Thongak Lairembi

Thongak Lairembi
(Old Manipuri: Thongak Lailempi)
Thongak Lairembi ; (Old Manipuri: Thongak Lailempi)
Gatekeeper Goddess of the Entrance Gate to the Underworld Kingdom
Member of Lairembis
	Thongak Leima (Thongak Lairembi)
Other names	Thongak Lairemma (Old Manipuri: Thongak Lailemma); Thongak Lairenbi (Old Manipuri: Thongak Lailenpi); Thongngak Lairembi (Old Manipuri: Thongngak Lailempi); Thongngak Leima (Old Manipuri: Thongngak Leima); Thongngak Lairemma (Old Manipuri: Thongngak Lailemma); Thongngak Lairenbi (Old Manipuri: Thongngak Lailenpi);
Meitei
Affiliation	Meitei mythology (Manipuri mythology) and Meitei religion (Sanamahism)
Major cult center	Langol hills
Abode	Langol hills
Texts	PuYas
Gender	Female
Region	Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur)
Ethnic group	Meitei ethnicity
Festivals	Lai Haraoba
Consort	Thongalel

Thongak Lairembi (Meitei: ꯊꯣꯡꯉꯥꯛ ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ, romanized: thong-ngaak-laay-rem-bee, lit. 'gatekeeper goddess'), also known as Langol Lairemma (Meitei: ꯂꯥꯡꯒꯣꯜ ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯃ, romanized: laang-ol-laay-rem-ma), is a primordial goddess in Meitei mythology and religion. She is the divine female personification of the death. She guards the door of the entrance to the underworld, which is the land of the death, ruled by her consort, Thongalel.^[1]^[2]^[3] Legend says she gets departed from her husband when Thongalel was lost in the battle between the gods of the underworld and those of the upper world, in the hands of Salailen Sidaba. The winner asked the goddess, who is the wife of the loser, to be the gatekeeper of the entrance gate to the underworld, and for Thongalel, he gave him Khamnung Kikoi Louonbi, in return.^[1]^[4]

Etymology

"Thongak Lairembi", the name of the goddess, written in medieval Meetei Mayek abugida

The name "Thongak Lairembi" (/tʰóŋ.ŋak.pə. lai.rem.bi/) is made up of two Meitei language (Manipuri language) words, "Thongak" (ꯊꯣꯡꯉꯥꯛ, /tʰóŋ.ŋak./) and "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ, /lai.rem.bi/). "Thongak" (adjectival form of noun word "Thongngakpa", /tʰóŋ.ŋak.pə/) means doorkeeper or gatekeeper in Meitei language (Manipuri language).^[5] "Lairembi" (ꯂꯥꯢꯔꯦꯝꯕꯤ, /lai.rem.bi/) means goddess or a female divinity in Meitei language (Manipuri language).^[6]