Pakhangba

Pakhangba

Red royal flag of the Manipur Kingdom with Pakhangba used until 1907.
Grouping	Mythology
Sub grouping	Mythological hybrids
Similar creatures	Dragon, Phaya Naga
Mythology	Manipur
Habitat	Mountains, sacred ponds, lakes, forests, caves

Pakhangba or Paikhomba is a mythical hybrid animal of the Meitei tradition that is used as a heraldic emblem in Manipur. It was present in most emblems of the Princely state of Manipur and it originated in Paphal, an ancient deity of the traditional beliefs preceding Hinduism in the region. This creature was said to inhabit sacred ponds and groves, as well as mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and caves. Among the Meitheis, the ancestor of one of the clans manifested himself as the Pakhangba.

There was also an important king named after this mythical dragon who ruled from 1665 to 1696. The title Pakhangba was also used by other royals in Manipuri history.

A Pakhangba as a heraldic dragon was present in all the former royal flags and coats of arms of Manipur. The kingdom of Manipur had a set of two flags, a white one and a red one. All featured the Pakhangba dragon in the centre, although not as prominently in the latter flags.

The Pakhangba is a dragon with deer antlers. It usually has the body of a snake. In certain sculptures known as Kangla-Sa at the citadel of the Kangla Palace in Imphal there is a related type of creature represented with a short body. The sculptures are large and were built of brick, standing at each side of the northern gate. They have a similar head and four sturdy legs, but their body is shorter and bears more of a resemblance to a lion.

In 1891, during the Anglo-Manipur War five British officers were executed by Manipuri soldiers below these two brick dragons. The act was a kind of magic ritual in which the blood of the white officers was seen as feeding the dragons in order to weaken British power. For this act Major Maxwell, the Political Agent that was appointed after the war, had the dragons destroyed with gunpowder following the conquest of Manipur.

Poubi Lai Paphal: a mythical form of Pakhangba