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{{Short description|Lion God of Manipur}}
{{See also|Nongshā (disambiguation){{!}}Nongshā}}
{{Redirect|Sun Lion|the Persian emblem|Lion and Sun}}
{{Redirect|Maker of the Sun|the British television series|The Sun Makers}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Meitei
| name = Nongshaba
| deity_of = 
| member_of = [[Umang Lai]]s<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=General |first=India Office of the Registrar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7TUAAAAMAAJ&q=nongshaba |title=Census of India, 1961 |date=1962 |publisher=Manager of Publications |page=53 |language=en|quote=Nongshaba is the greatest of the umang lai or forest gods.}}</ref><ref name=parratt1980>{{Cite book |last=Parratt |first=Saroj Nalini |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WEQqAAAAYAAJ&q=Nongsh%C4%81ba |title=The Religion of Manipur: Beliefs, Rituals, and Historical Development |date=1980 |publisher=Firma KLM |isbn=978-0-8364-0594-1 |pages=15, 118, 125 |language=en |quote=There are two references also to Nongshāba, who, as we have seen, was the father of the Moirāng god Thāngjing.}}</ref>
| image = ꯂꯥꯏꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯅꯣꯡꯁꯥꯄꯥ.jpg
| alt = 
| caption =
| other_names =
*Tholbu Chinglen Nongdai Ningthou <ref name=manihar>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ch Manihar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yiBkAAAAMAAJ&q=Nongs%C4%81b%C4%81+L%C4%81ihui |title=A History of Manipuri Literature |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |year=1996 |isbn=978-81-260-0086-9 |pages=83, 84 |language=en |quote=}}</ref>
*Maker of the Sun<ref name=ra>{{Cite book |last=[[Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland]] |url=https://archive.org/details/mananth13a14royauoft/page/n107/mode/2up?q=Nongshaba |title=Man |title-link= |publisher=London |year=1901 |page=85 |language=en}}</ref>
*Lion God<ref name="Lion">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3AMAQAAMAAJ&q=Nongsaba |title=Internationales Asienforum: International Quarterly for Asian Studies |date=1989 |publisher=Weltform Verlag. |page=300 |language=en, de }}</ref>
*[[King of the gods]]<ref name="Lion"/>
| hiero =
| Old_Norse =
| script_name =
| script =
| affiliation = [[Sanamahism]] 
| cult_center = [[Umang Lai]] cults 
| abode = [[Heaven]] and [[Earth]] 
| planet = 
| weapon = 
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| consorts =
* Thongnang Leicha Khombi
* Sarungleima{{r|ra|pages=10, 81, 85}}
| parents = [[Salailen Sidaba]] (father)
| siblings =
* [[Lainingthou Sanamahi]]
* [[Helloi]]s
* [[Irai Leima]]
* [[Khoriphaba]]
* [[Khunu Leima]]
* [[Ngaleima]]
* [[Nganu Leima]]
* [[Nongthang Leima]]
* [[Pakhangba]]
* [[Phouleima]]
* [[Shapi Leima]]
* [[Thumleima]]
| offspring = [[Thangching]]<ref name=joykumar>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=N. Joykumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F1luAAAAMAAJ&q=nongshaba |title=Ethnic Relations Among the People of North-East India |date=2006 |publisher=Centre for Manipur Studies, [[Manipur University]] and Akansha Publishing House |isbn=978-81-8370-081-8 |pages=47, 48 |language=en |quote=Not only this, the deity of Lord Nongshaba was also worshipped by both communities. To the Moirangs, Nongshaba was worshipped as lineage deity and regarded as the father of Lord Thangjing.}}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref name=parratt1980/> (born from Sarungleima).<ref name=leach>{{Cite book |last=Leach |first=Marjorie |url=https://archive.org/details/guidetogods0000leac_k3w1/page/68/mode/2up?q=Nongshaba |title=Guide to the gods |publisher=[[Gale Research]] |year=1992 |isbn=978-1-873477-85-4 |page=68 |language=en}}</ref> 
| predecessor =
| successor =
| army =
| mount =
| texts = Nongshaba Laihui{{r|manihar|pages=83-84}}
| gender = Male
| Greek_equivalent =
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| equivalent5 =
| region = [[Ancient Kangleipak]] (early [[Manipur]])
| ethnic_group = [[Meitei ethnicity]]
| festivals = [[Lai Haraoba]]
}}
{{Contains special characters|Meitei}}
{{Meitei mythology}}
{{Sanamahism}}
'''Nongshaba''' {{meitei|ꯅꯣꯡꯁꯥꯕ}} is a lion god in [[Sanamahism]] and [[Meitei mythology]]. He is also regarded as a [[king of the gods]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Neelabi |first=sairem |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.466636/page/n155/mode/2up |title=Laiyingthou Lairemmasinggee Waree Seengbul |publisher=Longjam Arun For G.M.Publication, [[Imphal]] |year=2006 |pages=156, 157, 158, 159, 160 |language=mni |trans-title=A collection of Stories of Meetei Gods and Goddesses}}</ref><ref name="Lion"/><ref name=moirangthem/> He is credited with producing light in the primordial universe and is regarded as the maker of the [[sun]].{{r|ra|p=85}}{{r|leach|pages=116,362}} He is worshipped by the people of both the [[Ningthouja dynasty|Ningthouja clans]] as well as the [[Moilang|Moirang clans]]. Nongshaba was worshipped by the people of Moirang clan as a lineage deity and regarded as the father of the god [[Thangching]].{{r|joykumar|pages=47, 48}}
He is the greatest of the {{langnf|mni|[[Umang Lai]]s|forest gods}} but he made his only son Thangching the chief deity of Moirang.{{r|ra|p=81}}<ref name="auto"/><ref name=parratt1980/>

