Bhūmi

Hindu goddess representing Mother Earth

Bhumi is the goddess of earth in Hinduism. She is shown as a beautiful woman sitting on a lotus. She has an owl as her vahana or vehicle . She plays major role in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. She is always regarded as an equivalent to Leimarel Sidabi, her Meitei counterpart.

In Ramayana, she is the mother of the goddess Sita, wife of lord Rama . After Sita is sent to the forest, she gives birth to the twins Lava and Kusha. Later at the end, when she is asked to return to Ayodhya, she seeks refuge in her mother, the goddess Bhumi.

In Mahabharata, she incarnates herself as lord Krishna's wife Satyabhama. She kills the asura (demon) Narakasura.

In some south Indian traditions, she is depicted as a wife of lord Vishnu, bhu devi. She is considered as an expansion of Devi Lakshmi. Bhumi is known for her patience and virtue.