Pureiromba (also, Pureilomba or Puleilompa) is a God in

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

religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...

. He is the giver of rain and agricultural prosperity. He is one of the major

Umang Lai Umang Lai () refers to a group of ancient Meitei deities of the traditional Meitei religion (Sanamahism) who are worshipped as the local guardians of particular areas, especially sacred groves. These deities are worshipped annually. Their Sac ...

deities. He is the Ancestor God of the

Angom Angom () is a group of people, which is recognized as one of the seven Yek Salai clans of the composite Meitei confederacy. It consists of several Yumnaks, which belong to the native people of ancient Kangleipak (present day Manipur state o ...

clan of the

Meitei ethnicity The Meitei people, also known as Meetei people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." are a Ti ...

History

According to the Thalon text, Pureiromba (or ) was one of the five gods of five different places in the

Nongmaiching Hill Nongmaiching Hill or Nongmaijing Hill, also known as the Selloi Langmai Ching, is a hill in the Imphal Valley in Manipur, India. It rises to the east of the Imphal City with a peak at an elevation of above sea level. It is a holy pilgr ...

s. Before the Meitei King

Ura Konthouba Meidingu Ura Konthouba () or Wura Konthouba () was a Meetei ruler of Ningthouja dynasty of Ancient Manipur ( Antique Kangleipak). He is the successor of Sameirang and the predecessor of Naothingkhong. In 568 AD, he issued coins for the first t ...

(c. 7th century CE) killed all the Selloi Langmai people, the cults of these five gods were combined into that of a single God, Langmai Ningthou (lit. ''King of the Langmais''). The personal names became the names of various forms of the God. With this, the tribal society of the Selloi Langmai people became one chiefdom, later known as the

Description

The people who worship Pureiromba () think of him as their ancestor. However, no one knows if he was a real person from history or a god that acted like a human. But the ancient texts that show his adventures in the human world show him as a strong, powerful and able founding ancestor. He was initially associated with a Loi village of

Andro, Imphal East Andro is a village and a nagar panchayat in Imphal East district in the state of Manipur, India. Andro is an earmarked Scheduled Caste village which has been developed to represent the cultural heritage and artful creativeness of the Manipuri t ...

. But in later times, the people of

Moirang Moirang () is a town in the Indian state of Manipur, best known for the tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area (KLCA), covering Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), the world's only floating nation ...

worshipped him as one of their deified ancestors.

Festival

The religious festival of

Lai Haraoba Lai Haraoba (, ), also known as Umang Lai Haraoba, is a classical,———— ritualistic, theatrical dance and music festival, annually celebrated by the Meitei people, to please the Umang Lai deities of the traditional Meitei religion (San ...

is celebrated in honor of God Pureiromba () in the months of Kalen (April-May). The Haraoba of Pureiromba belongs to the type of the Chakpa Haraoba. Chakpa Haraoba is one of the four types of

. At

, on the last day of the celebration of Pureiromba, a small mound of rice offerings is piled up by the

maibi Maibi are the priestesses of Manipur Kingdom commonly known for performing religious rites. They are considered as shamans as well as midwives. They possess various skills of religious activities and ancient medicinal knowledge. The male counter ...

s. Out of rice, the maibis construct a small landscape of mountain ranges, ravines, lakes, rivers, etc.

Cults and pantheons

There are pantheons dedicated to God Pureiromba and his son Chinsongba in the village 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 ...

. God Pureiromba is also regarded as the ancestor of the people of the Sharumbam clan of

. The cult of Pureiromba was looked after by the people of Mangsatabam clan of

Namesakes

Pureiromba Youth Club

The ''Pureiromba Youth Club, Bamon Kampu, Imphal'' is a youths' club of

. It reported to the

Government of Manipur The Government of Manipur (; /mə.ni.pur lə́i.ŋak/), also known as the State Government of Manipur, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Manipur and its 16 districts. It consists of an ex ...

about the case of Thangjam Manorama.

References

External links

INTERNET ARCHIVE, Pureiromba

E-PAO, Pureiromba

E-PAO, Pureilomba
* {{Sanamahi1 Agricultural gods in Meitei mythology Fertility gods in Meitei mythology Food gods in Meitei mythology Kings in Meitei mythology Magic deities in Meitei mythology Meitei gods Rain deities