== History ==
The cult of Nongshaba was brought from Moirang by Mungyaang Ngairaangba and Yumnaam Tonba, who presented the deity to King [[Khagemba]] ({{langx|mni|ꯈꯥꯒꯦꯝꯕ}}) (r. 1597-1652 AD).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bahadur |first=Mutua |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=af4dAAAAMAAJ&q=Nongsaba |title=Epigraphical Records of Manipur |date=1986 |publisher=Mutua Museum |page=29 |language=en, mni}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hareshwar Goshwami |url=https://archive.org/details/hareshwar-goshwami-history-of-the-people-of-manipur/page/214/mode/2up?q=Nongsaba |title=Hareshwar Goshwami History Of The PEOPLE OF MANIPUR |publisher=Yaol Publishing Limited, 22-22 Wenlocl Road, London |year=2004 |edition=Revised |page=214 |language=en}}</ref> The position Nongshaba's cult was buoyed by his recognition as an ''Umang Lai'' and installation as [[King of the gods]], and the construction of a five storied-temple in his honour.{{r|birajit|p=110}}{{r|parratt1980|p=125}} Other Umang Lais became lesser deities. During the King's reign, a Meitei family, the ''Leithangbam'', was given responsibility for the cult of Nongshaba. The ''Phura'', a group of [[maibi|priestesses]]s dedicated to Nongshaba was also established.<ref name=birajit>{{Cite book |last=Birajit |first=Soibam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgHgCwAAQBAJ |title=Meeyamgi Kholao: Sprout of Consciousness |date=2014-12-01 |publisher=ARECOM (Advanced Research Consortium, Manipur) |pages=110–111 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=moirangthem>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Moirangthem Kirti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doQeAAAAMAAJ |title=Religion and Culture of Manipur |date=1988 |publisher=Manas Publications |isbn=978-81-7049-021-0 |pages=38–39 |language=en |quote=phura (priestess of Nongsaba deity). They are believed to have the vision of these deities whom they serve and are able to communicate the message of gods during their trances to the people. |author-link=Moirangthem Kirti Singh}}</ref>{{r|parratt1980|p=127}}

During the reign of King Paikhomba ({{langx|mni|ꯄꯥꯏꯈꯣꯝꯕ}}) (r. 1666–1697 CE), there was a spiritual and symbolical marriage ceremony of princess Yaosombi ({{langx|mni|ꯌꯥꯎꯁꯣꯝꯕꯤ}}) and Nongshaba, with the offering of an elephant to the deity. From the time of Khagemba until the accession of King [[Charairongba]] in 1687, the cult of Nongshaba was more popular than that of [[Lainingthou Sanamahi]].{{r|birajit|p=111}}{{r|parratt1980|p=141}}

