umang Lai Umang Lai are the group of sacred groves preserved for the local forest deities (with the same title), worshipped by the Meitei people, the Pangal people and Meitei Christians, the predominant ethnic groups, since ancient times in the Himalayan ...

s , image = PANTHOIPI.jpg , alt = , caption = Goddess Panthoipi charging forward riding on her white horse , other_names = * Ayang Leima * Koirel Leima ( omp, Koilel Leima) * Koiren Leima ( omp, Koilen Leima) * Nongpok Leima , 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) , cult_center = Nongmaiching Hill (alias Selloi Langmai Hill) , abode = Nongmaiching Hill (alias Selloi Langmai Hill) , planet = , weapons = Spear and

Sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

, battles = , artifacts =

Kajenglei "Kajenglei" or "Leitreng" is a Manipuri headdress, consisting of eighty to hundred brass strips, worn especially by goddesses, female royalties, dancers and brides. It is believed to be developed during the reign of King Gambhir Singh in the king ...

, animals = white horse or tiger , symbol =

, adherents = , height = , age = , tree = , day = , color = , number = , consorts = Tarang Khoinucha and Nongpok Ningthou , parents = , siblings = , offspring = , predecessor = , successor = , army = , mount = white horse or tiger , texts = * Panthoibi Khongul * Panthoibi Naheirol *

Numit Kappa Numit Kappa ( mni, ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ ꯀꯥꯞꯄ, /noo-meet kaap-pa/, Shooting of the Sun) is an ancient mythological epic literary work, written in Meitei language of Manipur. The work is believed to be written around or before 33 AD. The Epi ...

, gender = female , Greek_equivalent = Athena, Aphrodite , Roman_equivalent = Minerva, Venus , Etruscan_equivalent = Menrva, Turan , Christian_equivalent = , Slavic_equivalent = , Hinduism_equivalent = Durga , Canaanite_equivalent = , equivalent1_type = Egyptian , equivalent1 = Neith, Hathor and Isis , equivalent2_type = Chinese , equivalent2 = Jiutian Xuannü , 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 ...

(early Manipur) , 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 = *

Panthoibi Iratpa Panthoibi Iratpa or Panthoibi Iraat Thouni or Panthoibi Puja is a religious festival of the Manipuri people dedicated to goddess Panthoibi, the goddess of courage, war, bravery and wisdom of Sanamahism (Manipuri religion). The festival falls o ...

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 ...

Panthoibi ( mni, , omp, ) is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the mythology and religion of

(early Manipur). She is a consort of the God Nongpok Ningthou. She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of

Leimarel Sidabi ) , deity_of = Goddess of earth, nature and household , member_of = Imung Lais , image = Relief art depicting Salailen (Salailel), the Supreme God, creating Leimalen (Leimalel), the first female being in the universe, according ...

and is also identified as a form of Goddess

Nongthang Leima Nongthang Leima ( mni, ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ) is the goddess of seduction, thunder and lightning in Meitei mythology and Meitei religion, religion. She was created by Atingkok (or Salailen) to attract Pakhangba, Haraba (Pakhangba). She ma ...

. She is worshipped mainly by the Meitei people in Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh and

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. The personality of Panthoibi and other Meitei goddesses like Emoinu and Phouoibi depict as well as influence the courage, independence, righteousness and social honour of Meitei women.

History

According to the ''Panthoibi Khongul'', the worship of goddess Panthoibi began in the era of the

Khaba Khaba (also read as Hor-Khaba) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, active during the Third Dynasty of Egypt, 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom period. The exact time during which Khaba ruled is unknown but may have been around 267 ...

dynasty. In 1100 AD, the Loyumba Shinyen mentions the Heishnam clan's service to goddess Panthoibi. The text addresses her as the most adored Meetei goddess. In the 17th century, Panthoibi appeared as a war goddess riding on a tiger. The

Cheitharol Kumbaba ''Cheitharol Kumbaba'', also spelled ''Cheithalon Kumpapa'', is the court chronicle of the kings of Manipur. The oldest extant version was copied in the early 19th century, under Jai Singh, the puppet king installed after the Burmese invasion, ...

