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 to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

ary divine bull captured by

Khuman Khamba Khuman Khamba or Moirang Khamba is a hero in Meitei folklore. He belongs to the Khuman dynasty, Khuman clan (). He is the hero as well as the protagonist of the Meitei epic poetry, epic poem ''Khamba Thoibi'' of the Moirang Shayon legends in t ...

Meitei mythology Meitei mythology (or Manipuri mythology) () 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 traditional Meitei religion of Sanam ...

and

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

of ancient Moirang realm. It appears in the legend of ''Kao Phaba'' (), also known as ''Khambana Kao Phaba'' () of the

Khamba Thoibi The ancient legend of Khamba and Thoibi () is a classic, as well as one of the epic cycles of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore, that is originated from Ancient Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur). It is referr ...

epic.

Mythology

Kongyamba, a rich nobleman of the Angom clan, met a group of women from the Khuman kingdom in a place called Moirang, 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 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 Moirang sent an

embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a Sovereign state, 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 ...

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 ( ; , ultimately from Ancient Greek word "kolossos" meaning a large statue or giant) is an Ellipse, elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphi ...

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) The is a 2001 oil canvas painting by Manipuri artists, ''M Betombi Singh'' and ''Gopal Sharma''. The painting shows the capture of powerful Kao bull by hero Khamba. It is one of the most well known museum series "Exhibit of the Month" of th ...

was kept in the permanent collection of the

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya also referred to as the National Museum of Humankind, or Museum of Man and Culture is a museum located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The museum spreads over an area of about 200 acres on the Shymal ...

(IGRMS) Museum,

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), 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 ...

, 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 t ...

. 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 a miserable life. The only solution told was to offer the powerful bull roaming in the Khuman kingdom to God Thangjing. 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 (), also known as , 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 all played by male actors, some dressed as ...

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

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

. It was sponsored by the Sangeet Natak Akedemi of

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

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

Imphal Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a ...

. 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 cattle Cattle in art Cattle in religion Epic cycles of incarnations Horned gods Meitei folklore Meitei mythology Mythological bovines Mythological bulls Sacred bulls