MEITEITE THEI IN – Part four
~ By Vungzamuan Valte
SANAMAHISM
Meitei Culture ah sahkhua khat apu apate uapat a biakna dan uh Ancestor worhip kichi, Animism chikhat nei ua huaichu SANAMAHISM ahi hi. Hiai pupate biakna leh sahkua aneih pen uh kum zatampi mangthang sak kha ua, Hindu siampute leh Hindu gods/vai-pathian tampite koppih in khangtampi petmah ana mangthang uhi. Meitei te ahong khanglou thak ua, tunichiang in tampitak ten a pupa ngeinadan uleh, a pupate biakna uh zongkhe thak ua, i gentaksa mah bangin 1974 apat tamkuamtak ten hiai sahkhua zuita uhi.
Meitei religion ah Trinity kichi pathian lian thum nei ua huaite chu ATIYA GURU SIDABA (SIDABA MAPU/ATINGKOK MARU), SANAMAHI leh LEIMAREN SIDABI ahi uhi. Huchilou in, vaite mah bangin pathian neu Deity kichi tampitak nei tektuk ua 364 tak pha kichi hi. Ei pupate danin HUAI kichi nei ua, Forest Deities ichih mai LAI tampitak nei uhi. Innsung LAI kichi leng tamkuamtak nei ua, Meitei te paidan ah LAI poimoh zualte hiaidan ahi uhi:
SIDABA MAPU pen a pathiante lak ua a thupi penpen hi a, LAININGTHOU, a pathiante uh pathian (Supreme) ahi chi ua, amah pen vansang aom-thunei-sitheilou chihna hi a, a pathiannu uh LEIMAREN SIDABI pasal ahi hi.
PAKHANGBA kichi amah pen apa-theipa chihna ahi mai a, Ningthouja clan suangtupa ahi hi. Pakhangba leh Sanamahi te unau ahi ua, Pakhangba pen Shentreng leng kichi a, Sanamahi pen Khuptreng leng kichi hi. A History uh gelhtuten Pakhangba pen Meitei te suangtu dan in koih ua, Ningthouja te pathian tuam ahihziak in midangten belou ua, the dragon/Snake god leng chi uhi.
SANAMAHI chihna bel SANA-TUI chihna ahi mai a gold colour nei chihna ahi hi. Guru Sidaba leh Leimaren Sidabi te ta ahihna ah mihingte vualzawlna pethei a Insung pathian (household deity) chi in michih in a innsung tawng uah Sanamahi biakna mun nei uhi.
LEIMAREN SIDABI pen Sidaba Mapu zi himahleh, a tate Pakhangba leh Sanamahi te kikar ah deihsaktuam aneih ziakin leitung ah hawlkhiak ahi a, a khaw-nung in Sanamahi tawh kiteng uh chiteltawk uhi (ta toh nu kiteng). Leimaren pen goddess/numei pathian ahihna ah mun poimoh tak neisak uhi.
PHUNGA LAIRU kichi mei-mun chihna ahi mei a, inn teng in taptung kinei hiven (fire place) hiaimun ah Phunga Lairu biakna koih uhi.
APOKPA/APOKPI kichite a pupate uh genna ahi mai a, Salai/Yek/Clan khat in suangtu kibang, khanggui kizom kichi ua Salai/Yek Apokpa leh Apokpi Khurumba chihdan nei chiat ua biak hun nei uhi. Yumnak/Sagei/Beh khat chiat in Sagei Apokpa/Apokpi Khurumba khat nei chiat ua, huchi in sisan-laiguizom kichi ten a Suangtupa/nu uh behta-hon a biak hun nei uhi. Sungkuan kinaidiak ten leng ... khangthum leh khangli tan a kinai ten, a Suangtu pi-leh-pu uh biakna hun neisek ua, huchidan a biakna pen Apokpi/Apokpa Khurumba (Ancestor worship) kichi hi.
MAIKAI NGAKPA kichi LAI chi 4 nei ua, huaite bel Manipur Valley kimvel in mun tuamtuam ah om danin koih uhi. Thangjing Lai pen South West Lai hi a Moirang lak ah bia uhi, Marjing Lai pen North East lam ah bia ua, Kangjei (polo) toh kisai deuh ahi a, Wangbaren Lai pen South East lam ah damtheihna dingin bia ua, Sugunu lam ahi chi uhi, Koubru Lai pen North lam ah Koubru mualtung ah va bia ua, gamlak toh kisai a pathian aneih uh ahi hi.
