View source for Khuman Pokpa

{{See also|Apokpa}}
{{Contains special characters}}
{{Infobox deity
| type         = Meitei
| name         = Khuman Pokpa
| deity_of     = [[Apokpa]] (Ancestor God) of the [[Khuman dynasty|Khuman clan]] <br /> God of the sunset and the night
| member_of    = [[Mangang Luwang Khuman]]  
| image        = KHUMAN POKPA.jpg
| alt          = <!-- for alternate text of the title image per [[WP:ALT]] -->
| caption      = "Khuman Pokpa", the name of the God, written in the archaic Meetei Mayek abugida 
| other_names  = 
* Khuman Apokpa
* Khuman Sidaba
* Khuman Sitapa
| hiro         = 
| Old_Norse    = 
| script_name  = 
| script       = 
| affiliation  = [[Meitei mythology]] ([[Manipuri mythology]]) and [[Meitei religion]] ([[Sanamahism]])
| cult_center  = [[Mayang Imphal]] ([[Khuman kingdom]]) 
| abode        = <!-- or | abodes = -->
| planet       = <!-- or | world = -->
| weapon       = <!-- or | weapons = -->
| battles      = 
| artifacts    = <!-- or | artefacts = -->
| animals      = 
| symbol       = <!-- or | symbols = -->
| adherents    =
| height       = 
| age          = 
| tree         =
| day          = 
| color        = [[Black]]
| number       = 
| consort      = Khuman Pokpi (alias Khuman Apokpi)
| father       = [[Pakhangba]]
| siblings     = Mangang Apokpa, Luwang Apokpa
| offspring    = <!-- or | children = -->
| predecessor  = [[Pakhangba]]
| successor    =
| army         =
| mount        = 
| texts        = [[PuYa]]s 
| gender       = Male
| Greek_equivalent     = [[Erebus]]
| Roman_equivalent     = [[Scotus]]
| Etruscan_equivalent  = 
| Christian_equivalent = 
| Slavic_equivalent    = 
| Hinduism_equivalent  = 
| Canaanite_equivalent =
| equivalent1_type = 
| equivalent1 =
| equivalent2_type = 
| equivalent2 =
| region       = [[Mayang Imphal]] ([[Khuman kingdom]]) 
| ethnic_group = [[Meitei ethnicity]]
| festivals    = [[Lai Haraoba]]
}}
{{Infobox Sanamahist term
| title    = Khuman Pokpa
| en       = Khuman Pokpa
| omp      = ꯈꯨꯃꯟ ꯑꯄꯣꯛꯄ
| omp-Latn = khoo-man a-pok-pa
| mni      = ꯈꯨꯃꯟ ꯄꯣꯛꯄ
| mni-Latn = khoo-man pok-pa
| as       = খুমন পোকপা / খুমন পোক্পা
| as-Latn  = khoo-man pok-pa
| bn       = খুমন পোকপা / খুমন পোক্পা
| bn-Latn  = khoo-man pok-pa
| my       = 
| my-Latn  = 
| hi       = खूमन पोकपा / खूमन पोक्पा
| hi-Latn  = khoo-man pok-pa 
}}
{{Meitei mythology}}
{{Sanamahism}}
'''Khuman Pokpa''' ({{lang-mni|ꯈꯨꯃꯟ ꯄꯣꯛꯄ}}) or '''Khuman Apokpa''' ({{lang-mni|ꯈꯨꯃꯟ ꯑꯄꯣꯛꯄ}}) is the [[Apokpa]] (Ancestor God) of the [[Khuman dynasty|Khuman clan]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wxkC9S2jYCkC&dq=khuman+pokpa&pg=PA1554|title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India|last=Prakash|first=Col Ved|date=2007|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-269-0706-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tIBymmBWqgsC&dq=khuman+pokpa&pg=PA49|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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tUYWbzjB1S4C&dq=khuman+pokpa&pg=PA327|title=Marriage and Worship in the Early Societies A Treatise on Totemism and Exogamy|last=Frazer|first=Sir James George|date=1986|publisher=Mittal Publications|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xcT9e883CAC&dq=khuman+pokpa&pg=PA327|title=Totemism and Exogamy, Vol. II (in Four Volumes)|last=Frazer|first=Sir James George|date=2013-01-01|publisher=Cosimo, Inc.