Loyalakpa
{{Short description|God in Meitei mythology}}
{{Contains special characters|Meitei}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Meitei
| name = Loyalakpa
| deity_of = Guardian God of the Western Direction
| member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Lam Lais
| image = Stamp of India - 2014 - Colnect 510569 - Sagol Kangjei.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = God Loyalakpa is one of the 14 players of polo (Sagol Kangjei) in Meitei mythology
| other_names = Tollomkhomba
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| affiliation = Sanamahism)
| cult_center = Phayeng and Sekmai
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| animals = Meitei horse
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| consort = Thoudu Nungthel Leima
| mother = Kounu or Humu Leima
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| mount = Manipuri pony
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| gender = Male
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| region = Manipur
| ethnic_group = Meitei ethnicity
| festivals = Lai Haraoba
}}
{{Meitei mythology}}
{{Sanamahism}}
Loyalakpa {{Manipuri|ꯂꯣꯌꯥꯔꯥꯛꯄ}} is a God in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is best known for wrestling with Khoriphaba during the Lai Haraoba festival.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jtuAAAAMAAJ&q=loyarakpa|title=Traditional Customs and Rituals of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, meghalaya, Manipur, Assam|date=2002|publisher=Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture|language=en}} He is the consort of goddess Thoudu Nungthel Leima.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tIBymmBWqgsC&q=loyarakpa+his+wife+Thoudu+Nungthel+Leima&pg=PA54|title=The Lois of Manipur: Andro, Khurkhul, Phayeng and Sekmai|last=Devi|first=Lairenlakpam Bino|date=2002|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-849-5|language=en}} He is one of the ten kingly gods (or ten divine kings) in Meitei religion.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/meitheis00hodsgoog/page/n154/mode/2up?q=Loyarakpa+ten+kings+gods|title=The Meitheis by Thomas Callan Hodson|via=archive.org|year=1908|pages=154|publisher=D. Nutt}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJlJAAAAMAAJ&q=loyarakpa|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=Thomas Callan|date=1908|publisher=D. Nutt|isbn=978-81-7536-149-2|language=en}}
Description
Among the deities, Loyalakpa and Khoriphaba are the best wrestlers.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q5eBAAAAMAAJ&q=epithets+best+wrestler+engrafted+Khoriphaba+Loyalakpa|title=Folk Culture of Manipur|last=Singh|first=Moirangthem Kirti|date=1993|publisher=Manas Publications|isbn=978-81-7049-063-0|language=en}} The two powerful gods wrestled during the Lai Haraoba festival.
Mythology
When the divine polo match was played among the gods, Loyalakpa participated in the southern team. His team was led by God Thangjing while his opponent's team (northern team) was led by God Marjing.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XxovEAAAQBAJ&dq=loyalakpa&pg=PT102|title=And That Is Why... Manipuri Myths Retold|last=Roy|first=L. Somi|date=2021-06-21|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|isbn=978-93-91149-65-9|language=en}}
Cults and shrines
The main deities assembled in the Lai Haraoba of the Phayeng are almost similar to those of the Sekmai. God Loyalakpa is one of these deities.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tIBymmBWqgsC&dq=loyalakpa+lai+Haraoba+phayeng+Sekmai&pg=PA54|title=The Lois of Manipur: Andro, Khurkhul, Phayeng and Sekmai|last=Devi|first=Lairenlakpam Bino|date=2002|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-849-5|language=en}}
God Loyalakpa and other deities including Panam Ningthou, Pureiromba and Koubru hold the special position of the Chakpa Haraoba (one of the 4 types of Lai Haraoba festival).{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f-TzDwAAQBAJ&q=Panam+Ningthou%2C+Pureiromba%2C+Koubru+and+Loyarakpa+for+Chakpa+Haraoba+ritual+observances+four+types+Lai+Haraoba&pg=PT308|title=Himalayan Bridge|last1=Kumar|first1=Niraj|last2=Driem|first2=George van|last3=Stobdan|first3=Phunchok|date=2020-11-18|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-21551-9|language=en}}
Namesakes
= Mountain peak =
Loyalakpa is one of the four sacred mountain peaks of the Meitei people. The others are Koubru, Kounu and Thangjing. These names of the peaks are named after the respective presiding gods.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbu_AwAAQBAJ&q=From+North+to+South%2C+Koubru%2C+Kounu%2C+Loyalakpa%2C+Thangjing+are+four+peaks.+These+four+peaks+are+places+of+worship+of+the+Meitei+race+and+the+names+of+the+peaks+are+given+by+the+names+of+the+gods+whom+the+Meeteis+worship+at+the+peaks.&pg=PA11|title=The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Visious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India|last=Singh|first=Dr Th Suresh|date=2014-06-02|publisher=Quills Ink Publishing|isbn=978-93-84318-00-0|language=en}}
Related pages
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons-inline}}
{{Wiktionary|Loyalakpa}}
{{authority control}}
{{Sanamahi1}}
Category:Guardians of the directions (Meitei)