Animals in Meitei culture

In one of the epic cycles of incarnations in Moirang, Kadeng Thangjahanba hunted and brought a lovely Sangai deer alive from a hunting ground called "Torbung Lamjao" as a gift of love for his girlfriend, Lady Tonu Laijinglembi.

However, when he heard the news that his sweetheart lady married King Laijing Ningthou Punsiba of ancient Moirang, during his absence, he got extremely disappointed and sad.

Since then, the Sangai species started living in the Keibul Lamjao region as their natural habitat.

[1][2] Dogs are mentioned as friends or companions of human beings, in many ancient tales and texts.

In many cases, when dogs died, they were given respect by performing elaborate death ceremonies, equal to that of human beings.

[3] When goddess Konthoujam Tampha Lairembi saw smokes in her native place, she was restless.

On reaching the place, her mother told her as follows: "O daughter of mine, none of your parents or brothers ever dies.

The watchful dog of your Lord Soraren kept amidst us was fatally bitten by a snake.

He was worshipped by the Meitei people of Moirang clan as an ancestral lineage God.

[15][16][17][18] He is the chief of all the Umang Lais (Meitei for 'forest gods') in Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur).

He is known for having remote resemblances and equivalencies to Typhon of the Greeks, Bahamut of the Arabians, Nagas of the Hindus, and Quetzalcoatl of the Native Americans.

His identity is the subject of numerous stories, some of which even combine him with significant historical figures.

[20][21][22] In the story, a childless old couple treat a group of monkeys, from the nearby forest kindly, like their own children.

So, according to their suggestion, they boie the tubers in a pot until soft, then cooled them, wrapped them in banana leaves, and plant them in the garden.

They immediately cook and eat the full-grown taro and suffer an allergic reaction.

So, the old man pretends to be dead, and the old woman cries out loudly so that the monkeys hear her.

When the monkeys return a larger gang to take revenge, the attic breaks and falls on them, and they flee.

As a punishment of his pride (divine retribution), he could not completely turn back to his original human form.