Narrated by Tayenjam Bijoykumar Singh
Konthoujam, a very picturesque place, lies in the west of Imphal. Once there live a very pious couple, Konthoujamba and Konthoujambi. They were well off in every respect except that they had no child. It became their greatest worry. They consulted shamans and availed of their advice but it was of no use. They delved deeper into the matter and prayed to Salairen Shidaba Mapu, the immortal supreme progenitor, Lord of the sky, to fulfil their wish. He heard their heartfelt prayer and instructed Imoinu, the goddess of prosperity, one of the manifestations of Leimaren Shidabi, the Great Immortal Female Divinity, to help them with the hope of continuing the cycle of life in which he too could take part.
Imoinu implanted herself into the body of Konthoujambi. In due course, a baby girl was born to the couple, Konthoujamba and Konthoujambi. On getting a child of their own, their joy knew no bounds. They named their precious child Tampha, meaning jewel and brought her up with extreme care and love. When she came of age she was known for her beauty and gentle manners. She would never sit idle for a single moment though she could easily pass her days in comfort without doing anything as her parents were well off. She would go to forests, lakes, open grounds and meadows to gather fire-wood, catch fish and collect wild edible plants.
Salairen Shidaba Mapu thought it was high time he performed his part in the play. One day while Tampha was out in an open field collecting wild edible plants with her friends, the sky suddenly darkened and strong wind started blowing with loud howling sound. Right in front of her terrified friends a whirlwind lifted her up. Before her stunned friends could do anything she was carried away and soon vanished from their sight. The wind took her to the abode of Salairen Shidaba Mapu. He was waiting to receive and welcome her.
Tampha did not pay any attention to his hospitality. Separation from her parents and friends totally engrossed her and made her very unhappy. Salairen Shidaba Mapu tried to console her saying, he had brought her up so that she could reside in heaven and rule both heaven and earth as his companion. But she would not listen to him. She was sulking over the departure from her native place. To lessen her worry he promised her, he would see to that her people never suffered the loss of their near and dear ones, and no calamity visited her parental land.
Meanwhile, her friends ran and related the astonishing incident to her parents. They wailed and cried their hearts out at the loss of their daughter, their only child. Salairen Shidaba Mapu heard their pensive cry in anguish and appeared before them. He tried to comfort them saying Tampha was safe with him. She was destined to rule both heaven and earth. But, his words could not lessen their agony. At last he was able to pacify them when he said that they had never to worry about the death of any person in their land. He would also see to that no catastrophic incident ever visited their land. Tampha’s friends were relieved to hear his words and left one after another. In the course of time she had become a faint memory in their minds.
Tampha spent her time remembering her parents and friends left behind in her native place. A year had passed thus and a son was born to her. She and Salairen Shidaba Mapu named their son Khoriphaba. For some time her son kept her mind occupied. However, she could not completely forget her people.
Back home, her people were happy as deaths and natural calamities never visited their land after her departure. Nevertheless her parents were restless to see their daughter. Their eagerness to see her increased with the passing of each day. They devised a plan to call her back and requested others to help them. Everyone readily agreed to help them.
To put the plan into action all the able bodied men went on a hunting expedition accompanied by hunting dogs. They went far and wide, covering the whole of Thangjing hill range but they could neither catch nor kill a single animal. Tired from walking in forests in difficult terrain, the men rested under the shade of a tree. While they were resting, one of the dogs wandered away. It went to a deep gorge. There an enormous python was basking in sun. On seeing the python the dog started barking. The python was angry at the dog for disturbing its rest. It killed the dog and slithered away. Suspicious at not hearing the dog’s bark, the men got up and started searching for it. They found the dead dog and carried it home.
They lit a funeral pyre and placed the dead dog on it. Smoke rose up skywards. Up in the sky, Tampha saw the smoke rising from her homeland. She became worried that someone might have died in spite of Salairen Shidaba Mapu’s promise. She went to him to inquire about the cause. He said it was only a dead dog being cremated. Still, she insisted that she wanted to go and meet her parents. Her persuasion bore fruit at last. Reluctantly, Salairen Shidaba Mapu gave his consent to allow her to meet her parents on the condition she left after Khoriphaba had gone to sleep. She should come back before he got up.
