Vaishnavism In Manipur
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Vaishnavism In Manipur
Manipuri Vaishnavism, also known as Meitei Vaishnavism is a regional variant of Gaudiya Vaishnavism with a culture-forming role in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur. Manipuri Vaishnavas do not worship Krishna alone, but as Radha-Krishna. With the spread of Vaishnavism, the worship of Krishna and Radha became the dominant form in the Manipur region. With every village there having a thakur-ghat and a temple. Background Vaishnavism in Manipur has extended history. While there are records in the Puranas as to account of the pre-historic forms of Vaishnavism or Bhagavatism in the area of present state, the modern history of Vaishnava practices in Manipur started with a king of the Shan Kingdom of Pong gifting a murti of the Sudarshana Chakra (the celestial discus of Vishnu or Krishna) to Kyamaba, king of Manipur, so since the 1470s the kings of Manipur started worshiping Vishnu. Many Brahmana priests from the west, main areas of India, came to Manipur and settled ther ...
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Ching-Thang Khomba
Bhagya Chandra (also known as Ching-Thang Khomba and Jai Singh) (1748–1799) was a king of Manipur (princely state), Manipur in the 18th century CE. He was the grandson of Gharib Niwaz (Manipur), Gharib Niwaz and ruled Manipur for almost forty years (1759–1798). During his rule, he faced several invasions from the Konbaung dynasty, Burmese empire and went into exile, but eventually made peace with Burma. Bhagya Chandra is known for spreading Vaishnavism in the Manipur state. He invented the Manipuri Raas Leela dance. His daughter (Shija Laioibi) played the role of Radha at the first performance and became a popular figure in Manipur. Background Bhagya Chandra was the son of Syam Sai, the eldest son and the legitimate heir of King Gharib Niwaz (Manipur), Gharib Niwaz. Gharib Niwaz had however promised the throne to a son of his second wife, Chit Sai (Ajit Shah). Accordingly when Gharib Niwaz abdicated in 1748, Chit Sai became the king. According to the Cheitharol Kumbaba, ...
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Murti
In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing devotion or reverence – whether at Hindu temples or shrines. A ''mūrti'' is a symbolic icon representing divinity for the purpose of devotional activities. Thus, not all icons of gods and saints are ''mūrti''; for example, purely decorative depictions of divine figures often adorn Hindu temple architecture in intricately carved doorframes, on colourfully painted walls, and ornately sculpted rooftop domes. A ''mūrti'' itself is not God, but it is merely a representative shape, symbolic embodiment, or iconic manifestation of God. ''Murti'' are also found in some nontheistic Jainism, Jain traditions, where they serve as symbols of revered mortals inside Jain temples, and are worshiped in ''murtipujaka'' rituals. A ''murti'' is typically ...
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Rasa-lila
The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a popular theme for other India classical dances including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri Raas Leela, Kuchipudi, and Kathak. The Indian classical dance of ''Kathak'' and ''Manipuri Raas leela'' are evolved from the rasalila of Braj. Kathak, also known as ''Natwari Nritya'', was revived in the 1960s by the Kathak dancer, Uma Sharma. Etymology The term ''raslila'' is derived from the Sanskrit words ''ras'' which means "nectar", "emotion" or "sweet taste" and '' lila'' meaning "act," "play" or "dance." Thus, it is more broadly defined as the "Dance of Divine Love" or "Sweet act of Krishna." Legend The Raslila takes place one night when the gopis of Vrindavana, upon hearing the sound of Krishna's flute, sneak away from their househol ...
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Govinda
Govinda (, ), also rendered Govind, Gobinda, and Gobind, is an epithet of Vishnu and his avatars, such as Krishna. The name appears as the 187th and the 539th name of Vishnu in the ''Vishnu Sahasranama''. The name is also popularly addressed to Krishna, referring to his youthful activity as a cowherd boy. Etymology Govinda can be directly translated as "protector of cows". Moreover, in the word "Govinda", "Govu" means ''Indriyas''. Govinda therefore means the all-pervading, omnipresent ruler of the sense organs, or ''Indriyas''. "Govu" also means 'Vedas'. Hence Govinda is the supreme being who can be known through the Vedas. Interpretations ''Govinda'' is a name of Krishna and also appears as the 187th and 539th name of Vishnu in the Vishnu Sahasranama, the 1,000 names of Vishnu.''Sri Vishnu Sahasranama'', commentary by Sri Sankaracharya, pgs. 69 and 115, translated by Swami Tapasyananda (Ramakrishna Math Publications, Chennai) According to Adi Shankara's commentary on ''Vish ...
