Archive:Sanamahism: Difference between revisions

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Sanamahism (Template:Lang-mni) is an animistic, ancestor worshipping, Shaman-led religious tradition found among the Meitei people in Manipur state of India.^[1]Template:Sfn The term is derived from Sanamahi (lit. "Spreading like liquid everywhere"), the most important Meitei deities.Template:Sfn The details of the identity of Lainingthou Sanamahi – sun, fire, or an aspect of Sidaba Mapu – along with other aspects of the Sanamahism beliefs, practices and the history, are unclear and disputed. Broadly, Sanamahism worship elements of nature, such as fire, water and mountains, with a notable temple and worship rituals at the Loi village of Andro, east of Imphal, according to Bertil Lintner.^[1] Along with Sanamahi, in the past, religious space within Meitei homes called Sanamahi Kachin were dedicated to Leimaren and Phungga. This is no longer seen in modern Meitei families who identify with Sanamahism.Template:Sfn

Origin

The term Sanamahism is neither found in historic literature of northeast India, nor in Myanmar. The first mentions are found in the Cheitharol Kumbaba records of the 18th-century Manipuri king Pamheiba (later named as Garibniwaz), which mentions the ritual of drinking yu (fermented rice beer) and feasting before a deity.Template:Sfn The Sanamahi deity is likely more ancient than the 18th-century, and was known by other names such as Taibang Khaiba and Laiwa Haba, but this is uncertain and lacks literary or archaeological evidence.Template:Sfn

Description

Sanamahism is a folk religion and a variant of shamanism.Template:Sfn It competes with and co-exists with Vaishnavism – a tradition of Hinduism – among the Meitei people. Opponents and rebellious groups have sought to revive Sanamahism and related practices to emphasize the Manipuri heritage, along with seeking a ban on Bengali language movies and replacing it with English language entertainment broadcast from South Korea.^[2]Template:Sfn

Etymology

Sanamahism is also known as Sanamahi Laining, for it originated from the ancient kingdom of Kangleipak.Template:Cn

Revival

Sanamahism is revived after a long period of 4 centuries slumber, currently occupying 8℅ of Manipur's religion population according to 2011 census.

Deities

Lists of deities in Sanamahism

Prime Deities

There are five prime deities in Sanamahism, viz.

Lainingthou Sanamahi : He is the King of the gods.
Atingkok Maru Sidaba : He is the Creator of the Universe.
Pakhangba : He is the supreme deity.

Leimarel Sidabi : She is the supreme Goddess.
Imoinu Ahongbi aka Emoinu : Though she is an incarnation of Goddess Leimarel, she herself is a Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.

Others

Besides, there are thousands of deities worshipped, including the following:

Polo Deity Lord Marjing and his stead Shamadon Ayangba.See Here.
Sky God Soraren
Sun God Korou Hanba
Lion God Nongshaba

Goddess of Power, Panthoibi

Forest Deities

Besides, there are other deities associated with sacred groves including:

Ima Tamphaton Petangaa
Chothe Thangwai Pakhangba

Ancestral Deities

Apokpa

Besides, there are deities for each clans (Yek Salai) as well as families (Yumnak) called Apokpa.

Divine Figures

Though Sanarembi is not a deity, she is a divine figure in the religious chanting of hymns in Lai Haraoba festival.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Bertil Lintner (2015). Great Game East: India, China, and the Struggle for Asia's Most Volatile Frontier. Yale University Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-300-19567-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=0fLOBwAAQBAJ.
↑ Bertil Lintner (2015). Great Game East: India, China, and the Struggle for Asia's Most Volatile Frontier. Yale University Press. pp. 142-143. ISBN 978-0-300-19567-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=0fLOBwAAQBAJ.

Sources

Template:Refbegin

Otojit Kshetrimayum (2009), "Women and Shamanism in Manipur and Korea: A Comparative Study", Indian Anthropologist 39 (1/2)
Kshetrimayum, Otojit (2014), Ritual, Politics and Power in North East India: Contextualising the Lai Haraoba of Manipur, Ruby Press & Co., ISBN 978-93-82395-50-8
Hodson, T.C. (2015), The Meitheis, Ruby Press & Co., ISBN 978-93-82395-56-0
Saroj Nalini Parratt (1974), The Religion of Manipur: Beliefs, Rituals and Historical Development, Australian National University Press
Saroj N. Arambam Parratt; John Parratt (2001), "The Second 'Women's War' and the Emergence of Democratic Government in Manipur", Modern Asian Studies 35 (4)
Sohini Ray (2009), "Writing the Body: Cosmology, Orthography, and Fragments of Modernity in Northeastern India", Anthropological Quarterly 82 (1)
Singh, Dr. Saikhom Gopal (2015), The Meeteis of Manipur: A Study in Human Geography, Ruby Press & Co., ISBN 978-93-82395-21-8
Singh, Dr. Saikhom Gopal (2015), Population Geography of Manipur, Ruby Press & Co., ISBN 978-93-82395-25-6

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Template:Religion topics

[bertil113-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Bertil Lintner (2015). Great Game East: India, China, and the Struggle for Asia's Most Volatile Frontier. Yale University Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-300-19567-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=0fLOBwAAQBAJ.

[2] Bertil Lintner (2015). Great Game East: India, China, and the Struggle for Asia's Most Volatile Frontier. Yale University Press. pp. 142-143. ISBN 978-0-300-19567-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=0fLOBwAAQBAJ.

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@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 ===Prime Deities ===
 There are''' five prime deities''' in '''Sanamahism, '''viz.
-* '''[[Lainingthou Sanamahi]]''' : He is the King of God's.
+* '''[[Lainingthou Sanamahi]]''' : He is the King of the gods.
 * '''[[Kuru (mythology)|Atingkok Maru Sidaba]]''' : He is the Creator of the [[Universe]].
 * '''[[Pakhangba]]''' : He is the supreme deity.
 [[File:Pakhangba.jpg|thumb|Pakhangba,the serpent deity]]
 [[File:Flag of Manipur.svg|thumb|Pakhangba in the flag of Manipur]]
-* '''Leimarel Sidabi''' : She is the supreme Goddesses.
+* '''Leimarel Sidabi''' : She is the supreme Goddess.
 * '''[[Imoinu Ahongbi]] aka [[Emoinu]]''' : Though she is an incarnation of '''Goddess Leimarel''', she herself is a '''Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity'''.