Manipuri Guardians of the Directions
In Manipuri religion and Manipuri mythology, the Guardians of the Directions or Maikei Ngaakpa Lai refers to the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Sanamahism.
There are mainly ten Guardians of the Directions in Manipuri mythology. These are the following:
| Deities | Direction |
| Laireima Kounu | North |
| Lok Ningthou | South |
| Nongpok Ningthou | East |
| Loya Lakpa | West |
| Thangjing | South West |
| Ibudhou Marjing | North East |
| Wangbren | South East |
| Koubru | North West |
| Salailen Sidaba | Zenith |
| Thongalel | Nadir |
Development
According to Manipuri mythology, before the creation of the universe, there were four deities who guard four realms. These are the following:| Old name of the deities | Modern name of the deities | Divine jurisdiction |
| Thawaa | Wangbren | Nonglam |
| Chengaa | Marjing | Mitlam |
| Yucheng | Thangjing | Eelam |
| Yuhaa | Koubru | Nungshitlam |
These four deities guardians guard the four main directions before the creation of the universe.
However, the following deities are also added to the guardianship of the directions after the creation of the universe:
Four main directions
- Ibudhou Marjing:- He is the Guardian of the North East direction.
- Thangjing:- He is the Guardian of the South West direction.
- Lainingthou Koubru:- He is the guardian of the North West direction.
- Wangbren:- He is the guardian of the South East direction.
Hindu equivalents
| Deities | Hindu equivalents | Directions |
| Laireima Kounu | Kubera | North |
| Lok Ningthou | Yama | South |
| Nongpok Ningthou | Indra | East |
| Loya Lakpa | Varuna | West |
| Thangjing | Nirrti | South West |
| Ibudhou Marjing | Isana | North East |
| Wangbren | Agni | South East |
| Koubru | Vayu | North West |
| Salailen Sidaba | Brahma | Zenith |
| Thongalel | Vishnu | Nadir |