|isbn=978-1-60520-979-1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.39851/page/n147/mode/2up?q=Khuman+Pokpa+Khumans|title=The Meitheis|last=Hodson|first=T. C.|date=1908|pages=147}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.507183/page/178/mode/2up?q=Khuman+Pokpa|title=Roy Jyotimoy.|date=1958|publisher=Firma K. L. Mukhopadhyay.|pages=178}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QwqBAAAAMAAJ&q=khuman+pokpa|title=Tribals and Their Culture in Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram|last=Ghosh|first=G. K.|date=1992|publisher=Ashish Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7024-455-4|language=en}}</ref> He is regarded as the founder of the [[Khuman dynasty]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.277313/page/n333/mode/2up?q=Khuman+Pokpa|title=Totemism and exogamy|last=J.G.Frazer|date=1910|pages=333}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zt3DN-g5WioC&q=khuman+pokpa|title=Totemism and Exogamy: A Treatise on Certain Early Forms of Superstition and Society|last=Frazer|first=Sir James George|date=1935|publisher=Macmillan and Company, Limited|language=en}}</ref> He is one of the three members of the Mangang Luwang Khuman in [[Meitei mythology]] and [[Meitei religion|religion]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FhUHEAAAQBAJ&q=Purol+ahum+Mangang+Luwang+Khuman+Chingoo+shidaba+ahum&pg=PA369|title=The Cultural Heritage of Manipur|last1=Meitei|first1=Sanjenbam Yaiphaba|last2=Chaudhuri|first2=Sarit K.|last3=Arunkumar|first3=M. C.|date=2020-11-25|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-000-29629-7|language=en}}</ref> He represents the time of the sunset and the night.<ref name="Singh 1991 75">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.461915/page/n75/mode/2up?q=Khuman+Pokpa+sun+set+night|title=A Critical Study Of The Religious Philosophy|last=Singh|first=L. Bhagyachandra|date=1991|pages=75}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name "Khuman Pokpa" is made up of two words, "Khuman" and "Pokpa". In [[Meitei language]] ([[Manipuri language]]), "Pokpa" means "to beget (be the father of) or to give birth to". The word "Apokpa" comes from "Pokpa". Apokpas are the dead male members of a family for the last three generations. They can be the father, grandfather, or great grandfather of any living person. They looked after the family in the past.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.108375/page/69/mode/2up?q=Khuman+Pokpa|title=Religion Of Manipur|last=Parratt|first=Saroj Nalini|date=1980|publisher=Firma Klm|pages=69}}</ref> So, "Khuman Pokpa" or "Khuman Apokpa" means "The one who gave birth to the Khumans".