's first record of the building of a temple of Panthoibi was in the year 1686. The same text's first record of the making of her statue was in the year 1699. In the 18th century, there was a decline in the worship of Panthoibi mirrored a rise of Vaishnavism in Manipur. Hindu King Garib Niwaj Pamheiba (1709-1748) pulled down her temples and broke her statues, and from the 18th century onwards, Panthoibi was treated as a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Durga or as her incarnation or as her manifestation. The identity of Panthoibi was changed to that of Hindu goddess Durga. She was worshipped for five days in September – October. No more temples to Panthoibi were built from 1700 until the modern era came. Since 1960s, the worship of Panthoibi has increased, beginning to replace the worship of Durga.

Attributes and epithets

Goddess Panthoibi is regarded as self-confident and self-conscious with female pride. Legend says she has many

metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

(forms). One example is Phouoibi (goddess of grains). Panthoibi is regarded the ruling deity of birth and death.

Panthoibi as a priestess goddess

According to the Anoirol text, goddess Panthoibi is a personification of ''Khabi Lengnao Mombi''. The latter is the ancient amaibi (lit. ''priestess''). Different personifications of Panthoibi manifest differently according to different texts. Panthoibi was regarded as a pre-historical

Maibi Maibi are the priestess of Manipur Kingdom commonly known for performing religious rites. They are considered as Shamanism, shamans as well as Midwife, midwives. They possess various skills of religious activities and ancient medicinal knowledge. ...

. She is also regarded as an incarnation of goddess

, another goddess amaibi.Manipur, a Tourist Paradise - Page 82 - E. Ishwarjit Singh · 2005Celebration of Life: Indian Folk Dances - Page 129 - Jiwan Pani, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division · 2000

Panthoibi as a goddess of game

Panthoibi is a ruling deity of the ''Kang'' game. Kang is a popular indoor game of

Meitei tradition Meitei may refer to: * Meitei people, of Manipur, India **Meitei language ** Meitei script **Meitei architecture *Denechandra Meitei (born 1994), Indian footballer *Loken Meitei (born 1997), Indian footballer *Ningombam Bupenda Meitei (born 1987), I ...

in Manipur. Kang players pray to her before and during the game. People believe that one cannot do his or her best at the game without her blessings.

Panthoibi as a patron goddess of potters

Goddess Panthoibi is the patron deity of all the potters. She gifted the pot-making art to the women of Manipur. She was taught the art of pottery by goddess

before her disappearance. She has another mythology about this.

Panthoibi as the goddess of death and fertility

Goddess Panthoibi has legendary connections to ''Haoreibi Shampubi'' (alias Haoreima). Haoreibi Shampubi is a woman from the hills. She was killed while arranging to meet her lover. She turned into a tortured spirit. She is regarded as an incarnation of Panthoibi. So, the goddess became associated with death and fertility.

Panthoibi as the goddess of diseases and illnesses

Panthoibi reacts badly to bad actions of the humans. If a person has spit nearby Panthoibi's shrine, he or she will not be able to turn his or her neck. It could be healed only by a maiba. For this, the maiba will perform a ritual.

Panthoibi as the goddess of spinning and weaving

Learned from a spider

Goddess Panthoibi got inspired by a spider. It was making cobwebs in a corner. From the spider, the art of

spinning Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

and weaving was learned. Panthoibi imitated the pattern of weaving of the spider. Later, she introduced the art of weaving.Bulletin - Indian Museum - Volume 33 - Page 247 - Indian Museum · 1998

Learned from another goddess

In another legendary account, Panthoibi was taught the art of weaving by Goddess ''Leishambi''. Leishambi is the goddess of creation.

Mythology

Panthoibi is a lady of surpassing beauty. She is a daughter of a Meitei king. Many kings and princes wanted to marry her. King Shapaiba ( omp, Shapaipa) was from the western parts of the valley of

( Antique Manipur). He was one among her suitors. He promised her to construct good roads, beautiful bridges, spacious house and fish ponds. Every promises were just for the sake of her. Despite all these, she did not accept his proposal. Finally, Panthoibi was married to Tarang Khoinucha (alias Taram Khoinucha). Her mortal husband is the son of King Khaba Sokchrongba and Queen Teknga of the Khaba dynasty. Her marriage ceremony was an outstanding one. Bridge poles were made of iron. The planks were made of silver plates. The side railings were made of golden rods.