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Nabadwip
Nabadwip (), also spelt Navadwip, historically known as Nadia, is a heritage city in Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is regarded as a holy place by Hindus, and is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, it is considered to have been founded in 1063 CE, and served as the old capital of the Sena dynasty. A center of learning and philosophy in medieval India, the city is still noted for its traditional Sanskrit schools. The Navya Nyaya school of logic reached its peak with the efforts of some well known contemporary philosophers of Nabadwip. The great Vaishnava saint, social reformer and an important figure of the Bhakti movement, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) was born here. It was after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's birth that Nabadwip became an important center of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavas worldwide as well as for Hindus in general. Many who follow Gaudiya Vaishnavism visit Nabadwip to celebrate the bir ...
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Assam
Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population, with more than 31 million inhabitants. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese language, Assamese and Bodo language, Bodo are two of the official languages for the entire state and Meitei language, Meitei (Manipuri language, Manipuri) is recognised as an additional official language in three districts of Barak Valley and Hojai district. in Hojai district and for the Barak valley region, alongside Bengali language, Bengali, which is also ...
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Gharib Nawaz (Manipur)
Gharib Niwaz (also known as Pamheiba, 1690–1751, , ) was the ruler of the Manipur Kingdom, ruling from c. 1709 until his death in 1751. He introduced Hinduism as the state religion of his kingdom (1717) and changed the name of the kingdom from "Kangleipaak" to the Sanskrit ''Manipur'' (1724). He changed his royal name from his birth name ''Pamheipa'' to the Persianate "Gharib Niwaz". During most of his reign he was engaged in warfare against the weakened Burmese Toungoo Dynasty. In the early years of his rule (1710–1717 CE), Gharib Niwaz focused on consolidating his empire and engaging in military expeditions, including a notable victory in 1714 when his forces, disguised as a marriage party, defeated Burmese troops at the confluence of Chindwin and Ru Rivers. As conflicts with the expanding Burmese empire intensified, Gharib Niwaz achieved significant military triumphs, such as defeating Burmese forces at Shan villages and successfully defending against Burmese and Tripuri ...
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Ramanandi Sampradaya
The Ramanandi (), also known as Ramavats (), is one of the largest sects of Vaishnavas. Out of 52 sub-branches of Vaishnavism, divided into four Vaishnava '' sampradayas'', 36 are held by the Ramanandi. The sect mainly emphasizes the worship of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and the avatars of Vishnu. They consider Rama and Sita as the Supreme Absolute who are not different from each other. It is considered to have been founded by Ramananda, a 14th-century Vaishnava saint.Schomer and McLeod (1987), The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 4-6Selva Raj and William Harman (2007), Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia, State University of New York Press, , pages 165-166James G Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z, Rosen Publishing, , pages 553-554 History The Ramanandi Sampradaya originates from Rama, who initiated Sita with his six-letter mantra. Sita later initiated her beloved disciple Hanuman wi ...
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Bishnupur, Manipur
Bishnupur is a town in Bishnupur district in the state of Manipur, India. It derived its name from an ancient Vishnu temple located in the town. There is no official record of when exactly the town was named but it is likely during the reign of Bhagyachandra in the mid 18th century. Bishunupur is the administrative headquarters of Bishnupur District. In ancient times, Tongjei Maril, lit. 'tubehole') through Bishnupur was the sole road linking Manipur with the rest of India. Bishnupur was one of the sites of the World War II where fierce fightings between the Allied Forces and the Japanese Forces took place. The British war hero, Major-General Orde Wingate, the founder of the Chindits force, died in a plane crash near Bishnupur while flying back from Chindit-held bases in Burma. Many descendants of Japanese armed forces who died here during the War visit Bishnupur to pay homage to their departed ancestors. Civic administration Bishnupur is a municipal council. There are 12 ...
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Mandir
A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to whom it is dedicated.; Quote: "The Hindu temple is designed to bring about contact between man and the gods of Hinduism religion" (...) "The architecture of the Hindu temple symbolically represents this quest by setting out to dissolve or decrease the boundaries between man and the divine". Hindu temple architecture, which makes extensive use of squares and circles, has its roots in later Vedic traditions, which also influence the temples' construction and symbolism. Through astronomical numbers and particular alignments connected to the temple's location and the relationship between the deity and the worshipper, the temple's design also illustrates the idea of recursion and the equivalency of the macrocosm and the microcosm. A temple incorporates all ele ...
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Brahmana
The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Atharvaveda, Atharva Vedas. They are a secondary layer or classification of Sanskrit texts embedded within each Veda, which explain and instruct on the performance of Yajna, Vedic rituals (in which the related Samhitas are recited). In addition to explaining the symbolism and meaning of the Samhitas, Brahmana literature also expounds scientific knowledge of the Vedic period, Vedic Period, including observational astronomy and, particularly in relation to altar construction, geometry. Divergent in nature, some Brahmanas also contain mystical and philosophical material that constitutes Aranyakas and Upanishads. Each Veda has one or more of its own Brahmanas, and each Brahmana is generally associated with a particular Shakha or Vedic school. Less ...
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