== Description ==
[[Meitei people]] worship fire in the fireplace called ''Phunga Mei'' (lit. ''[[hearth]] fire'') at home. In the fireplace, people keep three stones kept. One stone is in the right west, another in the north east and another in the south east. This forms a triangle. These three stones represent the three great times of day. The northeastern stone represents the Mangang. The southeastern stone represents the Luwang. The western stone represents the Khuman. Here, Khuman represents the time of the sunset and the night. The remaining Mangang and Luwang represent the sunrise and the noon respectively. The Meiteis addressed the ''hearth fire'' (''phunga mei'') as ''"Meitreng Arabana Yoimayai Mahut Sinna Mei"''. The English translation of this [[Meitei language]] ([[Manipuri language]]) passage is ''"The burning fire in the hearth place substitutes the Sun"''. Thus, the Sun is worshipped in the Meetei Phunga.<ref name="Singh 1991 75"/>

== Cults and pantheons ==
Among many, one of the most important pantheons of God Khuman Pokpa is in [[Mayang Imphal]]. [[Mayang Imphal]] is the ancient capital of the kingdom of the [[Khuman Salai]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qs4BAAAAMAAJ&q=khuman+pokpa|title=Manipur and the Mainstream|last=Singh|first=N. Tombi|date=1975|publisher=Chitrebirentombichand Khorjeirup|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ikluAAAAMAAJ&q=khuman+pokpa|title=A Socio Economic History of South Assam|last=Chatterjee|first=Suhas|date=2000|publisher=Printwell Publishers Distributors|isbn=978-81-7044-518-0|language=en}}</ref>

== Worship ==
In ancient times, God Khuman Pokpa was worshipped for good health and prosperity. According to the beliefs of the fishermen of the Karang Island, diseases with unexplainable causes are caused by gods and goddesses. According to their beliefs, the danger of natural calamities, epidemics, diseases and other miseries are all due to the getting angry of gods and goddesses. The reasons for their anger are usually because of not performing rites and rituals.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zmxK-f7EA6kC&dq=khuman+pokpa&pg=PA143|title=Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Development|last=Chaudhury|first=Sukant Kumar|date=2006-01-01|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-8324-132-8|language=en}}</ref>

== Festival ==
The religious festival of [[Lai Haraoba]] is celebrated in honor of God Khuman Pokpa in the Karang Islands. The celebration lasts for ten consecutive days during the month of September. In modern days, the celebration draws attention to a large number of tourists.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GP9_AAAAMAAJ&q=khuman+pokpa|title=Manipur, a Tourist Paradise|last=Singh|first=E. Ishwarjit|date=2005|publisher=B.R. Publishing Corporation|isbn=978-81-7646-506-9|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* An ethnographical survey of totemism (cont.) - Page 327 - Sir James George Frazer · 1910
* History of Manipur - Page 174 - Jyotirmoy Roy · 1973
* Khamba and Thoibi: The Unscaled Height of Love - Page 189 - N. Tombi Singh · 1976
* Manipur: Law, customs, hill-men, language and religion - Page 673 - Naorem Sanajaoba · 2003
* Out of Isolation: Exploring a Forgotten World, Uncovering a Culture in Conflict - Page 492 - Frans Welman · 2007
* Proceedings of North East India History Association - Page 115 - North East India History Association. Session · 1983
* The Meitheis - Page 99 - Thomas Callan Hodson · 1908

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
{{Wiktionary|Khuman Pokpa}}
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=Khuman+Pokpa&sin=TXT&page=1 INTERNET ARCHIVE, Khuman Pokpa]
{{Sanamahi1}}
[[Category:Abundance deities]]
[[Category:Abundance gods]]
[[Category:Creator deities]]
[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Domestic and hearth deities]]
[[Category:Domestic and hearth gods]] 
[[Category:Fertility deities]]
[[Category:Fertility gods]]
[[Category:Fire deities]]
[[Category:Fire gods]]
[[Category:Fortune deities]]
[[Category:Fortune gods]]
[[Category:Health deities]]
[[Category:Health gods]]
[[Category:Life-death-rebirth deities]]
[[Category:Life-death-rebirth gods]]
[[Category:Magic deities]]
[[Category:Magic gods]]
[[Category:Maintenance deities]]
[[Category:Maintenance gods]]
[[Category:Meitei gods and goddesses]]
[[Category:Names of God in Sanamahism]]
[[Category:Nature deities]]
[[Category:Nature gods]]
[[Category:Night deities]]
[[Category:Night gods]]
[[Category:Peace deities]]
[[Category:Peace gods]]
[[Category:Savior deities]]
[[Category:Savior gods]]
[[Category:Sleep deities]]
[[Category:Sleep gods]]
[[Category:Time and fate deities]]
[[Category:Time and fate gods]]
[[Category:Tutelary deities]]
[[Category:Tutelary gods]]