) , deity_of = Serpentine Dragon God of the MoonHistory of Modern Manipur, 1826-1949 - Page 190 - Lal Dena · 1991 , member_of = Meitei dragons , image = File:Leithak Leikharol.jpg , alt = , caption = Dragon God Taoroinai depicted as the ultimate form of life in the Leithak Leikharol text , other_names = * Taoroinai Pakhangba ( omp, Taoloinai Pakhangpa) * Tauroinai Pakhangba ( omp, Tauloinai Pakhangpa) , hiro = , Old_Norse = , script_name = Name in Meitei abugida , 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) , ...

) North East India History Association. Session (1989). Proceedings of North East India History Association. The Association , cult_center =

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 ...

, abodes =

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

and

earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

Singh, Wahengbam Ibohal (1986). The History of Manipur: An early period. Manipur Commercial Company. , planet = , weapon = , battles = , artifacts = , animals = , symbol = , adherents = , height = , age = , tree = , day = , color = , number = , consort = , parents = , siblings = , offspring = , predecessor = , successor = , army = , mount = , texts = * Leithak Leikharol * Sakok Lamlen , gender = Male , 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 = Taoroinai ( mni, ꯇꯥꯎꯔꯣꯢꯅꯥꯢ, taau-roy-naay) is a snake-like

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 ...

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, ...

.History of Modern Manipur, 1826-1949 - Page 190 - Lal Dena · 1991 North East India History Association. Session (1989). Proceedings of North East India History Association. The Association It lived in the land of the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

.Singh, Wahengbam Ibohal (1986). The History of Manipur: An early period. Manipur Commercial Company. According to the Shakok Lamlen, the

was constructed over the navel of Taoroinai.

Mythology

Taoroinai's voyage from the Moon to the Earth

According to the Sanggai Phammang, Taoroinai lived on the Moon. He was ordered by the God Atiya (Atingkok) to carry His image to the Earth. He swallowed the image of the God in his mouth and brought it down. He lived inside the Earth. The God's image was later born as a divine boy.

Taoroinai and the Heavenly egg

According to the Leithak Leikharol and the Krathok Lamlen, Taoroinai went to the heavens disguises as ''Tupu'' (officer in charge) and brought down the divine cloud egg (nonglum) of Atiya. He gave the egg to a

polyandrous Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wives" ...

person. Later, the egg became

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 ...

. According to the Meihourol Makok Latam, God Atiya wanted to create an earthly king from his own body. He asked the goddess

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 ...

to call Taoroinai. Taoroinai was asked by Leimaren to bring the image of God Atiya in the shape of Nonglum (egg of cloud). Goddess Leimaren received the heavenly egg containing another God. After this, Leimaren was also known as Yaibirok (Yaipilok). According to the Leimaren Naoyom, Taoroinai gave an embryonic egg to

, a solar goddess (or a celestial goddess). Later, goddess Leimaren (alias Yaibirok) gave birth to

Taoroinai and the solar sperm

According to the Pakhangba Nonggarol, Taoroinai brought a God from the centre of the

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 ...

as a

sperm Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, whi ...

inside his body after the completion of the creation of the universe. He gave it to goddess Leinung Yaipirok (alias

Taoroinai and the Kangla

The ''Thon Talet Thonlanmei'' shows the seven layers of the Royal Palace in the

. It shows the gradual evolution of the mankind. According to the illustration, the mankind ascended from the lowest form to the highest form. The forms are (1) fish, (2) snake, (3) tortoise, (4) boar, (5) cow, (6) elephant and (7) man and finally Taoroinai. Taoroinai is shown as the ultimate form of life. According to the Kangla Houba (Kanglalon) written by Ashangbam Laiba in the 5th century, Meitei King Naophangba attempted to construct a new palace in the Kangla. The king's plan was rejected by 13 year old Maichou Ashangbam Laiba. During that time, blood gushed out of the holes of the erecting pillars. It was believed that the erecting pillars struck the body of God Taoroinai.History of Modern Manipur, 1826-1949 - Page 191 - Lal Dena · 1991 So, the King requested Ashangbam Laiba to rectify the pillar position. Laiba did as requested. Later, without any chaos, a seven storied palace building was able to be constructed in the

Taoroinai's dance

According to the Anoirol, Lady Toibi Tanka Nubi (Tankha Chanu) danced with her father, Taoroinai. She learned how to dance from Taoroinai step by step and movement by movement. They danced together. Other living beings also imitated their way of dancing. It was performed to celebrate happiness of the removal of the Lingkam Laikam curse. The curse was removed by the ancestors. Seven maidens namely Tankha, Phuitingwak, Khuyon, Phuitingloubi, Toura, Nongdang and Lengbi and nine gods learned how to dance from Dragon Father Taoroinai. The rhythmic and smooth dancing of the maidens surprised all the creatures of the world. All the creatures came out and started to dance. The movements of Lady Tankha Chanu resembled that of the

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

. Her steps destroyed all the plants and the flowers on her way. It is believed that the place of her enactment of the dance is the Mahou Phaibok hill. A male squirrel watched father and daughter dance and imitated them. Seeing him dancing, a female squirrel also danced. The son squirrel laughed at his mother squirrel. At this, the female squirrel was embarrassed. The dancing squirrels were later joined by other creatures. And so, the dance never ended.

References

External links

Internet Archive - Taoroinai
{{Sanamahi1 Abundance gods Animal gods Arts gods Crafts gods Creator gods Culture of Manipur Dance gods Dragon deities Earth gods Fortune gods Health gods Horned gods Kings in Meitei mythology Life-death-rebirth gods Lunar gods Magic gods Maintenance gods Meitei dragons Meitei deities Music and singing gods Mythological hybrids Nature gods Peace gods Planetary gods Savior gods Sky and weather gods Solar gods Time and fate gods Trickster gods Tutelary gods