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{{Short description| Meitei direction deities}}
{{See| Meitei mythology|Meitei deities}}
In [[Sanamahism|Meitei religion]] and [[Meitei mythology]], the '''Guardians of the Directions''' or ''' ''Maikei Ngaakpa Lai'' ''' refers to the [[deities]] who rule the specific [[Cardinal direction|directions]] of space according to [[Sanamahism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html|title = The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
[[File:Symbol of Sanamahi Religion.jpg|thumb|Symbol of Sanamahism]]

There are mainly ten Guardians of the Directions in [[Meitei mythology]]. These are the following:
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Meitei Transliteration
!Direction
!Description
!Consort
!Associated creature
|-
![[Kounu]]
|ꯀꯧꯅꯨ
|[[North]]
|She's the goddess who dwells in the snows of far north. Kounuthel (ꯀꯧꯅꯨꯊꯦꯜ), a stream, flowing in the Kounu Hill (ꯀꯧꯅꯨ ꯆꯤꯡ) is considered to be her native place. She's the mother of Lord Loyalakpa.
|[[Lainingthou Koubru]]
|
|-
! [[Meitei deities|Lok Ningthou]]
|ꯂꯣꯛ ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ
| [[South]]
|He's the divine king of a hillock kingdom in the southern realms.
|
|
|-
! [[Lainingthou Nongpok Ningthou|Nongpok Ningthou]]
|ꯅꯣꯡꯄꯣꯛ ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ
|[[East]]
|He's the ruler of the [[Baruni Hill|Selloi Langmai Nongpok Hill]] (ꯁꯦꯂꯣꯢ ꯂꯥꯡꯃꯥꯢ ꯅꯣꯡꯄꯣꯛ ꯆꯤꯡ), and is associated with attributes of being a hunter, a lover, an adventurer and a physician.
|[[Panthoibi]]
|He himself assumes the form of a ferocious tiger, whom goddess Panthoibi rides on.
|-
! [[Meitei deities|Loya Lakpa]]
|ꯂꯣꯌꯥ ꯂꯥꯛꯄ
| [[West]]
|He's the son of Lord Koubru and Lady Kounu.
|He's the consort of Lady Thoudu [[Nungthel Leima]] (ꯊꯧꯗꯨ ꯅꯨꯡꯊꯦꯜ ꯂꯩꯃ), the adopted daughter of his own parents.
|
|-
! [[Eputhou Thangjing|Thangjing]]
|ꯊꯥꯡꯖꯤꯡ
|[[South west]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qs4BAAAAMAAJ&q=thangjing|title = Manipur and the Mainstream|last1 = Tombi Singh|first1 = N.|year = 1975}}</ref>
|He's the progenitor of the [[Moilang]] dynasty in [[Moirang]] kingdom. He dwells both in the [[Ibudhou Thangjing Temple]] as well as on the [[Thangjing Hill]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#thangjing|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
|Ayangleima Ahal (Koirenleima Ahal) and Ayangleima Atompi (Koirenleima Atompi)
|He rides on a [[Manipuri pony]], which is a gift from Lord [[Ibudhou Marjing|Marjing]].
|-
! [[Ibudhou Marjing]]
|ꯏꯕꯨꯙꯧ ꯃꯥꯔꯖꯤꯡ
| [[North east]]
|He's the God associated with horses, polo, sports, war, combat, battle, and animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#marjing|title = The Manipuri Lais}}</ref> His only child is Lord Tolongkhomba.
|He's the consort of Lady Humuleima, the daughter of [[Kuru (mythology)|Kurulen Sidaba]].
|He rides on Samadon Ayangba, a winged [[flying horse]], with white complexion.
|-
! [[Wangbren]]
|ꯋꯥꯡꯕ꯭ꯔꯦꯟ
|[[South east]]
|He's the God associated with water, diseases, death and plaque.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#wangbaren|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
|Anal Chanu Shangnulembi
|He rides on a [[Tiger#Colour_variations|black tiger]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#wangbaren|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
|-
! [[Lainingthou Koubru|Koubru]]
|ꯀꯩꯕ꯭ꯔꯨ
| [[North west]]
|He's the God associated with hunting, animals and wind. Legend says thunderstorm is due to the firing of his divine gun and cloudiness is due to the spreading of his clothes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#koubru|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
|[[Kounu]]
|He rides on Koubru Laishaa, a [[white elephant]].
|-
! [[Salailen Sidaba]]
|ꯁꯂꯥꯢꯂꯦꯟ ꯁꯤꯗꯕ
|[[Zenith]]
|He's the Supreme Being and the Sky God, who rules the heaven.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#mapu|title = The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
|[[Leimarel Sidabi]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#leimaren|title = The Manipuri Lais}}</ref> Nong Leima and Tampha Lairembi.
|He rides either on an elephant or on a winged horse.
|-
! [[Thongalel]]
|ꯊꯣꯡꯉꯥꯂꯦꯜ
| [[Nadir]]
|He's the God of death and the ruler of the underworld kingdom.
|Laikhurembi, Thongak Leima, Khamnung Kikoi Louonbi and Lainaotabi.
|
|}

==Development==
{{Main| Meitei mythology}}
According to [[Meitei mythology]], before the creation of the [[universe]], there were four deities who guard four [[realms]]. These are the following:
{| class="wikitable"
!Old name of the deities
!Modern name of the deities
!Divine jurisdiction
|-
| Thawaa
|[[Wangbren]]
| Nonglam
|-
| Chengaa
|[[Ibudhou Marjing|Marjing]]
| Mitlam
|-
| Yucheng
| [[Eputhou Thangjing|Thangjing]]
| Eelam
|-
| Yuhaa
| [[Lainingthou Koubru|Koubru]]
|Nungshitlam
|}
These four deities guardians guard the four main [[Cardinal direction|directions]] before the creation of the universe.{{cn|date=January 2020}}

However, the following [[deities]] are also added to the [[guardianship]] of the directions after the creation of the [[universe]]:
{| class="wikitable"
!Deities
!Direction
|-
| [[Lainingthou Nongpok Ningthou|Nongpok Ningthou]]
| Nongpok ([[East]])
|-
| Loya Lakpa
| Nongchup ([[West]])
|-
| Laireima Kounu
| Awang ([[North]])
|-
| Lok Ningthou
| Makha ([[South]])
|}
===Four main directions===
* [[Ibudhou Marjing]]:- He is the Guardian of the North East direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#marjing|title = The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
* [[Eputhou Thangjing|Thangjing]]:- He is the Guardian of the South West direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#thangjing|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
* [[Lainingthou Koubru]]:- He is the guardian of the North West direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#koubru|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>
* [[Wangbren]]:- He is the guardian of the South East direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://manipuri.itgo.com/the_lais.html#wangbaren|title=The Manipuri Lais}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Guardians of the directions]], the Hindu equivalent.
* [[Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri]], the Norse equivalent.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada ''India Through the Ages'']

[[Category:Mythology]]
[[Category:Sanamahism]]
{{Meiteimyth navbox long}}

Meitei guardians of the directions - Revision history

BeauBasaldua8: details