Kao ( Meitei pronunciation: /káo/) is a

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

ary divine bull captured by

Khuman Khamba Khuman Khamba or Moirang Khamba is a hero in Meitei folklore. He belongs to the Khuman clan ( mni, Khuman Salai). He is the hero as well as the protagonist of the Meitei epic poem '' Khamba Thoibi'' of the Moirang Shayon legends in the Moira ...

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 ...

of ancient

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 ...

realm. It appears in the legend of ''Kao Phaba'' ( omp, Kau Phaapa), also known as ''Khambana Kao Phaba'' ( omp, Khampana Kao Phaapa) of the

Khamba Thoibi ) , Image_Name = Khamba and Thoibi (The Capture of the Wild Bull).jpg , Image_Caption = Khamba and Thoibi (The Capture of the Wild Bull) , Aarne-Thompson Grouping = no , AKA = Khampa Thoipi , Mythology = Meitei mytholo ...

epic.

Mythology

Kongyamba, a rich nobleman of the

Angom Angom is one of the seven clans of the Meitei people. Angom consists of several Yumnaks which are native peoples of ancient Kangleipak, now Manipur state of India. See also *Mangang *Luwang * Khuman *Moilang *Kha Nganpa *Salai Leishangthem ...

clan, met a group of women from the Khuman kingdom in a place called

, and asked them why they were fishing there. They told him that a dangerous bull had killed many people near the water, so they could not fish. Kongyamba then tricked his servant Khamba into catching the bull, by pretending, before the king, that he was possessed by a divine spirit, and claimed that the god

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, ...

spoke through him. Saying he was "sated with offerings of flesh and fish", he demanded to be given the flesh of the bull that was terrorizing the people of Khuman. He added that "my servant Khamba vows that he will bring it for my honor and for the welfare of the State." When the king asked Khamba about his promise, he denied it, but in the end was forced to acquiesce and to try and catch the bull if it was the God's will; the king promised him he could marry Princess Thoibi if he were successful.

Embassy to Khuman kingdom

The king of

sent an

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...

to the king of Khuman. The embassy proposed to organize the great sport of capturing the wild bull. The Khuman king agreed. A grand

colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world t ...

was built for the event. The colosseum could hold a capacity of the audiences from both the two kingdoms.

Capture by Khamba

Khamnu revealed a secret to Khamba. She said that the bull had once belonged to their father. She told him that if Khamba told the bull their father's name, it would be tame and gentle:

"This great bull was once the Lord of your father's herd. Go to him, speak your father's name in his ear, and show him this Rope of silk."

On the day of the adventure, Khamba stood face to face with the bull. The bull ran towards him with its dangerous horns. Khamba bent a little to the side. The people watching asked him if he was afraid. Khamba answered that he was waiting for a good position. Then, he stood on firm ground and caught the bull. The strong bull carried him away into the thick woods. Khamba did everything as his sister had told him to do. Immediately, the wild bull became tame and gentle. Khamba brought the bull back. On the way back, Kongyamba came to him before anyone saw them. Kongyamba pretended to help Khamba to hold the bull. Kongyamba held the rope. When everyone saw, Kongyamba claimed that he had captured the bull. He added that he even rescued Khamba who had fallen into the ditch. Once again, there was a great conflict between Khamba and Kongyamba over the claim. The two kings could not find out who was right. So, Kongyamba was asked to fight the bull within an enclosure. But Kongyamba was afraid of the bull. He climbed up on the heights to save himself. Khamba faced the bull bravely. He once again captured the bull.

In popular culture

In popular culture, Kao appears in arts, books, movies, theatres and many others.

Painting

Khambana Kao Phaba

In 2001, Khambana Kao Phaba (painting) was kept in the permanent collection of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) Museum,

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 ...

, India. In July 2019, the painting was selected as the "Exhibit of the Month" in the same museum.

Theatre

Kao, the sacred bull

In 2011, ''"Kao, the sacred bull"'' was produced by the

Laihui Ensemble The Laihui Ensemble is a centre for research on traditional and indigenous performing arts, based on Imphal, Manipur. It was established in 1985. The association is performing different art shows at different venues across different nations in th ...

. This theatrical show was based on the story of the bull Kao. According to the story, an Oracle said that the King of Moirang will soon die and his people will lead miserable life. The only solution told was to offer the powerful bull roaming in the Khuman kingdom to God

. Orphan

was chosen to capture the bull. He was known for his bravery and goodness. To capture the bull with no harm to it was not easy. Khamba's motherly sister Khamnu disclosed to him the secrecy of the bull. The bull was once domesticated and treated as a family member during the good days of their parents.

Kao Faba

In 2020, a

Shumang Kumhei Shumang Kumhei ( mni, /sū.máŋ kūm-hə́i/), also known as Shumang Leela (), is a Meitei traditional form of theatre, usually performed in Manipur, North East India. The theatre is arranged in the form of open air from four sides. The roles are ...

named ''"Kao Faba"'' was produced by Western Cultural Association in

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 ...

. It was sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akedemi of

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

, India. The play was released in the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen, Palace Compound,

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 f ...

. The play is based on the legend of capturing the bull in

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 ...

Notes

References

{{Authority control Anthropomorphic animals Cattle in art Cattle in religion Epic cycles of incarnations Horned deities Meitei folklore Meitei mythology Mythological bovines Mythological bulls Sacred bulls