Pakhangba is depicted as a serpent with the antlers of a
sangai, or brow-antlered deer, signifying the cultural synthesis of two different totemic belief systems, which are the worship of serpents and
stags. , or royal boats, in the shape of Pakhangba inside the in the
Kangla Fort in
Imphal Serpents are the totem creatures of the
Ningthouja clan. Ningthoujas do not consume any fishes or plants that look like serpents, as a mark of respect for their ancestors. The
Sangai is associated with the
Luwang clan. The Chakpa people, who are a part of the
Meitei community, also regard deer as their totem animals. According to legend, Pudangkoi Khutkoiba, a king of the Luwangs, was once transformed into a deer. He was inadvertently killed by his own younger brother, who didn't know his true identity. Once the error was recognised, the head and antlers of the deer were brought into and preserved in the royal palace. For the inauguration of a royal boat of a Luwang king, the preserved horned head was decoratively installed on the stern. After the cultural integration of the Luwangs and the Meiteis, this tradition was integrated into the making of Meitei . Simultaneously, the sides of the boat are decorated to resemble the body of serpentine dragon, thereby looking like the features of deity Pakhangba. In the post-
Khagemba era, representations of Pakhangba in the form of a paphal (a coiled serpent or dragon biting its own tail, similar to an
oubouros became prominent.
In Meitei architecture , highlighting the Chirong, a sacred symbol for the
antlers of deity Pakhangba In traditional
Meitei architecture, the most important
Meitei cultural element in building a house is the decoration for the front roof with a design resembling a deer's antlers (). is derived from the word , and is derived from the word . The Chirong symbolises the antler premeditated on his head of the deity Pakhangba. == Beliefs ==