Hinduism in Manipur

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Traditional Meitei Hindu bridal costumes, including "Potlois" (traditional cylindrical skirts) and others, adorned by Meitei actresses, Bala Hijam (left/behind), Kamala Saikhom (middle) and Soma Laishram (right/front)

Manipuris), who are the predominant ethnic group of Manipur.[2]
Whilst the proportion of Manipur's population that practices Hinduism is roughly 41%, in the Manipur valley region Hindus constitute as much as 67-74% of the population.[3] Between the 1961 and 2011 censuses of India, the share of Hindus in the state declined from 62% to 41%, while the share of Christians rose from 19% to 41%.[4]

History

A copper plate excavated from Phayeng dating back to AD 763 (reign of King Khongtekcha) was found to contain inscriptions about the Hindu deities in Sanskrit words.[5] During the 13th century, King Meidingu Khumomba constructed a Lord Hanuman temple.[6] There is no contemporary historical evidence or primary source that mentions Pamheiba burning ancient written records of Manipur.[7] In 1704, King Charairongba accepted Vaishnavism and changed his name to Pitambar Singh.[unreliable source?][8] However, the first Hindu temples were constructed much earlier. The Vishnu temple at Lamangdong was constructed in AD 1474 (during the reign of King Kiyamba), by Brahmins from the Shan State. As per the legends, the temple was constructed to house the Vishnu emblem given to King Kiyamba by King Khekhomba of Shan. Phurailatpam Shubhi Narayan was the first Brahmin priest of this temple.[9]

Historical Legend

The

Svayam bhagavan. He practiced this religion for nearly twenty years. Preachers and pilgrims used to arrive in large numbers and cultural contact with Assam was maintained.[10] It is believed that the wave of devotion that turned the entire kingdom Krishna conscious took place during the reign of Gareeb Nivaz's grandson Bhagyachandra
.

The Manipuri Vaishnavas do not worship Krishna alone, but

Radha-Krishna.[11] With the spread of Vaishnavism the worship of Krishna and Radha became the dominant form in the Manipur region.[12]

Demographics

Hinduism is practiced by 41.39% population of the Manipur according to 2011 census of India. It is in plurality with Christianity (41.29%). Hindus are mostly

Manipuris), who are concentrated in the Imphal Valley and other plain districts of Manipur
.

District-wise population

According to census of 2011, six districts of Manipur which are

Imphal West (89.68%) have Hindu majority. Kangpokpi district (17.68%) and Senapati district (9.15%). Other Christian dominated districts have small Hindu populations (3-6%).[citation needed
]

Hindu communities in Manipur

Decrease in percentage of Hindus

A decrease in the 1991–2001 period is observed in Manipur, from 57% to 52% population share, where there has been a slight resurgence of the indigenous Sanamahi religion to 8.19%.[17] The Hindu population share in Manipur decreased further in 2001–2011, from 52% to 41.4%. Migration of Christians from neighboring states and well as high rates of conversions[18][19] are considered as the reasons for this decrease in Hindu population.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Meitei Laining Hindu Lainingi Changdam Padam". bharatavani.in. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  2. ^ "Meitei | people | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  3. ^ Gurumayum, Maheshwar. "Redefining Manipuri Hindu - Imphal Times". www.imphaltimes.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  4. ^ https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/christian-population-on-the-rise-in-arunachal-pradesh-manipur/story-8Go2uITu2BLFJ547MPwohM.html
  5. ^ http://14.139.13.47:8080/jspui/bitstream/10603/249207/6/06_chapter-ii.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  6. .
  7. ^ puya, proof. "puya proof by National archive India" (PDF).
  8. ^ https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/93320/11/11_chapter%204.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  9. ^ "The Vaishnava Temples of Manipur: An Historical Study".
  10. .
  11. ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature - p. 4290, Amaresh Datta, Mohan Lal, 1994
  12. ^ Shanti Swarup (1968). 5000 Years of Arts and Crafts in India and Pakistan. New Delhi: D. B. Taraporevala. pp. 183, 272.
  13. ^ "The Meitei Culture And Religion Of Manipur". themanipurpage.tripod.com. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  14. ^ "Krishna Radha Jarma". www.e-pao.net. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  15. ^ "The Vaishnava Temples of Manipur: An Historical Study". Sahapedia. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  16. ^ "Manipur | Krishna.com". www.krishna.com. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
  17. ^ "Minority religion status sought".
  18. ^ "Christian population on the rise in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur". City: New Delhi. Hindustan Times. TNN. 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Origin of Manipur Violence & Christian Conversions".