Meitei Culture/Mythology/Goddesses/Thongak Leima



Goddess Thongak Leima, also known as Thongak Lairembi, is a gatekeeper of the entrance door to reach the land of death of the underworld kingdom, ruled by her husband Thongalen. She is predominantly worshipped in the Langgol Hills (also spelled as Langol Hills) in the outskirts of Imphal city since ancient times by the Meitei people, due to which she is also known as Langgol Lairembi, literally meaning Langgol Goddess, or Langgol Leima, literally meaning Langgol Queen. She controls entry and exit to and from the land of death and the land of living. Even if any superior God orders for the departure or arrival of anyone to and from the netherworld and the earthly human world, she has the authoritative powers to open or close the gate for or against them. For this reason, in early times, ancient Meitei people used to worship her to give long life, to close the door of death for them, to close the door of bad health for them.