Ngareima is the goddess of

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

and aquatic life in

Sanamahism Sanamahism , also known as Meiteism , or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of ...

, the indigenous religion of

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 ...

. She is a sister (or friend) of the goddesses,

Phouoibi Phouoibi or Phouleima is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur). She is the lover of A ...

Thumleima Noinu Thumleima ( Meitei pronunciation: ''nói.nu tʰum.lə́i.mə'') or Thumkhong Lairembi () is the Meitei goddess of salt. About Thumleima (), the Goddess of salt is also known as Thumkhong Lairembi () She is a sister (or sometimes fr ...

and Ereima.

Myths

Menstrual blood,

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

, rice stalks, hentak (edible fish paste), and

broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

are considered profane to Ngaleima. So, if there is an adverse entry of fish into the fishing nets, the presence of menstruating woman is highly suspected at the spot, especially on the floating dam. Other suspicious reasons are the dropping down of the charoo (hay, dried paddy stalks) or hentak (edible fish paste) or sumjit (broom) by people out of jealousy into the place. Ngareima is considered to be one of the divine manifestations of Leimarel Sidabi, the supreme mother earth goddess. It is said that Leimalel becomes Ngaleima when she is in the fish yard.

In popular culture

Phou-oibi, the rice goddess '' Phou-oibi, the Rice Goddess '' is a 2013 Meitei language ballad opera, based on the story of goddess Phouoibi, adapted from Meitei mythology and folklore, performed by the Laihui Ensemble from Manipur, India, as a part of the ''"Tapestry of ...

is a 2009 ballad opera performed 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 ...

. It is based on the story of the goddess and her sister

. *

Phouoibi Shayon ''Phouoibi Shayon'' ('), also simply known as Phouoibi, is a 2017 Indian Meitei language mythological film, about goddess Phouoibi and other celestial fairies who came down to earth to prosper the human civilization. The film is directed by O ...

is a 2017

Manipuri language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...

movie based on the story of the goddess and her sister

References

{{Commons Meitei goddesses Water goddesses