Noinu Thumleima ( Meitei pronunciation: ''nói.nu tʰum.lə́i.mə'') or Thumkhong Lairembi ( omp, Thumkhong Lailempi) is the goddess of

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

and salt wells 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, ...

of ancient Manipur (

Antique 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 Brit ...

). She is a sister (or ''friend'') of the goddesses,

Phouoibi Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...

( Phouleima), Ngaleima and

Ereima ) , deity_of = Goddess of water and aquatic life , member_of = Lairembis , image = IRAI LEIMA.jpg , alt = , caption = The name "Irai Leima", written in Meitei Mayek abugida , other_names = * Ireima ( omp, I ...

(

Ireima ) , deity_of = Goddess of water and aquatic life , member_of = Lairembis , image = IRAI LEIMA.jpg , alt = , caption = The name "Irai Leima", written in Meitei Mayek abugida , other_names = * Ireima ( omp, I ...

). People pray to her so there will be enough salt. Salt is an important part of the human

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

. According to the "Recent Researches in Oriental Indological Studies: Including Meiteilogy" by Moirangthem Kirti Singh, the goddess is a wife of

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 illu ...

, the royal deity.

Etymology

The Meitei female given name "Thumleima" (tʰum.lə́i.mə, ꯊꯨꯝꯂꯩꯃ) is made of two words. These words are "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) and "Leima" (lə́i.mə, ꯂꯩꯃ). In Meitei, "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) means

, usually the common salt. In Meitei, "Leima" (lə́i.mə, ꯂꯩꯃ) means queen, mistress or lady.

Another name of goddess Thumleima is "Thumkhong Lairembi" (ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ). The Meitei word "Thumkhong" (tʰum.kʰoŋ, ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ) is made up of two component words, "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) and "Khong" (kʰoŋ, ꯈꯣꯡ). "Thum" (ꯊꯨꯝ) means salt. "Khong" (kʰoŋ, ꯈꯣꯡ) means mine (of salt or metallic ores). So, "Thumkhong" (tʰum.kʰoŋ, ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ) means ''salt ditch'' or ''salt brine'' or ''salt mine'' or ''salt well''. Another Meitei word "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ) is made up of three component words, "Lai" (ꯂꯥꯢ), "-rem" (-ꯔꯦꯝ) and "bi" (ꯕꯤ). "Lai" (ꯂꯥꯢ) means "God". "-rem" (-ꯔꯦꯝ) or "-lem" (-ꯂꯦꯝ) means "excellent". "bi" (ꯕꯤ) or "pi" (ꯄꯤ) is a suffix to denote feminine gender. So, "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ) means a goddess.

Association with other goddesses

Thumleima is one of the divine manifestations of Leimarel (Leimalel). Leimalel is the supreme mother earth goddess. It is said that Leimalel becomes Thumleima when she is in the salt mine. Thumleima is also considered as one of the divine incarnations of goddess

Imoinu Imoinu or Emoinu ( mni, ꯏꯃꯣꯏꯅꯨ) is a goddess associated with household, hearth, family, fireplace, kitchen, wealth, peace and prosperity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). She is frequent ...

In popular culture

* Phou-oibi, the rice goddess is a 2009 ballad opera. It was performed by the Laihui Ensemble. It is based on the story of the goddess and her sister

. * Phouoibi Shayon is a 2017

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 ...

movie based on the story of the goddess and her sister

References

External links

Noinu Thumleima_English Wikisource

Thumleima_archive.org
{{Authority control Abundance deities Abundance goddesses Beauty deities Beauty goddesses Commerce deities Commerce goddesses Domestic and hearth deities Domestic and hearth goddesses Fertility deities Fertility goddesses Food deities Food goddesses Fortune deities Fortune goddesses Health deities Health goddesses Leima Life-death-rebirth deities Life-death-rebirth goddesses Love and lust deities Love and lust goddesses Magic deities Magic goddesses Maintenance deities Maintenance goddesses Meitei gods and goddesses Names of God in Sanamahism Peace deities Peace goddesses Time and fate deities Time and fate goddesses

Etymology

Association with other goddesses

In popular culture

See also

References

External links