EMOINU kichi goddess of wealth hi a, Irai Leima goddess of water hi a, Kounu pen Koubru ngaihzawng hi a, Nongthang Leima pen goddess of seduction hi a, Panthoibi pen goddess of wisdom hi a, Thongalel pen misite pathian ahi hi.
Meitei te pathian biakdan leh gindan pen Nature worship kichi Meikuang, Tui, Huih leh Mualtung khawng toh kisai deuh tangpi ahi a, hiaiziak in a pathiante uh Lamlai, Yumlai, Ningthoulai, Umanglai leh Pupa/Athokpa biakna ahi deuh tangpi mai hi.
Sanamahism kichi Meitei religious/cultural revival ahong omdan i genkhinta ua, a pathian minte uh sapdan tuamtuam inleng sam ua Chingu Yaibirel Sidaba kichi pen Sidaba Mapu mah ahi a a Lainingthou uh ahi hi. Huaiziakin, Sanamahism ichih hangin Sanamahi kia biakna ahi kei a, Lai tuamtuam tampitak biakna kigawmkhawm ahi hi. Khenkhat ten hichidan in a pathian te uh grouping bawl uhi:
1. Household Deities....Sanamahi, Leimarel Sidabi, Emoinu
2. Ancestral Deities....Apokpa/Apokpi
3. Deities of clans.....Pakhangba, Thangjing, Pureiromba...
4. Place/Village Deities...Wangjing Ningthou, Khaplangba of Kakching, Eknop Ningthou of Eknop Lake
5. Cardinal Deities... Koubru, Marjing, Thangjing, Wangbrem
6. Royal Family Deities... Pakhangba, Sanamahi, Nongshaba, Yumthei Lai...
7. Community Deities....Sanamahi, Emoinu, Panthoibi, Hiyangthang Lairembi....
LAI-HARAOBA:
Hiaidan a Meitei Culture leh Biakna dan ahon patkhiak tak chiangun LAI biak ding leh kipahsak ding hau mahmah mai ahi ua, huaiziakin LAI HARAOBA kichi hunbi poimohtak mai nei gige uhi, hiai Lai Haraoba hun pen Sanamahi Sahkhua ah apoimoh penpen khat ahi a, kumteng in hiai biakna Festival danin zang uhi. Hichih hunin MAIBA leh MAIBI te poimoh petmah mai ua, amau tellou in hiai biakna hun zangtheilou hial uhi. Lai-Haraoba pen chi 4 in kikhen a, huaite mun tuam chiat ah zang sek uhi:
KANGLEI LAI HARAOBA
MOIRANG LAI HARAOBA
CHAKPA LAI HARAOBA
KAKCHING LAI HARAOBA
A ritual paidan tangpi hichidan ahi, Lai Ikouba chi in, lui leh ngakul khawng ah biakna dan bawl masa ua, Lai Loukhatpa ceremony a bawl zawh chiang un, Maiba ten a biakbuk uah koih ua, Anam-Athou Kokpa/purification ceremony nei uhi.
A ninawn zingkar in Yakaiba ritual in zui a, Maibi in Laipao-chenba samna (chants) nei a, Lai te kiang ah ann piakna nei uhi. Huchi in Maibi in Laihou jagoi, Laibou lam, Panthoibi jagoi, Panthoibi lam, Pamyan jagoi, Long-khonba lam/dance ritual te hih toutou mai uhi.
Laibou Khuthek zawh in Lairel Mathek Chatpa hihnawn leuleu ua, huchi in Nongpok Ningthou nupi ding Panthoibi zonna nei nawn leuleu uhi, hiai pen Lai Nupi Thiba chi uhi. Huaikhit chiangin Thang-Thaba ritual (sword dance) Maibi 2 in nei ua, huchi in Lairel Mathek leh Hakching Shaba ceremony in zom a, huchi in Tangkhul Thokpa ritual in sunzom uhi.
A tawpna pen dingin Thawai-Mi-Kouba/misikha sapna bawl ua, huchi in Lai-Nongaba kichi, Lai te vangam lam a akikna hun uh ahita a, Lai-Tethaba ritual Maibi in abawl a, huchi in Saroi-Khangba ritual (dawite vakna) aneih khit chiang un LAI HARAOBA zouta uhi.
MAIBA/MAIBI
Sanamahi Religion ah Amaiba leh Amaibi kichite poimoh mahmah mai ua, Maiba/Maibi chia itheih mai te uh ahi uhi. Hundu Religion zuitu tamkhop om ahihna uah, Brahmin Priest te tellou in Puja kichi himhim hihtheih louh ahi a, Sanamahi ah leng hiai Maiba.Maibi te tellou in Lai biakna ceremony zattheih louh hulhual ahi hi. Clash of civilization ichi hia, clash of interest ichi zaw hia, Meitei sahkhua leh Hindu sahkhua te a kideidanna uh ahi mai hi. Vaite neknek sangin amau kinei tuah le uh chihna tawh leng kibang thei sim ding hi, Meitei Bahmon te Vai taktak hikhol kei mah le uh.