The cult of Nongshaba did not survive for long. During the early 18th century, Hindu priests from Sylhet arrived in Kangleipak to spread [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]]. They were led by [[Shantidas Adhikari]] and his associate Gopal Das, who succeeded in converting King [[Pamheiba]] (r. 1709–1754 CE) from [[Sanamahism]] to Vaishnavism in 1710. Pamheimba changed his name to Gharib Nawaz and made Hinduism the official religion of Manipur. In 1723, Gharib Nawaz had most of the shrines of Umang Lai destroyed, and Hindu [[Brahmins]] took over their temples.{{r|birajit|p=111}}{{r|parratt1980|p=19}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hinduism in Manipur Part 2 By Chirom Rajketan |url=http://e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=manipur.Manipur_and_Religion.Hinduism_in_Manipur_Part_2_By_Chirom_Rajketan |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=e-pao.net }}</ref> On 17 October 1732, he ordered the destruction of the temples.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Noni |first1=Arambam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OzjbCgAAQBAJ |title=Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur |last2=Sanatomba |first2=Kangujam |date=2015-10-16 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-317-27066-9 |page=235 |language=en}}</ref>

== Mythology ==
In [[Meitei mythology]], [[Kangla Sha]] is a divine representation of Nongshaba.{{r|moirangthem|p=53}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5_Sd30LF2fUC&q=nongshaba |title=Anvīkshā |date=2004 |publisher=[[Jadavpur University]] |page=237 |language=en, bn, sa}}</ref>

According to the ''[[Nongshaba Laihui]]'', Nongshaba is the second son of the Universal Lord, and is also known as Tholbu Chinglen Nongdai Ningthou. According to the text, Nongshaba is neither assigned much duty did he take a big role in the [[creation of the universe]]. Unlike his younger brother Pakhangba, Nongshaba did not stand in the way of his elder brother Lainingthou Sanamahi.{{r|manihar|pages=83-84}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paniker |first=K. Ayyappa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYLpvaKJIMEC |title=Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections (Assamese-Dogri) |date=1997 |publisher=[[Sahitya Akademi]] |isbn=978-81-260-0365-5 |page=337 |language=en |quote=Nongshaba Laihui and Panthoibi Khungun are important books of this time. |author-link=Ayyappa Paniker}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Siṃha |first=Konsama Mānikacānda |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vYcQjwEACAAJ |title=Noṃśābā lāihui |date=2015 |publisher=Konasama Imo Simha |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Chandrashekhar Singh 1982 3–21">{{Cite book |last=Chandrashekhar Singh |first=Khulem |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.267389/page/n3/mode/2up |title=Umang Lai Khunda Ahaba Chahi |publisher=All Manipur Umang Lai Haraoba Committee & [[Digital Library of India]] |year=1982 |pages=3–21 |language=mni}}</ref> Unlike his younger brother Pakhangba, Nongshaba does not have any human descendants, and unlike his elder brother Lainingthou Sanamahi, he does not have any manifestation in human form.'.{{r|manihar|p=84}}<ref name="Chandrashekhar Singh 1982 3–21"/>

The ''Nongshaba Laihui'' further describes Nongshaba as:
{{blockquote|"God [[Koubru]] served Nongshaba as his shawl, god Thangjing Koiren Ningthou as his back cushion, god [[Wangpuren]], son of Wangnu Reima Khomchomphabi, as his carpet, God [[Marjing|Marching]], as his throne, god [[Nongpok Ningthou]] as his looking mirror, Telli Ningthou Sidaba as his clothes hanger, the [[Korouhanba|sun god]] as his sekpin (canopy) and [[Pakhangba]] as arangchi, goddess"}}
The same text describes all the Umang Lai deities, including Sanamahi, as the attendants of Nongshaba.{{r|birajit|p=110}}<ref name="Chandrashekhar Singh 1982 3–21"/>

The second [[stanza]] of the Meitei poem ''Anoirol'', sung in the [[Lai Haraoba]], mentions many [[sky deities]] including Nongshaba, the [[god of the sky]] of [[Moirang]].{{r|parratt1980|pages=105, 112, 178|q=Furthermore in the second stanza of Anoirol, which must belong to earliest strata of the Meitei version of the Lai Haraoba, a number of sky gods are mentioned, including Soraren and Nongshaba.}}

