Pākhangbā

This article is about a primordial deity ofMeitei religion.For theMeitei kingofNingthouja dynasty,seeNongdā Lāiren Pākhangba.

Pakhangba
Member ofMeitei dragons
Idols of Pakhangba and his consort in thePakhangba Temple, Kangla.
Affiliation	Sanamahism
Major cult center	Pakhangba Temple, Kangla
Abode	heaven and earth
Symbol	Meitei dragons
Texts	Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Leishemlon Leithak Leikharol Sakok Lamlen
Gender	Male
Region	Ancient Kangleipak
Ethnic group	Meitei
Festivals	Lai Haraoba
Genealogy
Parents	Salailen(father) Leimarel Sidabi(mother)
Siblings	Lainingthou Sanamahi,Irai Leima,Khoriphaba,Khunu Leima,Ngaleima,Nganu Leima,Nongshaba,Nongthang Leima,Phouleima(Phouoibi),Shapi Leima,Thumleima
Consort	Nongthang Leima
Children	Mangang,Luwang,Khuman Salai,and others (orSalai TaretApokpas)
Equivalents
Greek equivalent	Typhon

Pakhangba(Meitei:ꯄꯥꯈꯪꯕ,lit. 'the one who knows his father') is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of adragon,inMeitei mythologyandSanamahism,the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is depicted in theheraldryofManipur kingdom,which originated inpaphal(Meitei:ꯄꯥꯐꯜ), mythical illustrations of the deity.It is believed that the ancestor of one of theMeitei clansmanifested himself as the Pakhangba.

The identity of the deity is often fused withNongda Lairen Pakhangba,the first ruler of theNingthouja dynasty.The titlePakhangbawas also used by other kings in thehistory of Manipur.

Pakhangba statue

Mythology

Pakhangba and his elder brotherSanamahiwere told by their father that the one who couldcircumambulatethe universe seven times and reach him first would be given the throne of the universe. Sanamahi set out immediately. Pakhangba, besides being the younger brother, was less strong. His motherLeimarel Sidabi,said that circling his father's throne is equivalent to the circling of the entire universe. So, he circled the throne, and his father was satisfied with Pakhangba's knowledge. So, Pakhangba was given his name, which means "one who has realised his father" and was enthroned.

Iconography

Pakhangba is depicted as a serpent with the antlers of asangai,or brow-antlered deer, signifying the cultural synthesis of two different totemic belief systems, which are the worship of serpents andstags.

Two MeiteiHiyang hiren,or royal boats, in the shape of Pakhangba inside theHijagang(Meiteifor 'Boatyard') in theKangla FortinImphal

Serpents are the totem creatures of theNingthouja clan.Ningthoujas do not consume any fishes or plants that look like serpents, as a mark of respect for their ancestors. TheSangaiis associated with theLuwangclan. The Chakpa people, who are a part of theMeitei community,also regard deer as their totem animals.

According to legend, Pudangkoi Khutkoiba, a king of the Luwangs, was once transformed into a deer. He was inadvertently killed by his own younger brother, who didn't know his true identity. Once the error was recognised, the head and antlers of the deer were brought into and preserved in the royal palace. For the inauguration of a royal boat of a Luwang king, the preserved horned head was decoratively installed on the stern. After the cultural integration of the Luwangs and the Meiteis, this tradition was integrated into the making of Meiteihiyang hiren(Meiteifor 'royal boats'). Simultaneously, the sides of the boat are decorated to resemble the body of serpentine dragon, thereby looking like the features of deity Pakhangba.

In the post-Khagembaera, representations of Pakhangba in the form of a paphal (a coiled serpent or dragon biting its own tail, similar to anoubourosbecame prominent.

In Meitei architecture

Main article:Meitei architecture

An illustration of a traditional building based onMeitei architecture,highlighting the Chirong, a sacred symbol for theantlersof deity Pakhangba

In traditionalMeitei architecture,the most importantMeitei culturalelement in building a house is the decoration for the front roof with a design resembling a deer's antlers (Meitei:Chirong).Chi(Meiteifor 'horn') is derived from the wordMachi(Meiteifor 'antler'), androng(Meiteifor 'branching') is derived from the wordrongba(Meiteifor 'posterior directed branch'). The Chirong symbolises the antler premeditated on his head of the deity Pakhangba.

Beliefs

In relation to Pakhangba,Meitei languagehas two commonly used words to refer to thesnakesorserpents.The words are "lin" and "lairen". Lin is used to refer to small snakes, usually thepoisonous snakes. On the other hand, "Lairen" is used to refer to the large snakes, usually thepythons,as well as any big mythical snakes.

Whenever anyone encounters a snake, they may attribute it to the "lin" or "lairen" or any otherhonorificsdedicated to divine serpents. Sometimes, they simply attribute it to the gods, or directly to Pakhangba.

Pythons are related to Pakhangba in the world of charms and fortunes. Many people claim that their lives have changed in dramatic ways after encountering a pythons (or Pakhangba).

There are some people who believe in themillenarianreturn of Pakhangba. According to their beliefs, Pakhangba will re-unite the people of the plains and the hills of Manipur, both politically and religiously, ending decades of tension and violentinsurgency.

