Poubi Lai (also, Paubi Loi) was an ancient

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (pro ...

, who dwelled in the

Loktak Lake , image = , caption = Different scenes of the Loktak lake of Manipur , alt = View of Loktak Lake and Phumdis , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Manipur , coords ...

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 ...

, 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

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

. It is also referred to as ''"

Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...

"''.

Mythology

In the

Loktak lake , image = , caption = Different scenes of the Loktak lake of Manipur , alt = View of Loktak Lake and Phumdis , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Manipur , coords ...

, the spirit of Poubi Lai was awakened by the fishing activities of the fishermen of

Moirang Moirang is a town in the Indian state of Manipur. It is situated approximately 45 km south of the state capital Imphal. It has an area of 269 km2 with a population of 62,187 in 67 villages. It is best known for the being the place of o ...

. Being angered, Poubi Lai destroyed many human habitats and killed many people. It decided to destroy the whole Moirang kingdom. He threatened the King of

Ancient Moirang Ancient Moirang, also known as Keke Moirang, was an ancient civilization that flourished in the southern plains of the present day Manipur, India. The Keke Kangla served as the capital city of the kingdom since time immemorial. The major body of a ...

to offer him one Shangbai (basket) of rice and one human everyday. The circumstance was sorrowful for the people of Moirang. Every household had to provide the offer turn by turn. When it was the turn of a young man, the lad sought help from ''Kabui Salang Maiba'' (or ''"Kabui Tomba"''). The maiba was a shaman priest king of Kabui tribe in the Salangthel hill range of the

Loktak lake , image = , caption = Different scenes of the Loktak lake of Manipur , alt = View of Loktak Lake and Phumdis , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Manipur , coords ...

. He promised to save the kingdom from the gigantic evil creature. He transformed a Tou plant (''an aquatic plant'') (or a ''Khok Waa'' bamboo plant in another version) into a powerful ''"Long"'' (a 9 pointed

javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...

). Later, the maiba slayed Poubi Lai with the deadly weapon. In another version of the story, Poubi Lai (Paobirai) lives in the isle of the Karang Hill in the

Loktak lake , image = , caption = Different scenes of the Loktak lake of Manipur , alt = View of Loktak Lake and Phumdis , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Manipur , coords ...

. It hunted the fishermen of

coming to the lake and devoured them. It even attacked human settlement and hunted for its prey.

Text

Poubi Lai (Paobirai) is mentioned in the ancient Meitei manuscript called the "Khongul Lirakpa".

In popular culture

In 2002, Karam Dineshwar, an artisan had a dream. In his dream, Poubi Lai asked him to craft its image. In the next day, he came across a big tree root at Leimatak. He completed making the 21 feet long wooden sculpture of Poubi Lai in the next 6 months. The artwork of Poubi Lai was first exhibited in the

Manipur State Museum ) , native_name_lang = Manipuri , established = 23rd of September, 1969 , location = Near Imphal Polo Ground, Imphal, Manipur , type = Museum , founder = Government of Manipur , curator = Mrs Y Binita Devi , owner = Government of Manipur , image = ...

in 2002. Next, it was exhibited in the

National Museum, New Delhi The National Museum in New Delhi, also known as the National Museum of India, is one of the largest museums in India. Established in 1949, it holds a variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under t ...

and later in the

Quai Branly Museum A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 2010. It was also received by the

Indian Museum, Kolkata The Indian Museum in Central Kolkata, West Bengal, India, also referred to as the Imperial Museum at Calcutta in colonial-era texts, is the ninth oldest museum in the world, the oldest and largest museum in India as well as in Asia. It has rare ...

, the largest in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In 2015, the

organized an exhibition of the wooden sculpture of Poubi Lai for 42 days. The carving belongs to the permanent collection of the

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) or National Museum of Humankind or Museum of Man is an anthropology museum located in Bhopal, India, to present an integrated story of the evolution of man and culture with special reference ...

(IGRMS),

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

. The object was declared as an "Object of National Importance". It was registered under "AA" Category of the Museum Collections. Manipuri Dance Poubi Lai snake

During the exhibition at

, 25 artists of Centre for Youth and Cultural Activities from

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 ...

, performed a dance drama on the story of Poubi Lai.

References

External links

{{Commons
Poubi Lai- One Object Exhibition on Poubi Lai; the Story of a Giant Python at National Museum, New Delhi_indiaculture.nic.in

Poubi Lai- The Story of a Giant Python_indiaculture.nic.in
Meitei dragons Meitei mythology Meitei folklore Water deities Water gods

Mythology

Text

In popular culture

See also

References

External links