) * Wangpuren ( omp, Wangpulen) * Wangbaren ( omp, Wangpulen) * Wangbren ( omp, Wangpulen) * Wangpurel ( omp, Wangpulel) * Wangbarel ( omp, Wangpulel) * Wangbrel ( omp, Wangpulel) , hiro = , Old_Norse = , script_name = Ancient Meitei , 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) , ...

) , cult_center =

Sugnu Sugnu (also spelt as Sugnoo) is a town in Kakching district in the Indian state of Manipur. Geography Sugnu is located at . It has an average altitude of 764 metres (2509 feet). The town is about 74 km from the capital of Mani ...

, abode = underwater world , planet = , weapon = Polo stick , battles = , artifacts = , animals = , symbol = , adherents = , height = , age = , tree = , day = , color = , number = , consort = Shangnu (alias Shangnulembi) , parents = , siblings = , offspring =

Lok Ningthou Lok Ningthou is the God associated with brooks, gorges, ravines, rills, rivulets, runnels and streams in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak. He is the Guardian God of the Southern direction. He is a son of Wangpulen, the Go ...

, predecessor = , successor = , army = , mount = , texts =

Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya The Puyas ( mni, ꯄꯨꯌꯥ) are archaic Meitei language manuscripts. They encompass a wide spectrum of themes including genealogy, literature, history, royalties, administration, creation and cosmology, philosophy, poetry, religious beliefs, ...

, gender = Male , Greek_equivalent =

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...

Oceanus In Greek mythology, Oceanus (; grc-gre, , Ancient Greek pronunciation: , also Ὠγενός , Ὤγενος , or Ὠγήν ) was a Titan son of Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethys, and the father of the river gods a ...

, 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 =

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 ...

Wangpulen (also, Wangpuren or Wangbaren or Wangbren) is the god of water, rain, flood, disease and sickness in

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, ...

(

). He is the ruler of the underwater world. He is the Lord of the rivers. The guardianship of the south eastern direction is alluded to Wangbren and the other directions to

Koupalu Koupalu (also, Koubaru or Koubru) is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion. He is the Guardian of the North West direction. Legend says he is the founder of civilization in Ancient Manipur, starting from the Mount Koubru, a pea ...

(north west),

Marjing ) , texts = Kangjeirol, Leithak Leikharol , gender = Male , Greek_equivalent = Ares , Roman_equivalent = , Etruscan_equivalent = , Christian_equivalent = , Slavic_equivalent = , Hinduism_equivalent = , ...

(north east) and

Thangjing Thangching or Thangjing is a primordial deity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). He is the ruling deity of the Moirang dynasty of Ancient Moirang. He rules supreme on the banks of the landlocked sea, Lo ...

(south west). He is one of the

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. He has a strong connection with the Anal tribe (Anan tribe) for marrying a lady of the Anal Khullen village. Among the cult centres dedicated to him, the one at

is the most significant in Meitei pantheon.

Description

In the

, Wangbren is mentioned as ''"Khana Chaopa Wangpulen"''. According to the text, He is one of the 7 Laipungthous and one of the manifestations of the Supreme God, Ipung Loinapa Apakpa.

Mythology

Once God Wangpulen went to the village of the Anal people, disguising Himself as a human. He fell in love with a beautiful girl, Shangnu. The maiden was also attracted to His good looks. The girl's affair with a stranger angered the community. The young men of the village challenged Wangbren to fight. There were competitions in

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

, stone throw, and

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

. If He failed, He would be killed. But He won all the challenges. As He won, He took Shangnu, the maiden away with Him to His divine abode.

Worship

Whenever one gets drowned, Wangpulen is worshipped according to the traditional rites and rituals. They did so in a belief that there will be no further deaths in water. Whenever unusual flood water currents are seen, especially in rivers, He is worshipped by people to save them from drowning and other mishaps. If a drowned person's dead body is not found, then a portion of the trunk of palash tree (

Butea monosperma ''Butea monosperma'' is a species of '' Butea'' native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the South Asia and Southeast Asia, ranging across Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysi ...

) is cremated. It is done in a belief that Wangpulen might have kept the corpse at a sacred place. Wangpulen is worshipped by offering fruits, flowers and

kabok Kabok or Kapok is a Meitei Manipuri ethnic food item, generally made up of puffed rice, roasted rice and molasses. It is available in many flavours, including honey flavor, sugarcane flavor and many others. It is a very popular snack in the Ind ...

. The rites and rituals are performed by the maibas. It is to ward off the diseases, illness or sickness caused by the water god. Examples include skin diseases, cold and

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three pha ...

diarrhoea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

, etc.

In the planning, # A denotes the spot of burial of gold models. # B denotes the position of the cloth on which clothes of Lai (Male Deity) and Lairemma (Female Deity) were laid. # C denotes the position of the rice pot. # D denotes the position of the 3 dried plantain leaves containing rice, betel nut, plantains,

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

, flowers and fruits. # E denotes the position of the plantain leaf on which cucumbers and other vegetables are offered to God Khana Chaoba Wangpulen. # F denotes the position of the cloth on which a cloth is knotted to represent a man (a rag doll). # G denotes the position of Moirang Keirungba. # H denotes the position of Moirang Ningthou (lit. King of Moirang). # I denotes the position of the King. # J denotes the position of the Maiba. # K denotes the position of Suganu Hanjaba. # M and N denote the position of the attendants. # O denotes the position of a

fowl Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together ...

kept.

Cults and Shrines

A sacred shrine dedicated to Wangpulen still exists today in the Sugnu village. Annually, the non-Christian Anal villagers give offerings to their priest. The priest took and offer the articles to the God in

. Inside 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 ...

, the State

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. ...

is to renovate and reconstruct the holy altars dedicated to God Wangpulen and other deities. In 2010, a temple dedicated to God Wangpulen was constructed at Wangoi,

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 ...

. The temple building construction costs ₹ 8 lacs INR ($10,000 USD).

References

External links