Sanamahism

The deities in Sanamhism can be classified as principal deities, ancestral deities, or apokpa, regional deities called Lam Lai or Umang Lai, and the ancestral deities worshipped by particular Meitei clans (Yek Lai) and families (Saghei Lai). There are five main deities in Sanamahism: • Lainingthou Sanamahi, protector and guardian god of mankind. • Sidaba Mapu, creator of the universe. • Pakhangba, ruler of the universe and destroyer of evil. • Leimarel Sidabi, Earth goddess. • Imoinu Ahongbi, an incarnation of Leimarel, and a goddess of wealth and prosperity. Other important gods and goddesses include Panthoibi, Lainingthou Nongpok Ningthou, Lainingthou Koubru, Ibudhou Marjing, Thongalel, Wangbren, Eputhou Thangjing, Kounu, Nongshaba, Nongthang Leima, and Irai Leima. The Umang Lais are often regarded as aspects or incarnations of the main deities. The worship of Umang Lais and the ritual that this entails, referred to as the Umang Lai Haraoba, is one of the main religious festivals in Sanamahism. The Umang Lais are associated with sacred groves, also called Umang Lai. There are similarities between the Umang Lais and the Nat deities of Myanmar. All the deities are denoted by the universal term Lai which means "god" in Meithei. When referring to a male deity, the terms Lainingthou, Ebhudhou or Epa are used while the terms, Lairembi, Ebhendhou or Ema are used to refer to a female deity. Lairembi is mostly used for the Umang Lais. ==Origin==

The first mentions are found in the Cheitharol Kumbaba, the Court Chronicles of the kings of Manipur, starting from the king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, who traditionally ruled for more than a century, from 33 to 154 CE, though modern scholarship, including Sujit Mukherjee, give a range of 21 years, from 33 to 54 CE. , the temple of God Pakhangba of Sanamahi religion inside the Kangla Fort, Imphal West, Manipur == Revival ==

The collective effort of the revival of Sanamahism is often referred to as the Sanamahi movement. The earliest accounts can be traced back to the formation of the Apokpa Marup by Laininghal Naoriya Phulo in 1930 at Cachar (present day Assam, India). The movement spread to the Manipur Valley by 1934. Although the movement did not gain momentum due to the Japanese invasion in the Second world war, plans were initially made to intensify the movement under the leadership of Takhellambam Bokul (Sanamahi Bokul). The 2011 census of India places the Sanamahi followers to be 8.19% of the total population of Manipur, India. == Official status ==

On 5 August 2022, the Manipur State Legislative Assembly re-affirmed a resolution to record the Sanamahi religion in the census data with a separate unique code as an officially recognised minority religion of India. In the past, on 31 July 2002 and on 1 August 2003, the Manipur State Legislative Assembly had adopted similar resolutions to allot a unique code for the religion but did not get approved by the Central Government of India. In the previous decades, many social, religious and political activists, associations and organisations struggled through violent agitations and protests to include the Sanamahi religion as an officially recognised minority religion of India. == Practices ==

Many Sanamahi practices are focused on food offerings to deities, combined with hymns, as well as oracular ritual in which priestesses become possessed by a god or goddess. An offering formula to call up the gods, uttered by a priestess over a body of water during the Lai Haraoba festival, goes: Some esoteric practices are also a part of Sanamahism, such as the use of mantras for various purposes. The mystical text Sanamahi Naiyom provides several formulas, such as a mantra that is believed to stop rain. ==Religious festivals==

• Sanamahi Ahong Khong Chingba • Lai Haraoba • Mera Hou Chongba • Mera Chaorel Houba • Kwaak Taanba • Yaoshang • Panthoibi Iratpa • Imoinu Iratpa • Sajibu Cheiraoba • Heikru Hidongba == Demographics ==

According to the 2011 census of India, 222,422 people in India follow Sanamahism. The vast majority of them (222,315 people) are in the state of Manipur. Sanamahism followers make up 14.6 percent of all the Meitei people. Others that profess to follow Hinduism, also follow many Sanamahi religious traditions and rituals. For example, they worship Sanamahi in the south-west corners of their homes. == Associations and organisations ==

• International Sanamahism Students' Association • Lainingthou Sanamahi Sanapung • Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board • South East Asia Cultural Organisation ==References==