NONGMAIJIN HILL (Cave on)
24.783300,94.033300
Description
An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively »small cave« of unidentified size, which has been reported from an unidentified location somewhere »on Nongmaijing Hill« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 94), which seems to be sacred to the Hindu gods Shiva (male) and Durga (female). SITUATION: »Nongmaijin Hill« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 94) or »Nongmaijing Mountain« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 43) is indicated as »Nongmai Chin 5135« [feet] near N24°47': E094°02': 1565 m asl (AMS sheet NG46-15 Imphal, U502 series, 1960 edition) and was located »some six miles [about 10 km] to the east of Imphal [N24°48': E93°59']« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 43). CULTURAL HISTORY: »The main feature of Baruni [note 1] is the worship of the phallic aspect of Shiva. The place of pilgrimage is Nongmaijing mountain, some six miles [about 10 km] to the east of Imphal, and the phallic stone [lingam] itself is to be found in a flat place just below the summit. The mountain is climbed during the night by the northward route and descended the following day on the opposite site. The pilgrims usually pause to worship and offer dakshina at the shrine before making the descent. The customary rite of bathing in the Ganges is fulfilled by dipping in the Chinggoi [note 2] stream prior to climbing the mountain. While the festival itself (and probably Shivaism as a whole) is of fairly late introduction to Manipur, it does embrace certain earlier traditional rites. The bathing in the Chinggoi is certainly pre-Hindu, and both this and the sacredness of Nongmaijing mountain have a significant association with the divine couple Nongpok Ningthou and Panthoibi [note 3]. The exact significance of the hill is obscure, although it seems likely that, as part of the process of Hinduism the Shiva shrine was built with the object of transferring worship from the Meitei lai [note 4] to Shiva and Durga« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 43). »According to SHAKESPEAR, J. [note 5], there are here five stones, the largest of which bears some resemblance of a human figure, but the smaller ones are simply stones taken from the bed of a river. These stones are regarded as sacred and must never be touched« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 94).
NOTE 1: »… of the two Shiva-Durga festivals, Baruni rivals Holi in popularity, and is probably the celebration which attracts the most crowds. It takes place on the thirteenth day of the dark half of [the lunar month] Phairen (January-February). As elsewhere in north-east India, Baruni is dedicated to Shiva …« (PARRATT, S N 1980; 42). NOTE 2: The stream Chinggoi is »Associated in an ancient lyric with the deaths of a younger daughter of Nongpok Ningthou and her lover, the son of Koubrou« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 43 footnote). NOTE 3: »The legend of Nongpok Ningthou and of his love for Panthoibi is described in a Manipuri book Panthoibi Khongul. It is also danced out in the Lai Haraoba. The legend recounts how Nongpok Ningthou, a king whose capital was at Nongmaijing, met Panthoibi as she was assisting her father at jhumming. The two fell in love, though no word was exchanged between them. But Panthoibi was married off to Khaba against her will. This presumably refers to a king of the Kaba yek. Subsequently she left her husband's house in search of Nongpok Ningthou. He also left his home seeking her, and the two met at Kangla. Khaba pursued his wife but could not retain her. Nongpok Ningthou himself appears also in later legends to have been deified. According again to the Panthoibi Khongul, the lai made Nongpok Ningthou king, garlanding him with flowers. The place where he met Panthoibi, Kangla, is now associated with the coronation of the Meitei kings« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 13-14). "kangla" (Manipuri) »the area of the old palace« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 196). NOTE 4: Lai , (Meitei, also: »Manipuri« term), a male »god, deity« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 196). Concerning »The Lais: The pre-Hindu deities venerated by the Meitei fall broadly into three groups. The term umang lai is used generally to cover all these categories of gods, although it also has a narrower meaning when applied specifically to the first of these groups. Hodson (HERE 402 also 1910: 96) and Shakespear (1913: 407) regard the umang lai as 'forest deities'. While this is possible from the actual etymology of the term (from umang = forest, lai = god), the umang lai were never regarded as limited to particular forest areas. K. B. Singh (1964: 201) with less justification regards the term as indicating tree deities« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 9). NOTE 5: PARRATT, S N (1980: 94) does not bother her reader with identifying which of the eleven listed publications by »SHAKESPEAR, J.« (PARRATT, S N 1980: 190-191, 192) relates to »Nongmaijing Hill« 1. SHAKESPEAR, J (1910): Manipuri festival.- Folk-lore 21: 79-82. 2. SHAKESPEAR, J (1910): Notes on the iron workers of Manipur and the annual festival in honour of thei special deity Khumlangba.- Journal of the Anthropological Institute 40: 349-359. 3. SHAKESPEAR, J (1910): The Kuki - Lushai clans.- Journal of the Anthropological Institute 39: 371-385. 4. SHAKESPEAR, J (1911): A note on rain-stopping in Manipur.- Folk-Lore 22: 348-350. 5. SHAKESPEAR, J (1911): Manipuri proverbs.- Folk Lore 22: 473-475. 6 SHAKESPEAR, J (1912): Customs at death among the Manipuri and cognate clans.- Folk Lore 23: 463-471. 7. SHAKESPEAR, J (1912): The Lushai - Kuki clans.- London. 8. SHAKESPEAR, J (1913): The religion of Manipur.- Folk Lore ( l i ), vol. 24: 409-455. 9. SHAKESPEAR, J (1913): The pleasing of the god Thangjing.- Man 13 (50): 81-89. 10. SHAKESPEAR, J (1910): Notes on custe [sic!] in Manipur.- School of Oriental and African Studies, London, MS 95160. 11. SHAKESPEAR, J (1910): Notes on the Lois of Manipur State.- School of Oriental and African Studies, London, MS 95070.
Documents
Bibliography 28/04/2016- Parratt, Saroj Nalini 1980.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | NURSING DURWAZA (Hole at the) | ||
| 21.2 | Kounu Hill, Chirang (Cave on a) | ||
| 32.0 | AWA KHONG BOREHOLE PHB-2 CAVITY | ||
| 32.9 | DIMAPUR (Cave at) | ||
| 33.9 | Murringphy (Cave at) | ||
| 48.3 | KHANGKHUI MANGSOR | ||
| 87.2 | DZUKOU VALLEY CAVES | ||
| 93.1 | DZÜLEKIE UNDERGROUND STREAM | ||
| 96.4 | KHONOMA (Hole at) |