Meeting Nongpok Ningthou

Goddess Panthoibi met God Nongpok Ningthou (alias Angoupa Kainou Chingsangsompa) for the first time when she was wandering in the open meadows, bathing and sporting in the cool waters of the running river. She was attracted to his handsome looks and towering personality. The two fell in love at first sight. She was proposed by Nongpok Ningthou to elope with him. But the already married goddess did not accept the instant proposal very soon. It was because it was not even five days passed after her wedding. She insisted him to spend some time. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou secretly met many times. This causes the in-laws of Panthoibi to have suspicion over her. Her mortal husband tried to win her heart many times. But all of these attempts failed. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou finally eloped. They wore the attires of the Tangkhuls. The two divine lovers ultimately got united on the sun-washed slopes of the

Nongmaiching Hill ) , native_name_lang = mni , translation = "Nongmaijing Mountain" or "Nongmaijing Hill" (see here) , pronunciation = /nong-māi-jīng chīng/ , authority = Government of Manipur , location ...

s. Their happy union was celebrated with dances and music by the gods (by the ''Langmai people'' and not the ''gods'' in another version). These celebration gave birth to the

festival.

Another version

In another version of the story, Panthoibi first met Nongpok Ningthou when she was helping her father at jhum cultivation (Slash-and-burn). The two fell in love at first sight without any talks. But Panthoibi married another man against her will. She left her husband's house to search for her true lover. Nongpok Ningthou also left his home for the same purpose. The two lovers met at the

Kangla The Kangla Palace ( mni, /kəŋ.la/), popularly as well as officially known as the Kangla Fort, is an old fortified palace at Imphal in the Manipur state of India. It was formerly situated on both sides (western and eastern) of the bank of the ...

. Kangla became the place of their divine union. So, it is considered to be a special place of coronation of the Meitei kings.

Panthoibi and the Sun God

According to the

text (c. 1st century), two suns shone in the ancient sky. One was wounded by an archer hero (''many men'' in some version). The two brother suns fled from their positions. They hid for ten long days. So, the world remain in darkness. No men could work. Crops perished. Cattles died. So, the ten godly kings (or ''kingly gods'') approached to many divinities. They requested each to

plead In law as practiced in countries that follow the English models, a pleading is a formal written statement of a party's claims or defenses to another party's claims in a civil action. The parties' pleadings in a case define the issues to be adjudi ...

with the Sun God. None succeeded to do so. Finally, the ten gods came to Princess Panthoibi. It was because she knew many mysteries and secrets. So, she showed them magical ceremonies to lure the Sun God. They did the same to the Sun God. The unwounded Sun God returned. But the wounded one never returned.

Panthoibi and the weaving spider

Once Panthoibi saw a spider. It was producing fine threads. It was also making cobwebs (spiderwebs). From this, she got the knowledge. She started the art of weaving. The divine feminine association of the art signifies the association of females with weaving.

Pottery and Human Civilization

After the creation of the human beings, Panthoibi made their settlements and habitats. Human started eating and drinking. Panthoibi realised the need of vessels to store food and water. So, she started making pots. In the beginning, she lacked the idea how to make a pot. Later, she looked around. She saw a flower - ''Nura Khudonglei'' (''

Malabar melastome Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

''). She imitated the shape and the design of the flower. Then, she produced a pot. Since then, human civilization starting making pots for cooking food and drinking water.

Ancient texts-ꯄꯨꯌꯥ

In ancient

, Goddess Panthoibi is given one hundred and fifteen divine names, describing her varying attributes. Her description is mentioned in several ancient

texts Text may refer to: Written word * Text (literary theory), any object that can be read, including: **Religious text, a writing that a religious tradition considers to be sacred **Text, a verse or passage from scripture used in expository preachin ...

including ''Panthoibi Khongul'' as well as ''Panthoibi Mingkheilol''.

Panthoibi Khongul

Here's a description from the Panthoibi Khongul, an ancient text:-

“O Tampha, your measure reaches the sky; an everlasting radiance marks your presence; you are the source of all living beings… both birth and death are your handiwork, you are the repository of all wealth; you can unravel the mystery of human souls and keep both the earth and the heaven jointly linked; you give shelter to the souls of living beings, keep them as beads are strung together; you are the highest of all goddesses and the most munificent in bestowing blessings… both the striped tiger and the white horse are your chargers; you can gallop on tall grass tops without even leaving a trace… you are born of the noblest royal family, are unmindful of your brothers and parents as disposed to doing only what pleases you… you are the very embodiment of beauty but still indulge in constant baths at every fount and embellish your tender body, use all the fruits of the Langmāi Hills as unguents, always neatly comb your tresses of hair, skitter lightly with your drapery loosely hung on your full blossomed body; your teeth are like pearls, your lips are as red as the wild tayāl in the bamboo grove; your fingers are soft as those of a neonate; your name is Panthoipi as no parents or brothers can exercise control over you; you appropriated the name by yourself ere anyone confers it on you; you have an unfettered soul, nowhere can you keep yourself confined, you have as many appearances as you please to change your abode… you lord over the vast empty vault, took your birth with the flash of lightning… you are the receptacle of all knowledge… no opponent can confront you in the stricken field, you shine more than the glories of all divine beings put together… you emerged with the flash of summer lightning before dewdrops got condensed in the sky, before sound itself could be audible and before the azure welkin could yet cover its vast expanse… you are effulgent in the open sky like one thousand suns… all the divine beings emanate from you… the wide universe is your creation… you take fancy more to lively frolics that engaging your intelligence… you pervade all the directions…”