Cult

The cult of Pakhangba extraordinarily has an ability to integrate different deities. There are numerous deities, whose names are sufficed with the word "Pakhangba", starting from cosmological deities to ancestral deities. Notable ones areNongda Lairen Pakhangba,Tangja Leela Pakhangba,Leinung Loncha Pakhangba,Saram Tangkhul Pakhangba,Loidam Thaja Pakhangba and Laiyingthou Pakhangba.

Deified Meitei kings

Main article:List of Meitei kings

Since ancient times, rulers of Kangleipak were deified and worshipped as Pakhangba or one of his divine forms. Similarly, historical queens were deified and integrated into the cult ofYumjao Lairembi.In the Thangmeiband region, Meitei kingNaothingkhong(c. 5th century CE) is worshipped as Naothingkhong Pakhangba. Another King,Khagembais also worshipped as a form of Pakhangba.

Tangkhul deities

Saram Tangkhul Pakhangba and his wife, Saram Tangkhul Nurabi are associated with theTangkhul peopleof north eastern parts of Manipur. The Tangkhul deities were given a prominent position in the Umang Lai pantheon of the Meitei people. Besides being identified as a form of deity Pakhangba, in some cases, Saram Tangkhul is also identified withNongpok Ningthou.

Consorts

Pakhangba has numerous consorts, belonging to different communities and ethnicities.

One legend of Pakhangba says that he has seven wives, who give birth to the seven Meitei clans. It signifies the integration of different communities and ethnicities into one single nation.

Lady Liksanu Saphabi belonging toKabui peopleandThangal people,lady Khamlang Taobi belonging toChothe people,lady Chotenu belonging toKom peopleand lady Leiyoi Nurabi belonging to Langmeidong are a few of the numerous consorts of the Meitei deity Pakhangba. Lady Saram Tangkhul Nurabi is the consort of Tangkhul Pakhangba, aTangkhuldeity, who is a divine form of Pakhangba.

Texts

Pakhangba is mentioned in numerousancient Meitei languagetexts, including theThanglon Thangchat,thePakhangba Laihui,thePakhangba Phambal,the "Pakhangba Naoyom",the "Pakhangba Nongkarol",etc.

In heraldry

Pakhangba, as aheraldicdragon,was present in all the former royal flags and coats of arms of Manipur. The kingdom of Manipur had a set of two flags, a white one and a red one. All featured the Pakhangba dragon in the centre, although not as prominently in the latter flags.

In traditional dance and music

Further information:Jagoi,Dances of Manipur,Music of Manipur,Animals in Meitei culture,andBirds in Meitei culture

Keiyen is anancient Meitei languagesong describing the conflict between Pakhangba (Apanba) and his elder brotherSanamahi(Asheeba), as a conflict between atigerand acockrespectively, havingmythologicaland symbolic importance to theMeitei culture.It is symbolically represented in the Ke-kre-Chongba performance.

Younger brother Pakhangba's attempt to escape, along with his seven goddesses, from the elder brother Sanamahi is depicted in the song.

Its interpretation by the different minstrels,maibasandmaibis,have many variations. Metaphorically, the song is about a cock (Pakhangba) being pursued by a tiger (Sanamahi).

InAncient Meitei language,a tiger is termed as “Kei”. “Yangen” is a name of a small wild bushy shrub plant. “Shamba” means “to traverse” in Meitei. “Shyao Shyao” refers to theancient Meiteionomatopoeic word for the sound produced while traversing the bushy way by the tiger. “Yengkhong Phate” refers to the ominous sound of the cock. It implies that Pakhangba's deeds are not good and so, he deserves to be devoured as a punishment. But, that very cock is not an ordinary one, as it belongs toLai(Meiteifor 'God'). The last line indicates that the entire actions of everyone are done as a divine will of God, thereby showing the ultimate power of the Almighty God and his process of the creation of the entire universe.

TheMeitei philosophyassociated with Keiyen is imbibed in the dances performed in theLai Haraoba.Later, it gradually evolved into present day dance of theThabal Chongba.

Festivals

Lai Haraoba

Pakhangba, being considered as one of theUmang Laideities, is honoured with the celebration of theLai Haraobafestival by theMeitei people.

Pakhangba Cheng Hongba

Pakhangba Cheng Hongba is a traditional Meitei religious festival celebrated annually in honour of deity Pakhangba, to bring peace and tranquility among the mankind. One of the most notable celebrations is organised by the Utra Shanglen Sana Konung and the Pacha Loishang by offering flowers toNongshaba,Pakhangba andYumjao Lairembi. This festival is celebrated on regular basis in theSana Konung,widely believed to be organised since the era of KingNongda Lairen Pakhangba.

It has been participated by a renowned cultural institute named "Atinga" since 2017.

In politics

In 1992, Meitei King Okendrajit Singh, the then ruler ofManipur Kingdom,converted from Hinduism to Sanamahism, the traditional Meitei religion to become a revivalist.

In 2020,Leisemba Sanajaoba,the son of the former king Okendrajit, took oath of joining as anMPinside theRajya Sabhaon behalf of theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP), mentioning the name of deity Pakhangba, besidesSanamahiandGovindajee(Krishna).

