Sanamahism (Manipuri: ꯁꯅꯥꯃꯍꯤ ꯂꯥꯏꯅꯤꯡ, romanized: Sanamahi laining, transl: Sanamahi religion, lit. 'liquid gold religion'), also known as Meiteism (Manipuri: ꯃꯩꯇꯩ ꯂꯥꯢꯅꯤꯡ, romanized: Meitei laining), or Lainingthouism (Manipuri: ꯂꯥꯢꯅꯤꯡꯊꯧ ꯂꯥꯢꯅꯤꯡ) is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of the Meitei faith. Sanamahi is the eldest son of the supreme god Sidaba Mapu and the supreme goddess Leimarel Sidabi. Traditionally every Meitei household, irrespective of the religion, worships Sanamahi and Leimarel Sidabi. Sanamahism does not have a religious head but has a body, the Maru Loishang, that oversees the main religious activities and governs all affairs of the religion, including the conduct of priest and priestess. The Maru Loishang also acts as a court for religious disputes. There are three main departments under the Manu Loishang, namely, the Amaiba Loishang, the Pena Asheiba Loishang, and the Amaibi Loishang. These departments have existed since the reign of King Meidingu Hongnemyoi Khunjao Naothingkhong of Manipur in 662 CE.
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Sanamahism in the context of Classical element
The classical elements typically refer to earth, water, fire, air, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Angola, Tibet, India, and Mali had similar lists which sometimes referred, in local languages, to "air" as "wind", and to "aether" as "space".
These different cultures and even individual philosophers had widely varying explanations concerning their attributes and how they related to observable phenomena as well as cosmology. Sometimes these theories overlapped with mythology and were personified in deities. Some of these interpretations included atomism (the idea of very small, indivisible portions of matter), but other interpretations considered the elements to be divisible into infinitely small pieces without changing their nature.
Sanamahism in the context of Meitei culture
The culture of Meitei civilization evolved over thousands of years in what is now northeastern India and surrounding regions, beginning in Ancient Kangleipak, continuing most notably into Medieval Kangleipak, while influencing the neighboring states and kingdoms, till present times.
Sanamahism in the context of Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba (Meitei: ꯂꯥꯏ ꯍꯔꯥꯎꯕ, Old Manipuri: ꯂꯥꯏ ꯍꯂꯥꯎꯄ, lit. 'Merrymaking/Pleasing of the deities'), also known as Umang Lai Haraoba, is a classical, ritualistic, theatrical dance and music festival, annually celebrated by the Meitei people, to please the Umang Lai deities of the traditional Meitei religion (Sanamahism), predominantly in the Indian state of Manipur. It is a Meitei intangible cultural heritage.Outside Manipur, Lai Haraoba is also celebrated in places where the Meitei people live, such as Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Lai Haraoba (under the name "Meitei Lai Haraoba") is recognised as one of the state holidays by the government of Tripura.