Plants in Meitei culture

[6][7] Giving reference to Meitei King Khagemba and the Manipur Kingdom, the beauty and grace of Lei Kabok flower, also called Kabok Lei (Gardenia jasminoides, cape jasmine), is described by Meitei King Charairongba, in his book, the "Leiron", as follows: It is a flower that remains ever fresh as not eaten by worms and is fondly sought after in the four corners of the country, eight directions, nay in all quarters.

[12][13][14] The old couple agreed to do the monkeys' advices, peeling off the best tubers of the plants, then boiling them in a pot until softened and after cooling them off, wrapping them in banana leaves and putting them inside the soils of the grounds.

As a reaction of eating the wild plants, they suffered from the unbearable tingling sensation in their throats.

The "Hijan Hirao" (Old Manipuri: "Hichan Hilao"), an ancient Meitei language narrative poem, mentions that King Hongnem Luwang Ningthou Punshiba of Luwang dynasty once ordered his men for the cutting down a tree in the forest for crafting out a beautiful royal Hiyang Hiren.

In accordance to the story, his servants found a big tree growing on the slope of a mountain and by the side of a river.

In the dead of the night, Mother nature started weeping in the fear of losing her dear child, the tree.