The state administrative office ofBharatiya Janata Party(BJP) inImphalhouses a shrine dedicated to the deity Pakhangba. The BJP-ruled stategovernment of Manipurdeveloped the sacred sites of Pakhangba and performed rituals in theKangla. Other opposition political parties are also seen in engaging religious activities in relation to deity Pakhangba.

During his2019 Parliamentary election campaign,Kaiku Rajkumar,a renowned politician-turned actor ofMeitei cinema,visited thePakhangba Temple, Kanglaand publicly performedlaibau chenba(Meiteifor 'ritualdivination').

In Bangladesh

In theSylhet Divisionof Bangladesh, a temple dedicated to deity Pakhangba, was constructed during the time of MaharajaGambhir Singh,on a brick platform, having 15.5 m in breadth, 37 m in length and 90 cm in thickness, facing southwards. It is 24 m tall. According to its architectural design, it has three parts, which are the foundation (base) part, thesanctum sanctorumand the conical portion of the roof, inclining at 75 degree. It also has low relief arts depicting peacock, moon and sun on the upper part of its entrance door. The eastern wall is carved with the relief arts depicting moon, horse and cow.

In Myanmar

A few holy shrines dedicated to deity Pakhangba are located in Myanmar. One notable example is that of the Tadalel (Tadaley) village in Amarapura township inMandalay Division. In 2023, the Myanmar Meitei Development Association (MMDA), an organization based in Mandalay, Myanmar, requested toNongthombam Biren,the thenChief Minister of Manipur,to give assistance for the preservation and protection of the holy site.

In Tripura

InTripura Kingdom,a temple dedicated to deity Pakhangba was built during the coronation of Tripuri KingRadha Kishore Manikya,highlighting the cultural heritage of theMeitei peopleinTripura,under the influence of Meitei queens. Both the mother and the wife of King Radha Kishore Manikya areMeitei women.

Pakhangba is still worshipped in present times in the Pakhangba Temple, located near the Royal Palace ofTripura.

During the reign of Meitei kingMarjit SinghinManipur Kingdom,RajaBorothakur Krishna Kishoreruled Tripura Kingdom. The Tripuri king's first and second queens are bothMeitei women.The first queen is Sija Chandrakala Devi, a Meitei princess and the second queen is aMeitei Brahminlady, thereby also known as "Bamon Leima". With their strong influences,Meitei cultureflourished in Tripura, with the proliferation of cults dedicated to differentMeitei deities,most prominently deity Pakhangba, at the region of Bonmalipur.

In popular culture

In the 2018 edition of theSangai festivalheld inManipur,twenty artistes, standing and dancing in the form of a human chain, presented a lively 30 metres long image of deity Pakhangba, dancing on the stage for 45 minutes, depicting the origin of the human beings, as adapted from theLai Haraobafestival performances, while presenting a theatrical show titledLaigi Machasing(Meiteifor 'Children of God'), choreographed bySangeet Natak Akademi'sUstad Bismillah Khan Yuva PuraskarAwardee Sinam Basu.

AMumbai-based group of musical artists titled "Serpents of Pakhangba", named after the deity Pakhangba himself, formed in 2019,is continuously producing musical works related toMeitei mythologyandMeitei folklore.

See also

• Lists of deities in Sanamahism
• Dragons in Manipuri mythology
• History of Manipur
• Kangla Palace
• Ningthouja dynasty

Bibliography

• Pakhangba Phamlup(in Manipuri). India: Publications Divisions Reforms, Imphal. 2009.
• Chaoba, Kangbam (1985).Pakhangba Naoyom(in Manipuri).Digital Library of India.
• Bheigya Singh, Yengkhom (1985).Pakhangba(in Manipuri).Digital Library of India.
• Kala Meitei, Pukhrambam.Pakhangba(in Manipuri).Digital Library of India.
• Ibobi, laikhuram (1995).Pakhangba Laining(in Manipuri).Digital Library of India.
• Bihari Singh, Huirem (2012).Chothe Thangwai Pakhangba(in Manipuri). Digital Library of India.
• Kokngangsana, Rajkumar (1955).Kanglei Langba Pakhangba(in Manipuri). Ningthou Macha Manisana Heirangkhoithong Keibung Imphal.
• Ngamba, Chongthamcha (1989).Mapugee Matik Mayai(in Manipuri).
• Khwairakpam, Biren; Chingakham, Dinachandra (8 October 2018).The Lai of Manipur: Andro and Sengmai.Independently Published.ISBN978-1-7266-9002-7.
• Parratt, John (2017).The Coils of Pakhangba: A Culture History of Meeteis.Mittal Publications.ISBN978-81-8324-823-5.

External links

• Pakhangba(metadata) atInternet Archive
• Pakhangba(text contents) atInternet Archive
• Pakhangbaate-pao.net
• Pakhangbaatdsal.uchicago.edu(Digital South Asia Library)
• Paphal: the mythical assumptions of Lord Pakhangba, ruling deity of ManipurArchived8 March 2022 at theWayback Machine