Panthoibi (Meitei: ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ, romanized: Paanthoibee, Old Manipuri: ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯢꯄꯤ, romanized: Panthoipi), also known as Nongpok Leima (Meitei for 'Queen of the East'), is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur). She is a consort of the God Nongpok Ningthou. She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of Leimarel Sidabi and is also identified as a form of Goddess Nongthang Leima. She is worshipped mainly by the Meitei people in Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The personality of Panthoibi and other Meitei goddesses like Emoinu and Phouoibi depict as well as influence the courage, independence, righteousness and social honour of Meitei women.
History According to the Panthoibi Khongul, the worship of goddess Panthoibi began in the era of the Khaba dynasty. In 1100 AD, the Loyumba Shinyen mentions the Heishnam clan's service to goddess Panthoibi. The text addresses her as the most adored Meetei goddess. In the 17th century, Panthoibi appeared as a war goddess riding on a tiger. The Cheitharol Kumbaba's first record of the building of a temple of Panthoibi was in the year 1686. The same text's first record of the making of her statue was in the year 1699. In the 18th century, there was a decline in the worship of Panthoibi mirrored a rise of Vaishnavism in Manipur. Hindu King Garib Niwaj Pamheiba (1709-1748) pulled down her temples and broke her statues, and from the 18th century onwards, Panthoibi was treated as a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Durga or as her incarnation or as her manifestation. The identity of Panthoibi was changed to that of Hindu goddess Durga. She was worshipped for five days in September – October. No more temples to Panthoibi were built from 1700 until the modern era came. Since 1960s, the worship of Panthoibi has increased, beginning to replace the worship of Durga.
Attributes and epithets Panthoibi is regarded as self-confident and self-conscious with feminine pride. Legend says she has many incarnations, such as Phouoibi, goddess of grain. Panthoibi is regarded the ruling deity of birth and death. She is described in several ancient texts, including Panthoibi Khongul and Panthoibi Mingkheilol. The Panthoibi Khonggul, an ancient Meitei language religious text dedicated to goddess Panthoibi says:
[...] you are the source of all living beings… both birth and death are your handiwork, you are the repository of all wealth; you can unravel the mystery of human souls and keep both the earth and the heaven jointly linked; you give shelter to the souls of living beings, keep them as beads are strung together; you are the highest of all goddesses and the most munificent in bestowing blessings… Different personifications of Panthoibi are found in different texts. According to the poetic song Anoirol, Panthoibi appears as Khabi Lengnao Mombi, an ancient priestess. She is also regarded as an incarnation of goddess Nongthang Leima, another goddess amaibi. Panthoibi is the goddess of kang, a popular Meitei indoor game. Kang players pray to her before and during the game, believing that one cannot do his or her best at the game without her blessings.
Panthoibi is also the patron deity of potters and weavers. After the creation of the human beings, Panthoibi realised that they needed vessels to store food and water. Looking around, she saw a flower, nura khudonglei. She imitated the shape and the design of the flower to produce a pot and gave art of pottery to the women of Manipur. In another account, she was taught the art of pottery by goddess Leimarel Sidabi before her disappearance, Panthoibi was inspired by a spider spinning its web to invent the arts of spinning and weaving. In another legendary account, Panthoibi was taught the art of weaving by Leishambi, the goddess of creation. Haoreima, a woman from the hills whose lover was beheaded by her husband, is another incarnation of Panthoibi. She turned into tortured spirit and goddess of tragic love and separation and is also associated with death and fertility. Panthoibi reacts badly to bad human conduct. A person who spits near her shrine may they cannot turn their neck and can only be cured by a ritual performed by a maiba, or priestess. Panthoibi is also regarded as one of the divine incarnations of the goddess Leimarel Sidabi. and as an incarnation of the goddess Nongthang Leima.
In Mythology and Literature The ancient Meitei language text Langkol Chingkoipa describes the romantic affair between deified Meitei princess Panthoibi and her lover Nongpok Ningthou. Panthoibi is a lady of surpassing beauty, a daughter of a Meitei king. Many kings and princes wanted to marry her, including King Shapaiba, from the western part of the valley of Kangleipak. He promised that if she married him, he would construct good roads, beautiful bridges, and a spacious house and fish ponds, but she did not accept his proposal. Finally, Panthoibi was married to Tarang Khoinucha, the son of King Khaba Sokchrongba and Queen Teknga of the Khaba dynasty. Panthoibi met the god Nongpok Ningthou for the first time when she was walking in open meadows, bathing and playing in the cool waters of the running river. She was attracted to his handsome looks and towering personality. The two fell in love at first sight. Nongpok Ningthou asked Panthoibi to elope with him. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou secretly met many times, and her in-laws became suspicious. Her mortal husband tried to win her heart many times, but failed. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou finally eloped, escaping the palace disguised as Tangkhuls. The two divine lovers were ultimately united on the sun-washed slopes of the Nongmaiching Hills. Their happy union was celebrated with dances and music by the gods. This celebration gave birth to the Lai Haraoba festival. In another version of the story, Panthoibi first met Nongpok Ningthou when she was helping her father to slash-and-burn. The two fell in love at first sight, but Panthoibi was already married to another man against her will. She left her husband's house to search for her true love; Nongpok Ningthou also left his home for the same purpose. The two lovers met at the Kangla, which became the place of their divine union and it became the place of coronation of the Meitei kings.
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