Nirupan of Shri Gopinath & Nityaynanda Prabhu

Dr. Ch. Jamini Devi *

The Nirupan of Shri Gopinath

The nirupan of Shri Gopinath came after the nirupan of Shri Govinda and Shri Bijoy Govinda. Karta Maharaj ordered his craftsmen to cut portions of the tree trunk that could be used to sculpt idols.

Accordingly portions were measured and cut. The portion close to the root was considered unusable as it went into flames when it was first struck with hammer and chisel. The remaining stumps were successively used to make other idols. One of these pieces was used to make the idol of Shri Gopinath. Karta Maharaj's son Crown Prince Puraraj took Shri Gopinath under his care.

This prince was the sone of Yangambam Chanu Keshari. He was born around the time Karta Maharaj returned from Tekhao with an army of mountain-dwellers, and invaded Manipur in c. 1772. Karta Maharaj dressed himself in hill garbs, took up spears in hand, and crossed the mountain ranges to reach the Imphal valley.

On his journey crossing the nine ranges of mountains, he met with the chiefs of the villages he came across. He tried to assess the situation of the land by talking to the women of the market. He reached Ningthoukhong, and looked for his royal followers- Khumbong Chandramani and his younger brother Nandalal in an attempt to take refuge in their home. When he was unable to locate them, Karta spent five days under the garb of a hill tribe traveler, in the house of a woman named Keshori who was raised by an old widow.

Pleased at the care given to him by Keshori, Karta revealed his true identity to her, and took her as his queen. Out of the union came a male child. He was Puraraj also named Kalaraj. He was also called Ibungshi Yubaraj.

Shri Gopinathji was given to Puraraj and his mother Yanglambam Chanu at request. Shri Gopinathji presently at Ningthoukhong was previously worshipped at Konung Leikai, Kwasiphai. The Konung Pukhri (the pond in the palace ground) is still in existence today.

The Nirupan of Shri Nityaynanda Prabhu

In shakabda 1716 (c. 1794), at the time of Thokchom Kaiba, on Thursday, full moon day of Lamta, the nirupan of Nityaynanda Prabhu was performed. This idol was made out of the fourth stump of the Theibong tree. It took ten months for it to be completed. In sakabda 1717 (c. 1795), at the time of Lairenjam Gangaram, on Sunday, the 13th day of Wakching, the idol was installed at Shri Govinda temple alongside Shri Govinda.

Later on in sakabda 1719 (c. 1797), Karta Maharaj's daughter Premabati, married to Arambam Tamradhaja Menjor, requested her father to be granted the seva of Shri Nityaynanda. In the compound of Arambam Menjor's household, a temple was dedicated along with land and fields, and the care of Nityaynanda was given to the Arambam family. The Arambam clan is still in the service of Prabhu today.

The Cheng-Hongba of Nityaynanda Prabhu

For the Cheng-Hongba ceremony of Shri Nityaynanda Prabhu, Karta Maharaj consulted with scholars and came up with ritual services that were a combination of elements from the Vaisnav religion and Sanamahi worship. This bringing together (synthesis) of two cultures was Rajarshi Bhagyachandra's contribution to this land.

The ceremony is performed in the following manner. The Brahmin Pandit chants mantra and raises Vishnu from the sacred pond. Vishnu, riding atop a horse, is escorted by officials and attendants from Shri Govinda temple, carrying Chong-Shepkin, swords and shields. The palas sing Sankirtan and go around the temple in parikarma. It is then followed by aarti.

The people gathered there pour rice in front of the deities. As to how this pouring of rice celebration came about, Shri Rajkumar Sanahal Singh Guneswar, in his Manipur Govinda Nirupan, has stated that Sanamahi appeared in Karta Maharaj's dream one day and said: "Worship an idol of me. Do not forget to offer (pour) rice to me each year".

After the Nirupan of Nityaynanda Prabhu out of the , as per instructions received in his dream, Karta Maharaj collected "Bija Bramha" from a latakuti leaf found at Kangpokpi (the present day location of the Municipal office), and with Bija Mantra cast into the navel, the idol was brought into the existence. The cheng-hongba/cheng-heiba ceremony has also been in existence since then at Nityaynanda Prabhu.

A temple was erected in the compound of Arambam Tamradhaja Menjor, and the land and fields were allocated to his family. Thus the service of Nityaynanda Prabhu was assigned to the Arambam family. From then on, Nityaynanda came to be known as Arambam Nityaynanda.

Nityaynanda Prabhu was initially installed at the location which is currently the Municipality office. This area was known as Arambam Leikai. In c. 1891, after the Khongjom War on April 27, Manipur came under the British rule. Pandit Khelchandra is of the opinion that when the British cleared the area around Kangla in 1892 (to develop a British reserve), Nityaynanda Prabhu was moved to the present location.

Earlier, during the war with Awa, at the time of the Chahi Taret Khuntakpa, several idols of deities, being worshipped in Manipur at the time, were sneaked outside of Manipur. However, the Arambam Nityaynanda was kept hidden under water in the Kangla Thang-gapat. After returning from war, the idol was retrieved from under water. Till today, the place is known as Nityaypat Chuthek (Manipur Devalaya Grantha).

(Extracted from the book 'Cultural History of Manipur' by Dr. Ch. Jamini Devi)