Noinu Thumleima (
Meitei pronunciation: ''nói.nu tʰum.lə́i.mə'') or Thumkhong Lairembi
( omp, Thumkhong Lailempi) is the goddess of
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
and
salt wells
A salt well (or brine well) is used to mine salt from caverns or deposits. Water is used as a solution to dissolve the salt or halite deposits so that they can be extracted by pipe to an evaporation process, which results in a brine or dry prod ...
in
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 tradit ...
and
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural ...
of
ancient Manipur
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...
(
Antique Kangleipak
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Brit ...
).
She is a sister (or ''friend'') of the goddesses,
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
(
Phouleima),
Ngaleima
Lemlei Ngaleima ( omp, ꯂꯦꯝꯂꯩ ꯉꯥꯂꯩꯃ, lem-lei ngaa-lei-ma, fish goddess) or Ngareima ( mni, ꯉꯥꯔꯩꯃ, ngaa-rei-ma) is the goddess and the divine female personification of the fishes and the aquatic life in Meitei myth ...
and
Ereima (
Ireima).
People pray to her so there will be enough salt. Salt is an important part of the human
diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
.
According to the "Recent Researches in Oriental Indological Studies: Including Meiteilogy" by
Moirangthem Kirti Singh, the goddess is a wife of
Pakhangba
Pakhangba ( mni, , omp, ) is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of a dragon, in Meitei mythology and religion. He is depicted in the heraldry of Manipur kingdom, which originated in ''paphal'' ( mni, ), the mythical illus ...
, the royal deity.
Etymology
The
Meitei female given name "Thumleima" (tʰum.lə́i.mə, ꯊꯨꯝꯂꯩꯃ) is made of two words. These words are "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) and "Leima" (lə́i.mə, ꯂꯩꯃ). In
Meitei, "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) means
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
, usually the common salt. In
Meitei, "Leima" (lə́i.mə, ꯂꯩꯃ) means queen, mistress or lady.

Another name of goddess Thumleima is "Thumkhong Lairembi" (ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ). The
Meitei word "Thumkhong" (tʰum.kʰoŋ, ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ) is made up of two component words, "Thum" (tʰum, ꯊꯨꯝ) and "Khong" (kʰoŋ, ꯈꯣꯡ). "Thum" (ꯊꯨꯝ) means salt. "Khong" (kʰoŋ, ꯈꯣꯡ) means mine (of salt or metallic ores). So, "Thumkhong" (tʰum.kʰoŋ, ꯊꯨꯝꯈꯣꯡ) means ''salt ditch'' or ''salt brine'' or ''salt mine'' or ''salt well''. Another
Meitei word "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ) is made up of three component words, "Lai" (ꯂꯥꯢ), "-rem" (-ꯔꯦꯝ) and "bi" (ꯕꯤ). "Lai" (ꯂꯥꯢ) means "God". "-rem" (-ꯔꯦꯝ) or "-lem" (-ꯂꯦꯝ) means "excellent". "bi" (ꯕꯤ) or "pi" (ꯄꯤ) is a suffix to denote feminine gender. So, "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ) means a goddess.
Association with other goddesses
Thumleima is one of the divine manifestations of
Leimarel (Leimalel). Leimalel is the supreme mother earth goddess. It is said that Leimalel becomes Thumleima when she is in the salt mine.
Thumleima is also considered as one of the divine incarnations of goddess
Imoinu
Imoinu or Emoinu ( mni, ꯏꯃꯣꯏꯅꯨ) is a goddess associated with household, hearth, family, fireplace, kitchen, wealth, peace and prosperity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak ( Antique Manipur). She is frequentl ...
.
In popular culture
*
Phou-oibi, the rice goddess is a 2009 ballad opera. It was performed by the
Laihui Ensemble. It is based on the story of the goddess and her sister
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
.
*
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. Sam ...
is a 2017
Manipuri 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 tradit ...
movie based on the story of the goddess and her sister
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
.
See also
*
Panthoibi
)
, deity_of = Goddess of civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom
, member_of = Lairembis and Umang Lais
, image = PANTHOIPI.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Goddess Panthoipi cha ...
, Meitei goddess of civilization, love, and warfare
References
External links
Noinu Thumleima_English WikisourceThumleima_archive.org
{{Authority control
Abundance deities
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Food deities
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