Ibudhou Oknarel and Macha Ibemma Khudithibi of Ningthoukhong

RK Birjit Singh
The sound of the drums of *IputhouOknarelHaraoba, ricochets since time immemorial, re-creating the creation myth of the earth as believed by the Meitei, depicting the different aspects of life of humankind right from birth till death and the deity is one of oldest forest deities of Manipur who introduced the domestication of rice in the valley with the living testimony in its ancient plot of paddy field “KhunuPamfen Lou” as the wild rice seeds were extracted from the crop of a wild pigeon and sown in this plot.
The ancient plot of paddy field is still lying unnoticed to the modern world waiting only to be engulfed by the jaws of time flanked by “PengbaYakathen”, in the southern side, the den or the congregation site of Pengba, Ray–finned fish, (Osteobramabelangeri) the flagship fish species of Manipur migrating from Chindwin river through Loktak Lake.
IbudhouOknarelof Ningthoukhong is one of the most revered forest deities of Manipur. In the palace of Manipur, Ibudhou is known as “Lai Hanuba” (Grandold deity). People of Manipur, particularly, the Rongmei tribes and Meitei had been worshipping IbudhouOknarel and his daughter goddess MachaIbemmaKhudithibisince time immemorial at their respective sanctum-sanctorum in Ningthoukhong and at the sacred forest groves of Khudithibineighbouring with Sadukhuroi village of Churachandpur district in Manipur.
When we talk about forest deities of Manipur, it comes to the proto Meitei concept of the origin of human being and its settlement at Koubru Mountain. Another school of thought of historians of Manipur is the “SanamahiLaining” which was considered as the very beginning of evolution of the earth from the cosmos. Whatever may or might be the concept of dichotomies of evolution, the analogy clearly tells us that the cosmogony of belief and thought of Meitei is that the evolution of human settlements in Manipur originated from Koubru peak and later descended downward gradually to the foothills and then tothe valley of Manipur.
“ AwangKoubruAsuppa,
Leima-Lai KhundaAhanba,
Nongthrei Ma-u Lingliba,
IrikMapanThariba,
….. Lainingthou- O!”
“Oh! Almighty Koubru the guardian of the North,
Where the first settlement evolved,
And Nongthrei seeds be sown,
The origin of nine rivers,
I pray to Thee.....”
In the misty landscape of the peak along with the cloud is the abode of Lord Koubru, the holy place of the people of Manipur where the various clans and tribes were believed to have been originated. Earlier there was a vast expanse of water and earth was submerged under water. At thetime of creation, the TaibangMapu(Creator) draws up earth to form hills. These hills were Koubru, Nongmaiching, Thangjing and Wangbrel which forms the foundations of the world. Koubru was the first to be drawn and represents the head in the bio-physical structure of the land. Rivers originated from these hills form the arteries of the body and Loktak Lake as the pelvic zone.
Oral tradition occupies an important place among the folk and indigenous societies. These oral treasures, belief systems and practices are deeply woven into the life and culture of Meitei people. Manipur abounds in many folk stories. In an attempt to understand the environment and the forces of nature, ancient Meiteidiscovered stories to account for the things that went on in their lives.
The legendary folklore of IbudhouOknarel begun at the lofty mountain ranges of Koubru and has been considered as the incarnation of Lord Koubru himself. Some scholars mentioned IbudhouOknarel as the son of Lord Koubru and others as the incarnation of Lord Sanamahi. According to the legend, Ibudhou was a mighty player of Polo, a great thrower of spear and highly skilled incombatspear fight and a sharp shooter of bow-slingshot (Shairong).
The great adventurous forest deity travelled to find a new place crossing the rolling blue mountains of Koubruthrough Leimaton hill ranges and arrived at Thingpuivillage (now LaimanaiKabui) and there he performed Ta-Khousaba, a somatic exercise of systematic wielding of spear (the art of combat spear fight) under a big tree nearby a stream to mark his arrival and drive away evil forces. Ibudhou flexed and exercisedLaan-Yengba (gesture of looking around in search ofenemy)andLaan-Koiba (gesture of encircling the enemy).
The stream where Ibudhou exercised and performed Ta-khousaba is known as Khousa-lok now diluted to “Khujairok”. Being alarmed by the arrival of unknown power in the form of storm carrying aura who he had never been reckoned in the nearby area of his dominion, IbudhouThangjing rushed to the northern site near the foothills, where he met (Oknare) IbudhouOknarel. The grand meeting of the two great forest deities conceived the incarnation of Lord Koubru as Oknarel(Oknare = Met; Rel =Grand: Grand Meeting) or the foremost meet. The two great power’s showdown of their physical strength (Thengnare or Sathengnare) or grand challenge gavebirth to another name “Thengnarel”.  So, the name of IbudhouThangnarel is derived from a phonological change or dilution from “Thengnarel”. Thus a metaphorical name of Oknarel and Thangnarel had been born like two faces of the same coin.
