| Nongshaba | |
|---|---|
| Member ofUmang Lais[1][2] | |
 | |
| Other names |
|
| Affiliation | Sanamahism |
| Major cult center | Umang Lai cults |
| Abode | Heaven andEarth |
| Texts | Nongshaba Laihui[3]: 83–84 |
| Gender | Male |
| Region | Ancient Kangleipak (earlyManipur) |
| Ethnic group | Meitei ethnicity |
| Festivals | Lai Haraoba |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Salailen Sidaba (father) |
| Siblings | |
| Consorts |
|
| Offspring | Thangching[6][1][2] (born from Sarungleima).[7] |
| Part ofa series on |
| Sanamahism |
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Nongshaba (Meitei: ꯅꯣꯡꯁꯥꯕ) is a lion god inSanamahism andMeitei mythology. He is also regarded as aking of the gods.[8][5][9] He is credited with producing light in the primordial universe and is regarded as the maker of thesun.[4]: 85 [7]: 116, 362 He is worshipped by the people of both theNingthouja clans as well as theMoirang clans. Nongshaba was worshipped by the people of Moirang clan as a lineage deity and regarded as the father of the godThangching.[6]: 47, 48 He is the greatest of theUmang Lais (Meitei for 'forest gods') but he made his only son Thangching the chief deity of Moirang.[4]: 81 [1][2]
The cult of Nongshaba was brought from Moirang by Mungyaang Ngairaangba and Yumnaam Tonba, who presented the deity to KingKhagemba (Meitei:ꯈꯥꯒꯦꯝꯕ) (r. 1597-1652 AD).[10][11] The position Nongshaba's cult was buoyed by his recognition as anUmang Lai and installation asKing of the gods, and the construction of a five storied-temple in his honour.[12]: 110 [2]: 125 Other Umang Lais became lesser deities. During the King's reign, a Meitei family, theLeithangbam, was given responsibility for the cult of Nongshaba. ThePhura, a group ofpriestessess dedicated to Nongshaba was also established.[12][9][2]: 127
During the reign of King Paikhomba (Meitei:ꯄꯥꯏꯈꯣꯝꯕ) (r. 1666–1697 CE), there was a spiritual and symbolical marriage ceremony of princess Yaosombi (Meitei:ꯌꯥꯎꯁꯣꯝꯕꯤ) and Nongshaba, with the offering of an elephant to the deity. From the time of Khagemba until the accession of KingCharairongba in 1687, the cult of Nongshaba was more popular than that ofLainingthou Sanamahi.[12]: 111 [2]: 141
The cult of Nongshaba did not survive for long. During the early 18th century, Hindu priests from Sylhet arrived in Kangleipak to spreadGaudiya Vaishnavism. They were led byShantidas Adhikari and his associate Gopal Das, who succeeded in converting KingPamheiba (r. 1709–1754 CE) fromSanamahism to Vaishnavism in 1710. Pamheimba changed his name to Gharib Nawaz and made Hinduism the official religion of Manipur. In 1723, Gharib Nawaz had most of the shrines of Umang Lai destroyed, and HinduBrahmins took over their temples.[12]: 111 [2]: 19 [13] On 17 October 1732, he ordered the destruction of the temples.[14]
InMeitei mythology,Kangla Sha is a divine representation of Nongshaba.[9]: 53 [15]
According to theNongshaba Laihui, Nongshaba is the second son of the Universal Lord, and is also known as Tholbu Chinglen Nongdai Ningthou. According to the text, Nongshaba is neither assigned much duty did he take a big role in thecreation of the universe. Unlike his younger brother Pakhangba, Nongshaba did not stand in the way of his elder brother Lainingthou Sanamahi.[3]: 83–84 [16][17][18] Unlike his younger brother Pakhangba, Nongshaba does not have any human descendants, and unlike his elder brother Lainingthou Sanamahi, he does not have any manifestation in human form.'.[3]: 84 [18]
TheNongshaba Laihui further describes Nongshaba as:
"GodKoubru served Nongshaba as his shawl, god Thangjing Koiren Ningthou as his back cushion, godWangpuren, son of Wangnu Reima Khomchomphabi, as his carpet, GodMarching, as his throne, godNongpok Ningthou as his looking mirror, Telli Ningthou Sidaba as his clothes hanger, thesun god as his sekpin (canopy) andPakhangba as arangchi, goddess"
The same text describes all the Umang Lai deities, including Sanamahi, as the attendants of Nongshaba.[12]: 110 [18]
The secondstanza of the Meitei poemAnoirol, sung in theLai Haraoba, mentions manysky deities including Nongshaba, thegod of the sky ofMoirang.[2]: 105, 112, 178
Devotees worship Nonghsaba by offering white clothes, fruits, flowers, and fish, preferablysareng.[19][2]: 51–52 In early times, Nongshaba was venerated, along withPakhangba, in theNaoshumshang, the shrine of ancestral figures. Worshippers prayed to Nongshaba prayed for the longevity of the Meitei kings.[20]
ThePhura is a class of priestesses who manage the cult of Nongshaba.[21]
Theningkham samjin costume worn by dancers represents Nongshaba. The samjin is an elaborate, tall, pointed headdress decorated with needlework with tassels and the ningkham is a triangular wrapper with an appliquéd border worn around the waist.[22] The shape of the samjin is said represent Nongshaba's horned head, and his ears are represented by fan like frills on each side. The ningkham represents the tail of Nongshaba.[23] Nongshaba's patterend body is represented by the wearing of thekhamen chatpa loincloth and his beard by a long strip of a decorative fabric hanging loosely on the chest.[24]
Meitei kings constructed many temples dedicated toMeitei deities inBangladesh, among which a shrine dedicated to Nongshaba was a notable one.[25] In the Manipuri Rajbari in Lama Bazar of Bangladesh, there is a temple of Nongshaba, alongside temples ofPakhangba and GoddessYumjao Leima. The Temple's facade faces south, and its ground plan is square, covering an area of 10m2.[26]
On the 15th of December 2015 inImphal, afortnightly magazine namedNongsaba was launched under the motto "Journalism for change". The publication focuses on the socio-political, economy, education, unemployment, art and culture, science, sports, beauty, health, entertainment, etc.[27]
Nongshaba is the greatest of the umang lai or forest gods.
There are two references also to Nongshāba, who, as we have seen, was the father of the Moirāng god Thāngjing.
Not only this, the deity of Lord Nongshaba was also worshipped by both communities. To the Moirangs, Nongshaba was worshipped as lineage deity and regarded as the father of Lord Thangjing.
phura ( priestess of Nongsaba deity ) . They are believed to have the vision of these deities whom they serve and are able to communicate the message of gods during their trances to the people.
Nongshaba Laihui and Panthoibi Khungun are important books of this time.
