Panthoibi (Meitei: ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ, romanized: Paanthoibee, Old Manipuri: ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯢꯄꯤ, romanized: Panthoipi), also known as Nongpok Leima (Meitei for 'Queen of the East'), is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (early Manipur).

[4] She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of Leimarel Sidabi and is also identified as a form of Goddess Nongthang Leima.

[13][14][15] In 1100 AD, the Loyumba Shinyen mentions the Heishnam clan's service to goddess Panthoibi.

The Panthoibi Khonggul, an ancient Meitei language religious text dedicated to goddess Panthoibi[27][28] says: [...] you are the source of all living beings… both birth and death are your handiwork, you are the repository of all wealth; you can unravel the mystery of human souls and keep both the earth and the heaven jointly linked; you give shelter to the souls of living beings, keep them as beads are strung together; you are the highest of all goddesses and the most munificent in bestowing blessings…Different personifications of Panthoibi are found in different texts.

[30] According to the poetic song Anoirol,[31] Panthoibi appears as Khabi Lengnao Mombi, an ancient priestess.

After the creation of the human beings, Panthoibi realised that they needed vessels to store food and water.

She imitated the shape and the design of the flower to produce a pot and gave art of pottery to the women of Manipur.

[39][40][41] In another legendary account, Panthoibi was taught the art of weaving by Leishambi, the goddess of creation.

She turned into tortured spirit and goddess of tragic love and separation and is also associated with death and fertility.

A person who spits near her shrine may they cannot turn their neck and can only be cured by a ritual performed by a maiba, or priestess.

He promised that if she married him, he would construct good roads, beautiful bridges, and a spacious house and fish ponds, but she did not accept his proposal.

[46][47][48][49] Panthoibi met the god Nongpok Ningthou for the first time when she was walking in open meadows, bathing and playing in the cool waters of the running river.

[53] According to the Numit Kappa, a mythological epic written in the early 1st century CE, two suns shone in the ancient sky.

The two brother suns fled from their positions in the sky and hid for ten long days, leaving the world in darkness.

She knew many mysteries and secrets, and showed them magical ceremonies to lure the sun gods back.

My body aches in every part and all the time I am in a daze as if I clambered up a steep hill-top and rushed down into a deep gorge... Have you any medicine-man who can cure me?Her mother Namungbi told her about Wangpulen Khana Chaopa, the deity of water, who rules in the southern realms of Kangleipak.

[57] Finally, her mother told her about Nongpok Ningthou as follows: O daughter, in the eastern region there is one who has conquered Kyang of Burma and whose dominion extends far into the north.

Sitting by the side of the ailing princess Panthoibi, Nongpok Ningthou examined her illness.

After a short period of time, Panthoibi told her mother of her complete recovery from her illness.

In front of her mother, she praised for the great ability of Nongpok Ningthou as a physician and the saviour of her life from the brink of death.

Panthoibi was unaware of the whereabouts of Nongpok Ningthou and in her helpless condition she beseeched the tall trees of the hills and the leafy ones of the plains to help her find her beloved.