- Panthoibi Khongul.

Worship

Panthoibi is mainly worshipped by the Heisnam family of

. So, she is also known as ''Heisnam Lairembi'' (lit. Goddess of the Heisnam).

Association with other goddesses

Panthoibi is regarded as one of the divine incarnations of Goddess

. She is also regarded as an incarnation of goddess

. She also has many forms including Phouoibi (goddess of grains). Goddess ''Haoreibi Shampubi'' (alias Haoreima) is also regarded as an incarnation of Panthoibi.

Festivals

Panthoibi Iratpa

''Panthoibi Iratpa'' (''Panthoibi Eratpa'') is a religious festival dedicated to goddess Panthoipi. It is celebrated every year.

Lai Haraoba

Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou are at the core of

festival. Their legend finds an important place in the

lyrical Lyrical may refer to: *Lyrics, or words in songs *Lyrical dance, a style of dancing *Emotional, expressing strong feelings *Lyric poetry, poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view *Lyric video A music video is a video of variab ...

literature of

Ancient Manipur 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 Brit ...

In Art forms

Panthoibi Jagoi

''Panthoibi Jagoi'' is a duet dance form. It is accompanied by a song of love. It is sung by a

maibi Maibi are the priestess of Manipur Kingdom commonly known for performing religious rites. They are considered as Shamanism, shamans as well as Midwife, midwives. They possess various skills of religious activities and ancient medicinal knowledge. ...

and a ''Pena Khongba'' ( Pena player). It has reference to the love of Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou. It also depicts the process of weaving.

Panthoibi Sheishak

''Panthoibi Sheishak'' is a song sung in the

festival. It is performed by the Pena players. It retells the story of Panthoibi searching for her beloved Nongpok Ningthou. It is one of the 9 singing styles (tunes) sung in the

Tangkhul Nurabi Loutaba

''Tangkhul Nurabi Loutaba'' is an

enactment Enactment may refer to: Law * Enactment of a bill, when a bill becomes law * Enacting formula, formulaic words in a bill or act which introduce its provisions * Enactment (British legal term), a piece of legislation or a legal instrument made un ...

of the repartee between Tangkhul Pakhang (an incarnation of Nongpok Ningthou) and Tangkhul Nurabi (an incarnation of Panthoibi). The two repartee players dress up in Tangkhul Naga costumes of farming in the field. This is performed on the last night of the Kanglei Haraoba (one of the 4 forms of

festival).

Namesakes

*The ''Panthoibi Emporium'' is a trading center in New Delhi, India. *The ''Panthoibi Housing Finance Company Limited'' is a housing financial company in Imphal. *The ''Panthoibi Manipur Handicrafts Emporium'' is an emporium in Delhi, India. It mainly sells handmade silk products from Manipur.

References

Bibliography

Ariba Manipuri Sahityagee Saklon by Nabachandra, Polem

Chinglon Laihui by Manglem Meitei, Lairenjam

Erat Laisol by Singh, Khulem Chandrashekhar

Khannashi Neinnashi Leishatpa Puya by Manglem Meitei,l

Lairemjam Manglem Gi Lai Haraoba by Manglem Meitei, Lairenjam

Langgol Chinggoirol by Singh, Kulchandra Ngariyambam

Manipuree Funggawaree Part 1 by Singh, Kabrabam Neelakanta

Manipuree Funggawaree Part 2 by Singh, Kabrabam Neelakanta

Yek Taretki Meihourol by Manglem Meitei,l

Yek Taret Ki Meihouron by Manglem Meitei,l

External links

E-PAO, Panthoibi

INTERNET ARCHIVE, Panthoibi

Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary, Panthoibi
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