NUPA Amaiba te gendan in, Atingkok Mapu Sidaba, a supreme being un pathian kiang apat thupiak mu a (tarang mapao) huaidan dungjui in Mapu Sidaba pen Maiba masapen ahi chi uh. A omdan diktak chu, pathian apat kisuilut ahi mai ua, thilhihtheihna chikhat leng nei kisa mah ahi uhi.
NUPI Amaibi te kigendan in Numit Kappa tangthu ah, goddess Panthoibi apat kisuilut ua, huchi in Meitei Leng ten huchidan a Maibite kha petronised nasa uh ahihman in poimohna liantak nei uhi.
Huchia a pathiante uapat kahiang hi a sisan khanggui kibang a kikoih ahihna uah, Meitei Society ah minautangte leh a Lai te uh kikar ah palai nasemtu kichi uhi. Maiba/Maibi ten thil hongtung dingte khawng genkhawl thei ua, mi mumang khawng let thei ua, thil lauhuai hongtung dingte khawng apat kiven dingdan genkhia in puangkhia (warning) zelzel uhi. Minautangte theih batlouh leh, hihtheih louhte hihthei ahihna uah, Meitei society ah dinmun poimoh tak nei ua, lauhna leh zahtakna chikhat tawh en uhi.
Khanggui a Maiba/Maibi hihtheih ahi a, huchilou in leng Maibi hihtheihna om tei thou hi. Lai Haraoba hunin kuahiam numei khat Lai in man henla or mun khat peuhpeuh ah Lai in possessed in lamdangtak mai in om hileh, Lai in tel ahi chi ua Maibi suak thei hi. Himahleh, hiai devil in possessed chihdan pen huntawk mai lou a, Ema-Guru khat nuai ah kisinna nei ding a huai secret puya te a theih khit chiangin, Rituals haksa taktakte ahihtheihna dingin Lam, lasak leh Music tum chihte a siamnel mahmah ngai hi. Huchia, etkhiakna tuamtuamte a pass vek chiangin PUNDIT LOISHANG council ten pomna nei ua, Kandha epan thaba kichi siansuahna ritual neihsak ding uhi.
Huchia Umang Lai te khawng tawh kihou thei leh kithuzak thei a ahong om chiangun Maibi te kha mi ten alauh in lauhthawh sim maimah ahi ua, kuaman suthangpai ngam khollou uhi. Tuchiang in Maibi/Maiba te toh kisai gen tam luat aom nawn khol kei a, nidanglai deuh in singtangmi ten leng hahzat mahmah sek uh hihtuak maimah hi. Van mang/gan mang/mihing mang leh buaina tuamtuam tuaktu ten Maiba.bi te zangsek uh ahi chih kigen kheukhou sek hi.
Maibi/Maiba Culture kichi Occultism chikhat ahi mai a, mihingte spirit chikhat in a possessed ahi pen mai hi, bang spirit ahia chihbel i genthei kei, bangteng hileh Lai kichi chu ei pupate muhdan toh kituak in sikha/Dawi chihna ahi mai ding hi. Dawi-siam chihkhat ichi thei mai ding hi, mi bang bum theihna nei ahihna uah. Meiteite mah Dr Ng. Ekashini gendan in “Meitei Maibi is somewhat similar to Shamanism of the Russian Origin which is usually used by American Ethnographers in reference to men or women who, through the acquisition of supernatural powers, are believed to be able to either cure or cause diseases, The Meitei’s believed Maibis as persons who could treat sick persons or who could do damage to them with supernatural practices.......”
Hiai Maibi/Maiba culture leng Meitei ten nasatak a taisan khinta ahihna uah, Sanamahism ahong ki-revive leh awlawl a hong khanglou thak ding bangsimta hi. Huchilou a chu asep ding uleng om nawn ngellou a Beauty Parlours khawg a sep leh make up artists (potloi setpa) khawng a pan, kitenna khawng a wedding make up bawltu chih khawng sem mai dan ahi uhi.
Sanamahism kichi tua i gensate apat sahkhua chih theih ding ahi hia....chihdan leh ngaihdan omthei ahi a, sinhung a khamuanna leh misikhua lam gen nei khollou a dawi-le-kau biakna leh suklungkim sawmna ngenta himai leh kilawm mawk hi.