Meitei Culture/Mythology/Goddesses/Irai Leima



Goddess Irai Leima, also known as Erai Leima, Eerai Leima, Ireima, Ereima, Eereima, is a divine female personification of water and the water bodies. She is one of the noble princesses of the Celestial Realm. She is one of the favorite daughters of King Salailen, the Sky Father. She was sent down to earth to prosper the earthly realm with water, to make life possible, and to prosper human civilization as well. Obeying the divine orders of her Supreme Father, she and her sisters descended from the heavenly realm to the earthly realm. On her way, she had lots of adventures. She gave rise to numerous water bodies, starting from water catchment areas (or watersheds), streams and brooks, rivers and their tributaries, then lakes and ponds, then seas and oceans. The identities of numerous ancient deified ladies got merged with her cult and pantheon in Meitei society.