The physical and sanctimonious challenges and showdown of the two great deities had emancipated and recognized themselves as two brothers andIbudhouThangjing extended a cordial and heartfelt welcome to his elder brother IbudhouOknarel and invited him to KegeMoirangLeipak. Leaving his mission to find a fertile dry land, IbudhouOknarel went following Thangjingkoirellai in the foothills. IbudhouOknarel spent a good time there at KegeLeipak(land of Kege) with Thangjing and returns back at Sadukhuroi and took rest at Uwungpareng(Rows of Oak tree) on the gateway of the village (SaduKhunman). Still now the Rongmei brethren of Sadu village are offering annually flowers, fruits, rice, chicken, pig and others items of fish and animals. Here one cantrace the blood relationship amongst the present different ethnic groups of the hill and valley of Manipur having originated from same bloodlines.
Ibudhou stayed amongst the Kabui(Rongmei) women hiding himself in the form of human being in the face of a youngHaobaTangkhul. As the days pass and gone by,Ibudhou was married to Khunbuleima (Khuningthou Tompokhanbi) daughter of the Sadu village Khullakpa(Headman) after a secret divine relationship.Ibudhou joined the normal activities of the peasant’s ancient nomadic village life like hunting,cultivation, fishing and cutting of firewood besides caring forhis newly born daughter MachaIbemma and his wife.
Ibudhou joinedIbendhouin community spading of pamlou(Slope land) for cultivation of crops for each of the family in their respective fields or cultivable land.When the turn for spading the field of Ibudhou came, the community started asking as where is his field to spade, Ibudhou drawn his spear flexing his arm and threw towards the South-Eastern side telling them that the place where the spear lands shall be his field. The peasant community(Khullang)of Sadu came down with Ibudhou towards the valley and tookrest fora while there at Tu-khangChing now known as Dolaithabi while trying to find the spear. They found the spear at Lamlemumang behind NingthoukhongKhakhunou area and together they spaded the land.While the peasants were resting  for a little while after spading, enjoying the foods they brought, Ibudhou set out towards South-West direction at Terapokpi  in between Ningthoukhong  Khakhunou and Thinungei near Laimanai and  shot a  wild pigeon “Lam khunutharikpi” better known as “Leimakhunu”(Burmese spotted dove Streptopeliachinensis) sitting on the branch of a Tera tree  (Silk cotton tree Bombaxceiba)flying from Ithat-chingithing(Ithing Island) regarded as the messenger of almighty  with his bow-slingshot.
IpudhouOknarel extracted the wild rice seeds found inside the crop of the pigeon and soweditin the field together with peasants of Sadu. Still today seedling and transplantation of rice cultivation were done after the ritual seed sowing ceremony of IpudhouOknarel at KhunuPamfenlou by the surrounding villagers. IputhouThangjing borrowed rice seed from his elder brother and introduced domestication of rice at KekeMoirang and there were the tradition of returning the rice after harvesting during Lai Haraoba. Still IputhouThangjing of Ithing is following the tradition of returning rice during IputhouOknarelHaraoba.
The domestication of rice in the valley of Manipur had been mentioned in the old scriptures of Manipur (Puya) like in Kangparon (the account of Kangba dynasty), PoireitonKhunthoklon, mythicalaccounts of the migration of Poiretonto the valley. They are respectively MorshyThangyi or weedy rice(Oryzasativa f. spontanea), TongnuMathi, Likshi Khalil Mathi, Yaisel Yao PhouMathi andChakchalChahaoMathi. ”Mathi” is referredto here as seed.These paddy seeds were believed to be brought first by Poireiton, an immigrant from the far-east and sometimes referred as the progenitor of the clans of Khuman and Luwang. According to the Phougourol hymn, Phouoibi, the goddess of domesticated rice came to the valley from Khamnung with Poireiton.
In the ritual songs sung by the Amaibi’s and amaiba’s in the Lai Haraoba, there is a reference that the earliest ancestors cultivated a variety of wild rice called Wainuchara.The wild rice species is still growing at KeibulLamjao and at Thangjingkom,Thinungei, one of the 9 sacred water bodies of Loktak Lake as per MoirangKangleirol.
As the level of water in the valley gradually drops after the domestication of rice at LamlemKhunu-pamphen-lou, Iputhouset out towards Ningthoukhong to find a dry land for settlement. On the way,Macha-Ibemmastumbled on a hard stone and her big toe was badly injured and copiously bleeding. She could not move even for a little distance. Ibendhou lamented like a summer tempest in view of the pitiable condition of their only daughter and requested IputhouOknarelto dosomething for their lovely daughter torecuperate. Plucking some herbs, Iputhouwith his mighty spiritual power controlled the severe bleeding and removed the pain from his daughter but could not move her from the place.
The place where MachaIbemma was healed using mythical herb by the divine parent  is known as “Napithabi” and  surrounding villagers belonging to Rongmei tribes and  Meeteiand continues to offer leaves of grasses, trees and flowers  in the foot of a  gigantic oak tree since time immemorial while passing through the area. The hillock is known as “Khudithibi” reminding of the legendary event with a prefix “MachaIbemmaKhudithibi”.
All the efforts of the divine parent to take their daughter along with them miserably failed and it became the destiny of MachaIbemma to remain and reside at the Khudithibi hillock forever. (To be contd)