A review of 'Rain Stopping in Manipur' by J Shakespear

Dr Konjengbam Nabachandra Singh *

On the 9th April, 2025 fortunately, I shared an article, "Rain stopping In Manipur" by J Shakespear in the Folk-Lore Journal —A Quarterly review on Myth, Tradition, Institution & Custom, Vol. XXII —1911 (London) with Shri Hemam Boyai Singh, a Moirang denizen who happened to visit Herbert School, Imphal of which I am the Founder Principal.

I was amazed and delighted at the same time, to see that a Britisher, Mr J Shakespear so nicely portrayed the procedure and the mantras used by Konjengbam Narain (Narayan) Singh in the village of Moirang in the year 1917. Shri Singh is said to have claimed that the power of rain stopping had been hereditary in the family for many generations.

In the article, the procedure followed and the mantras cited by Shri Narain Singh to stop rain may be summarized as follows :

A piece of white cloth of length one lam (ie the distance between the tips of fingers of horizontally stretched out hands) is folded up to form the seat of the Lai (Sanamahi God). In front of it are placed two circular pieces of plantain leaf, on one of which is pan leaf and some betel nut pieces and on the other some fruits. Besides these, a small lamp is lit.

The rain stopper, standing in front of the offerings prays to the Lai citing the charms at intervals — "Sibalinga Sri Swar Sanamahi, Sibalinga Sri Swar Thangjing, Maikei Ngakpa Bishnu He ! Narayan."

With this charm he can prevent raining. Should Sanamahi prove unwilling or unable to stop the rain, the rain stopper had to take recourse to worship of Sorarel, the God of the Sky.

It involves an elaborate arrangement as described below-

A new earthen pot partially filled with sand is placed over fire in the hearth which is made over a freshly plastered place. A light platform is constructed above the hearth to keep the sacred book containing the rituals of rain stopping. The rain stopper stirs the sand with a bamboo made rice-spoon on which the words 'Ong Karo Ong Karo' have been inscribed.

While doing so, he mutters the following charms — 'Brahma nangchak-O, Hangsonang-tumo'. If both the preceding performances have no results, the last resort is Nong Khamba. The rain stopper goes out into an open place and twirls round his neck a billet of wood on which the words 'Ong Karo Ong Karo' are written, while doing so,he recites the following mantras "Gurugithangdi setkaiu set tummu"

The writer of the article points out that the extraordinary mixture of Sanskrit words with Manipuri invocation and the impartial appeal to God of the Hindus and the local divinities, exactly show the religion of the people of Manipur in these days. It shows the Manipuri society to be orthodox Hindus of Vishnava sect but at the same time a firm believer of the ancient Gods of his forefathers.

In the chronicle, Cheitharol Kumbaba, it is written that, during the reign of Maharaj Churachand, Mr J Shakespear built the Khwairamband Bazar with iron pillars and tin roofing (1905).

Also, people decided that the 5 idols found at the foot of the central pole (Mayur) while digging the pond (100' X 100') at Kongba Mapal, which look like Mahadev, Kalimai, Krishna, Bhagirot and Ganga Mai, be kept for examination by Mr J Shakespear when he returned from the tour. All these point towards the versatile intellectual quality that Mr J Shakespear possessed.

What is most interesting and amazing is the rare chance of sharing the article of "Rain Stopping in Manipur" with a descendant of the rain stopper himself after a span of a century. The person from whom Mr J Shakespear took note of the details of rain stopping, happens to be my great grandfather.

The rain stopper, Narain (Narayan) had 9 offsprings of which my father, Shri Konjengbam Ibomcha Singh is the third son. But only my father in our lineage after Narayan Singh, practiced the rain stopping device.

I still remember that during my childhood, I used to follow my parents at different places of Moirang and Bishnupur to perform 'Nong Khamba' on important religious functions like Goura Leela Sannaba, Shradha Ceremony etc. During the harvesting season (November-December), the local people of Moirang used to approach my father for stopping rain till the harvesting was over.

I used to inscribe the mantras on a reed (Seknang) having 7 nods. My father used to swirl the reed pointing toward the cloud while reciting the mantras at the same time. When the rainfall is eminent, he used to call the wind-God with a whistling sound citing the mantras. It seems that the wind swept away the cloud before it turned into rainwater.

My father prayed to Lord Sanamahi in the South Western Corner of the house with heiruk-pana and lighted lantern were placed. Sand taken in an earthen pot was heated over an iron tri-pod in hearth, a triangular bamboo-made tripod with a flat platform above called Lav in Manipuri was quite common in every house in those days to dry substances.

The holy book, Puran, contain various hand written mantras of Nongkhamba wrapped between two wooden slates was placed over the Lav in the fireplace. The heated sand was stirred with a bamboo-made rice spoon muttering the charn-"Brahma nangchak-o hang-sonangtumo."

At times he went into the open space, twirled the reed on which nmantras are written pointing towards the cloud, shouts the charms-"Gurugithang-di chum-thangni, Guru-gichung-goidilee-chinne..set kaiu set tumu." In fine, my father followed the same procedure and used the same mantras as were used by my great grandfather, Shri Narayan.

My father was busy in watching the cloud day and night and diverting it before it formed the rain. When the harvesting was over, my father got rest peacefully. In return, the people of Moirang and surrounding areas used to subscribe one leitang (1/4 of Sangbai) of paddy from different houses of Moirang.

The supernatural power of our forefathers is revealed in one of the incidents that took place in a water-journey by boat. During the reign of Sir Churachand Maharaj (1891 - 1941) in one journey by boat through Loktak lake, to see the king, my great grandfather along with his friend from Moirang Maibram Leikai went to Imphal accompanied by a boatman from Phairembam Leikai, Moirang. (There was no good roadway by the time).

On the way, they met with a heavy rainfall but because of their mystic power, along the path they went, there was no rainfall although there was heavy rain on either side.

My father narrated this story which was reportedly told to him by the boatman who actually took part in the journey. Such was the mystic power of our ancestors for rain stopping.

Hence their descendants are collectively known as "Nongkhambam" in Moirang, instead of Konjengbam although we belong to the Konjengbam clan. The original Puran handed down to descendants, handwritten in Meitei Mayek, is preserved till date.