He placed a ladder made of gold for her to climb down. With the help of it she got down at the top of Thangjing hill. From there she went to Konthoujam, her parental land. He friends saw her coming down on the gold ladder and informed her parents. All of them came out to receive her. Her mother offered her the choicest fruits for her to eat and the choicest flowers to adorn her ears.
After a while Tampha got up ready to go back saying that she had to return before her son Khoriphaba woke up. Her mother caught hold of her wrist saying how could she leave without taking at least a morsel of food and mouthful of home brew. Tampha told her mother of the condition that since she was married to a divinity she would not be able to eat food cooked by mortals and drink brew prepared by them. If she did she would be ex-communicated by the divinities. Her mother informed her that she had made arrangements so that no one would be able to see her eating.
Knowing fully well Tampha would refuse to take human food openly, her mother had already constructed a shade with seven layers of false ceiling, enclosed by seven layers of drapery. Inside she spread out delicious preparations for Tampha to eat. Home brew was also kept ready in a gourd bottle for her to drink. Holding her daughter’s wrist, she dragged her to the shed.
Poor Tampha could not help but eat what her mother had so lovingly prepared. She sat down and lifted her hand to eat. Before she could put the food in her mouth, she heard Salairen Shidaba Mapu’s voice saying since she had chosen to eat human food she could not come back to his abode. He spat and a blob of spit landed on her hand. He then lifted up the gold ladder. Now she would not be able to return husband’s house. Nor would she be able to stay at her parental house since she was a married woman. She chose to stay at segregated place at the outskirts of Konthoujam village. She passed her days thinking about her son.
Meanwhile, Khoriphaba woke up and started looking for his mother. Not finding her anywhere, he started crying. No one could console him and make him stop crying. He continued to cry for three days and nights. Salairen Shidaba Mapu was worried his son was sure to die if he cried any longer. He requested Leimaren Shidabi for help. She changed herself into an exact copy of Tampha and went to pacify Khoriphaba. He stopped crying the moment he saw her.
Taking the role of a real mother, Leimaren Shidabi brought up Khoriphaba. After twelve years, she revealed the truth to Khoriphaba one day. She was not her real mother. Tampha, his real mother resided at Konthoujam. Leimaren Shidabi bade farewell saying that since he was no longer a child she would leave to perform her destined duty of looking after of all the living beings and supervising their well-being.
Khoriphaba became restless to meet his real mother. He requested his father to allow him to go to Konthoujam and meet his mother. His father let him go after extracting a promise from him that he would meet her and return before daybreak. If he failed he would never meet her. His father placed a gold ladder for him to climb down. Before his departure his father gave him a Kanjei to protect himself.
Khoriphaba climbed down to the top of Thangjing hill. There Ayang Ningthou ambushed him and tried to kill him with a nine headed long. With the help of his father’s Kanjei Khoriphaba finished him off and went on his journey to Konthoujam. During the journey he had to cross a river. A kind fisherwoman ferried him across the river and showed him the direction to Konthoujam. When he reached Nambol, he climbed up the Phoijing hill to look for the path leading to Konthoujam. Alas, when he reached the top of the hill, first rays of the morning sun streaked across the sky. Now, he could neither meet his mother nor go back to his father. He stood dumbfounded. Helpless Khoriphaba sat down and wailed.
Every night when all the living beings had gone to sleep and tranquillity prevailed everywhere, Tampha could hear Khoriphaba’s wail feebly in the distance. She could not recognize the voice as she had neither met nor heard his son’s voice for twelve years. However, the wail seemed to strike a strange note in her mind. On inquiry she learnt that it was her son Khoriphba wailing. The mother’s heart in her was eager to meet her long lost son. But, she learnt of the promised he had made to his father – he would never meet her again if he failed to do so during the stipulated time. Nevertheless, she made it a point to send him food. She thought that if he recognised her as his real mother he would accept the food. She was relieved when he accepted the food. The mother and son stayed at their respective places never meeting each other.
A temple dedicated to Tampha now stands at Konthoujam surrounded lust growth of threes. Another temple dedicated to Khoriphaba also stands on the top of Phoijing hill at Nambol.