== Worship ==
Devotees worship Nonghsaba by offering white clothes, fruits, flowers, and fish, preferably ''[[Wallago attu|sareng]]''.<ref name=mangangsana>{{Cite book |last=Meitei |first=Mayanglambam Mangangsana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7E2EAAAQBAJ |title=The Sound of Pena in Manipur |date=2021-06-06 |publisher=Marjing Mayanglambam |isbn=978-93-5473-655-1 |pages=19, 52 |language=en }}</ref>{{r|parratt1980|pages=51-52}}
In early times, Nongshaba was venerated, along with [[Pakhangba]], in the '''Naoshumshang''', the shrine of ancestral figures. Worshippers prayed to Nongshaba prayed for the longevity of the Meitei kings.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Muthukumaraswamy |first1=M. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xsrgg1Mel8UC&dq=nongshaba&pg=PA71 |title=Folklore, Public Sphere, and Civil Society |last2=Kaushal |first2=Molly |date=2004 |publisher=NFSC www.indianfolklore.org |isbn=978-81-901481-4-6 |page=71 |language=en}}</ref>

The '''Phura''' is a class of priestesses who manage the cult of Nongshaba.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/politicssocietyc00brar/page/138/mode/2up?q=Nongshaba|title=Politics, society, and cosmology in India's North East|last=Brara|first=N. Vijaylakshmi|date=1998|publisher=Delhi; New York : [[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-564331-2|page=138}}</ref>

== Representations in Meitei dress ==
[[File:ꯍꯤꯌꯥꯡ ꯇꯥꯟꯅꯕ꯱.jpg|thumb|Women wearing Ningkham samjin dress representing Nongshaba.]]
The ''[[ningkham samjin]]'' costume worn by dancers represents Nongshaba. The samjin is an elaborate, tall, pointed headdress decorated with needlework with tassels and the ningkham is a triangular wrapper with an appliquéd border worn around the waist.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Salam |first1=Arunapyari |title=There Are Immense Possibilities for Manipuri Textiles and Handicrafts in the Export Market » Imphal Review of Arts and Politics |url=https://imphalreviews.in/there-are-immense-possibilities-for-manipuri-textiles-and-handicrafts-in-the-export-market/ |website=imphalreviews.in |access-date=8 March 2024 |date=26 September 2020}}</ref> The shape of the samjin is said represent Nongshaba's horned head, and his ears are represented by fan like frills on each side. The ningkham represents the tail of Nongshaba.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kangleinganpa Kha Nganpa |first=S. |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.465167/page/n263/mode/1up |title=History Of Meetei People-holy Book Ed. 2nd |date=2011 |publisher=[[Digital Library of India]] |pages=263–264 |language=mni}}</ref> Nongshaba's patterend body is represented by the wearing of the [[pheichom|khamen chatpa]] loincloth and his beard by a long strip of a decorative fabric hanging loosely on the chest.<ref name=sobita>{{Cite book |last=K. Sobita Devi |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.language.0061/page/n103/mode/2up?q=Nongshaba |title=Traditional Dress of the Meiteis |publisher=Bhubon Publishing House |year=1998 |location=[[Imphal]] |pages=94, 96 |language=en, mni}}</ref>

== In Bangladesh ==
Meitei kings constructed many temples dedicated to [[Meitei deities]] in [[Bangladesh]], among which a shrine dedicated to Nongshaba was a notable one.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sana |first=Raj Kumar Somorjit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eybpM1KZjVoC&dq=Nongsaba&pg=PA300 |title=The Chronology of Meetei Monarchs: From 1666 CE to 1850 CE |date=2010 |publisher=Waikhom Ananda Meetei |isbn=978-81-8465-210-9 |pages=300, 301 |language=en}}</ref> In the Manipuri Rajbari in Lama Bazar of Bangladesh, there is a temple of Nongshaba, alongside temples of [[Pakhangba]] and Goddess [[Yumjao Leima]]. The Temple's facade faces south, and its ground plan is square, covering an area of 10m<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanajaoba |first=Naorem |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-CzSQKVmveUC&dq=nongshaba&pg=PA172 |title=Manipur, Past and Present: The Heritage and Ordeals of a Civilization |date=1988 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-853-2 |pages=172, 175 |language=en}}</ref>

== Namesakes ==
On 15 December 2015 in [[Imphal]], a [[fortnight]]ly magazine named ''Nongsaba'' was launched under the motto "Journalism for change". The publication focuses on the socio-political, economy, education, unemployment, art and culture, science, sports, beauty, health, entertainment, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fortnightly magazine: 05th dec15 ~ E-Pao! Headlines |url=http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=Snipp1..051215.dec15 |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=e-pao.net}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}
{{Sanamahi1}}

[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Horned gods]]
[[Category:Light gods]]
[[Category:Meitei dragons]]
[[Category:Meitei deities]]
[[Category:Mythological kings]]
[[Category:Kings of the gods]]

Nongshāba - Revision history

JeffryAlfaro75: Creating.