Loktak Ima

"Loktak Lairembee" redirects here. For the Meitei film, see Loktak Lairembee (film).
Meetei Mayek
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Loktak Ima
Personification of the Loktak lake
Mother goddess of the sacred waters
Member of Meitei goddesses
Other namesLoktak Ema, Loktak Eemaa, Loktak Lairembi, Loktak Lairembee[1]
AffiliationMeitei religion (Sanamahism) and Meitei mythology
Major cult centerManipur
AbodeLoktak lake
GenderFemale
RegionKangleipak (Meitei for 'Manipur')
Ethnic groupMeitei ethnicity[2]

Loktak Ima (Meitei: ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯏꯃꯥ, romanized: loktaak eemaa, lit. 'Mother Loktak'[3][4]), also known as Loktak Lairembi[a] (Meitei: ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ, romanized: loktaak lairembee, lit. 'Goddess of Loktak'[b]),[7] is the personification of the Loktak lake, who is revered by the Meitei people as the mother goddess of the sacred waters of the Loktak lake.[8][9][10] She is highly respected and venerated by the fishermen communities of the Meitei ethnicity living in and around the periphery of the Loktak lake.[11][12] She is also considered as the fountainhead of Meitei culture.[12] Her embodiment, the Loktak lake is associated with the epic of Khamba and Thoibi as well as that of Poubi Lai of Meitei mythology and folklore.[7]

  1. ^ Rajesh, Salam (2022-09-22). "Loktak Lake in Manipur: A Ramsar Site in danger of decline". frontline.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20. Being central to Manipur, Loktak features prominently in folklore, oral literature, rituals, and songs. It is called Loktak Lairembee or Goddess Loktak. The people living on the shores believe in isha-mapal, or nine sources of the lake, that must always be kept clean for the continuing health of Loktak. There is wisdom in the old belief as the nine rivers that drain into Loktak are essential to the existence of the lake, its wetlands, and the human lives dependent on them.
  2. ^ Ramachandran, Nalini (2021-09-03). Gods, Giants and the Geography of India. Hachette India. p. 107. ISBN 978-93-91028-27-5. ... the Meitei people's hopes are pinned on Loktak Lairembee now. Will she succeed in protecting the region all by herself?
  3. ^ Bahadur), Sarat Chandra Roy (Rai (1970). Man in India. University of California. A. K. Bose. p. 379.
  4. ^ Anthropology, University of Gauhati Department of (1973). Bulletin of the Department of Anthropology. Department of Anthropology, Gauhati University. p. 77.
  5. ^ Singh, T. S. P. (2018-05-31). Apology. Partridge Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-5437-0188-3.
  6. ^ Sharma, H. Surmangol (2006). "Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (definition of "lairembi")". dsal.uchicago.edu (in Manipuri and English). Chicago University. p. 169. Retrieved 2023-03-21. lāirembi ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ /lai.rem.bi/ n. goddess. Morph: lāi‑rem( [God‑excellent‑Feminine].
  7. ^ a b "Iconic Loktak Lake In Manipur Will Now Be Protected". Retrieved 2023-03-20. Local legend has it that the lake was formed when the gods wooed the people of the valley, and, for Manipuris, it is a goddess, Loktak Lairembi. In the local Meitei belief system, the timeless romance of princess Thoibi and Khamba came to life on the lake's shores, and the mythical creature Poubi Lai resides at its heart. The lake itself is ema (mother) for the thousands of fishermen who earn their livelihood through her.
  8. ^ Ramachandran, Nalini (2021-09-03). Gods, Giants and the Geography of India. Hachette India. p. 105. ISBN 978-93-91028-27-5.
  9. ^ McKechnie, Ben. "The world's only floating national park". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20. Just as India's Hindu community views the River Ganges as a living mother goddess, the Meitei see Loktak Lake as their 'mother' – a provider of life for all.
  10. ^ থাঙ্গ করাংগী ফুমশগুদা অহীং অমা (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri).
  11. ^ Kulkarni, Ranjit (7 November 2022). "A Bend in the Road". Notion Press. pp. 85, 90, 91, 93, 95.
  12. ^ a b Mohanty, Trishna (2020-02-08). "Manipur's Loktak lake chokes from a catastrophic project flagged off 50 years ago". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-03-20. Loktak is not just a lake. For Manipuris she is Loktak Lairembi (Goddess Loktak), and for the several thousands of fishermen who depend on her for their livelihood, she is ema (mother). And although she is the fountainhead of Manipuri culture, her own identity has been in a state of flux for decades.


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