Konthoujam, a very picturesque place, lies in the west of Imphal. Once there live a very pious couple, Konthoujamba and Konthoujambi. They were well off in every respect except that they had no child. It became their greatest worry. They consulted shamans and availed of their advice but it was of no use. They delved deeper into the matter and prayed to Salairen Shidaba Mapu, the immortal supreme progenitor, Lord of the sky, to fulfil their wish. He heard their heartfelt prayer and instructed Imoinu, the goddess of prosperity, one of the manifestations of Leimaren Shidabi, the Great Immortal Female Divinity, to help them with the hope of continuing the cycle of life in which he too could take part.
Imoinu implanted herself into the body of Konthoujambi. In due course, a baby girl was born to the couple, Konthoujamba and Konthoujambi. On getting a child of their own, their joy knew no bounds. They named their precious child Tampha, meaning jewel and brought her up with extreme care and love. When she came of age she was known for her beauty and gentle manners. She would never sit idle for a single moment though she could easily pass her days in comfort without doing anything as her parents were well off. She would go to forests, lakes, open grounds and meadows to gather fire-wood, catch fish and collect wild edible plants.
Salairen Shidaba Mapu thought it was high time he performed his part in the play. One day while Tampha was out in an open field collecting wild edible plants with her friends, the sky suddenly darkened and strong wind started blowing with loud howling sound. Right in front of her terrified friends a whirlwind lifted her up. Before her stunned friends could do anything she was carried away and soon vanished from their sight. The wind took her to the abode of Salairen Shidaba Mapu. He was waiting to receive and welcome her.
Tampha did not pay any attention to his hospitality. Separation from her parents and friends totally engrossed her and made her very unhappy. Salairen Shidaba Mapu tried to console her saying, he had brought her up so that she could reside in heaven and rule both heaven and earth as his companion. But she would not listen to him. She was sulking over the departure from her native place. To lessen her worry he promised her, he would see to that her people never suffered the loss of their near and dear ones, and no calamity visited her parental land.
Meanwhile, her friends ran and related the astonishing incident to her parents. They wailed and cried their hearts out at the loss of their daughter, their only child. Salairen Shidaba Mapu heard their pensive cry in anguish and appeared before them. He tried to comfort them saying Tampha was safe with him. She was destined to rule both heaven and earth. But, his words could not lessen their agony. At last he was able to pacify them when he said that they had never to worry about the death of any person in their land. He would also see to that no catastrophic incident ever visited their land. Tampha’s friends were relieved to hear his words and left one after another. In the course of time she had become a faint memory in their minds.
Tampha spent her time remembering her parents and friends left behind in her native place. A year had passed thus and a son was born to her. She and Salairen Shidaba Mapu named their son Khoriphaba. For some time her son kept her mind occupied. However, she could not completely forget her people.
Back home, her people were happy as deaths and natural calamities never visited their land after her departure. Nevertheless her parents were restless to see their daughter. Their eagerness to see her increased with the passing of each day. They devised a plan to call her back and requested others to help them. Everyone readily agreed to help them.
To put the plan into action all the able bodied men went on a hunting expedition accompanied by hunting dogs. They went far and wide, covering the whole of Thangjing hill range but they could neither catch nor kill a single animal. Tired from walking in forests in difficult terrain, the men rested under the shade of a tree. While they were resting, one of the dogs wandered away. It went to a deep gorge. There an enormous python was basking in sun. On seeing the python the dog started barking. The python was angry at the dog for disturbing its rest. It killed the dog and slithered away. Suspicious at not hearing the dog’s bark, the men got up and started searching for it. They found the dead dog and carried it home.
They lit a funeral pyre and placed the dead dog on it. Smoke rose up skywards. Up in the sky, Tampha saw the smoke rising from her homeland. She became worried that someone might have died in spite of Salairen Shidaba Mapu’s promise. She went to him to inquire about the cause. He said it was only a dead dog being cremated. Still, she insisted that she wanted to go and meet her parents. Her persuasion bore fruit at last. Reluctantly, Salairen Shidaba Mapu gave his consent to allow her to meet her parents on the condition she left after Khoriphaba had gone to sleep. She should come back before he got up.
