| Hiyangthang | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | India |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Manipur |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Footnotes: | 4778 [1] |
| Timezone: | Indian Standard Time |
| Utc Offset: | +5:30 |
| Coordinates: | 24.7181°N 93.9006°W |
| Postal Code Type: | Pin Code |
| Postal Code: | 795009 |
Hiyangthang is a town in Indian state of Manipur. It is best known for the Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple, a Meitei shrine dedicated to ancient Meitei goddess Irai Leima (aka Hiyangthang Lairembi). It is located in Imphal West district.[2]
The legend of ancient Meitei goddess Irai Leima (later known as Hiyangthang Lairembi) and her dedicated shrine Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple revolves around the region of Hiyangthang. In the legend, she was an exceptionally beautiful princess of mni|Heibok Ching|italic=no|Heibok mountains. King Heibok Ningthou, her father was a master of wizards and black magicians. One day, King Kwakpa (Kokpa) of Khuman dynasty saw Irai Leima fishing and sporting in the Liwa river. He fell in love at first sight with her beauty. He proposed her. However, she told him that her parents' wish will be her wish. So, King Kwakpa and his subjects gave beautiful and precious gifts to King Heibok Ningthou to please him.[3] King Kwakpa decided to marry Irai Leima whether her father reject or accept the gifts. Seeing the immodesty of King Khuman Kwakpa, King Heibok Ningthou rejected all the presents and turned then into stones using his magic. King Kwakpa returned home disappointed.
One day, King Kwakpa got drunk with a juice of the roots of Tera plant (Latin: [[Bombax malabaricum]]) and went to meet Irai Leima, riding on a Hiyang boat. Seeing him coming, Irai Leima fled to mni|Pakhra Ching|italic=no|Pakhra mountains. King Kwakpa chased her. Seeing all these, King Heibok Ningthou turned the Hiyang boat into stone and the oar into a tree using his magic. Getting furious, Kwakpa tried to kill Heibok Ningthou, which forced Heibok Ningthou to turn Khuman Kwakpa also into a stone. Irai Leima was frightened seeing everything and ran away from her own father, passing through the Pakhra Ching, crossing through the Liwa river and hiding herself inside the granary storehouse of Lord Sarangthem Luwangba of Luwang dynasty. When Lord Luwangba and his good lady Thoidingjam Chanu Amurei left the house for paddy fields, Irai Leima came out from her hideout and completed all the household works for them. Before the couple returned home, she went back to her hideout again. The couple were surprised at this but it happened daily. So, one day, the man returned home earlier than normal timing and discovered the truth behind the mystery. But when he came near Irai Leima, she was gone below the grain storehouse. He saw nothing under the granary. He was confused at this. So, he discussed the matter with his clan members, searching her everywhere but didn't find her anymore.[4]
Irai Leima came to the dream of Lord Sarangthem Luwangba and told him that she merged herself into the Luwang clan and spiritually became his daughter. Luwangba narrated his dream's story to King Senbi Kiyamba of Ningthouja dynasty. The Ningthouja King sent maibas and maibis, who performed investigations and finally verified that the strange lady was a goddess and she should be worshipped. King Kiyaamba ordered Luwangba to worship her. From that very year onwards, princess Irai Leima was deified and worshipped as a Meitei goddess.
The first day on which Luwangba saw Irai Leima was the first Monday of the Meitei lunar month of Lamta (Lamda). And the day on which the maibas and maibis examine the case was the first Tuesday of Lamta (Lamda), the next day. Still in present times, right from the reign of King Senbi Kiyamba (1467-1508 AD), the Sarangthem family members of Luwang clan annually organise a grand feast (Manipuri: Chaklen Katpa) in honor of goddess Irai Leima.[5]