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Umang Lai (Meitei: /ū-mang lāi/) are deities in Sanamahism who are the local guardians of a neighborhood or particular area.[1] Umang Lais are worshipped only two times in a year.[2] They are the group of sacred groves preserved for the local forest deities (with the same title), worshipped by the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic groups, since ancient times in the Himalayan state of Manipur. The groves and the deities are worshipped and their pleasing ceremony is always celebrated every year through a music and dance festival called Lai Haraoba. There are 365 Umang Lais in the state, out of which 166 are identified in the valley regions of the state.[3][4][5]
- ^ Meitei, Sanjenbam Yaiphaba; Chaudhuri, Sarit K.; Arunkumar, M. C. (2020-11-25). The Cultural Heritage of Manipur. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-29637-2.
- ^ "Umanglai Haraoba Traditional Institution for Local Self Governance in Manipur By Thounaojam Ruhichand". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2023-08-06.
- ^ Khumbongmayum, Ashalata Devi; Khan, M. L.; Tripathi, R. S. (2004). "Sacred groves of Manipur – ideal centres for biodiversity conservation". Current Science. 87 (4): 430–433. JSTOR 24109169.
- ^ Devi Khumbongmayum, Ashalata; Khan, M. L.; Tripathi, R. S. (2005). "Sacred groves of Manipur, northeast India:biodiversity value, status and strategies for their conservation". Biodiversity and Conservation. 14 (7): 1541–1582. doi:10.1007/s10531-004-0530-5. S2CID 10336784.
- ^ "Sacred Groves in Manipur".