He placed a ladder made of gold for her to climb down. With the help of it she got down at the top of Thangjing hill. From there she went to Konthoujam, her parental land. He friends saw her coming down on the gold ladder and informed her parents. All of them came out to receive her. Her mother offered her the choicest fruits for her to eat and the choicest flowers to adorn her ears.
After a while Tampha got up ready to go back saying that she had to return before her son Khoriphaba woke up. Her mother caught hold of her wrist saying how could she leave without taking at least a morsel of food and mouthful of home brew. Tampha told her mother of the condition that since she was married to a divinity she would not be able to eat food cooked by mortals and drink brew prepared by them. If she did she would be ex-communicated by the divinities. Her mother informed her that she had made arrangements so that no one would be able to see her eating.
Knowing fully well Tampha would refuse to take human food openly, her mother had already constructed a shade with seven layers of false ceiling, enclosed by seven layers of drapery. Inside she spread out delicious preparations for Tampha to eat. Home brew was also kept ready in a gourd bottle for her to drink. Holding her daughter’s wrist, she dragged her to the shed.
Poor Tampha could not help but eat what her mother had so lovingly prepared. She sat down and lifted her hand to eat. Before she could put the food in her mouth, she heard Salairen Shidaba Mapu’s voice saying since she had chosen to eat human food she could not come back to his abode. He spat and a blob of spit landed on her hand. He then lifted up the gold ladder. Now she would not be able to return husband’s house. Nor would she be able to stay at her parental house since she was a married woman. She chose to stay at segregated place at the outskirts of Konthoujam village. She passed her days thinking about her son.
Meanwhile, Khoriphaba woke up and started looking for his mother. Not finding her anywhere, he started crying. No one could console him and make him stop crying. He continued to cry for three days and nights. Salairen Shidaba Mapu was worried his son was sure to die if he cried any longer. He requested Leimaren Shidabi for help. She changed herself into an exact copy of Tampha and went to pacify Khoriphaba. He stopped crying the moment he saw her.
Taking the role of a real mother, Leimaren Shidabi brought up Khoriphaba. After twelve years, she revealed the truth to Khoriphaba one day. She was not her real mother. Tampha, his real mother resided at Konthoujam. Leimaren Shidabi bade farewell saying that since he was no longer a child she would leave to perform her destined duty of looking after of all the living beings and supervising their well-being.
Khoriphaba became restless to meet his real mother. He requested his father to allow him to go to Konthoujam and meet his mother. His father let him go after extracting a promise from him that he would meet her and return before daybreak. If he failed he would never meet her. His father placed a gold ladder for him to climb down. Before his departure his father gave him a Kanjei to protect himself.
Khoriphaba climbed down to the top of Thangjing hill. There Ayang Ningthou ambushed him and tried to kill him with a nine headed long. With the help of his father’s Kanjei Khoriphaba finished him off and went on his journey to Konthoujam. During the journey he had to cross a river. A kind fisherwoman ferried him across the river and showed him the direction to Konthoujam. When he reached Nambol, he climbed up the Phoijing hill to look for the path leading to Konthoujam. Alas, when he reached the top of the hill, first rays of the morning sun streaked across the sky. Now, he could neither meet his mother nor go back to his father. He stood dumbfounded. Helpless Khoriphaba sat down and wailed.
Every night when all the living beings had gone to sleep and tranquillity prevailed everywhere, Tampha could hear Khoriphaba’s wail feebly in the distance. She could not recognize the voice as she had neither met nor heard his son’s voice for twelve years. However, the wail seemed to strike a strange note in her mind. On inquiry she learnt that it was her son Khoriphba wailing. The mother’s heart in her was eager to meet her long lost son. But, she learnt of the promised he had made to his father – he would never meet her again if he failed to do so during the stipulated time. Nevertheless, she made it a point to send him food. She thought that if he recognised her as his real mother he would accept the food. She was relieved when he accepted the food. The mother and son stayed at their respective places never meeting each other.
A temple dedicated to Tampha now stands at Konthoujam surrounded lust growth of threes. Another temple dedicated to Khoriphaba also stands on the top of Phoijing hill at Nambol.
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