Shangnu

Local beliefs Totally opposite of the general beliefs, certain groups of Anal Khullen village think that Shangnu is not a daughter of the chief's family, but of a widow.

Love affair

According to the legend, Wangpulen (Wangbrel), the supreme god of water, once assumed the form of a handsome young man and entered the Anal village to observe humanity. During his stay he met Shangnu, and the two soon fell in love. Being an incarnation of divine destiny, Shangnu was naturally drawn to Wangbrel's noble appearance and gentle character.

Legacy Shangnu is associated with the sacred edible freshwater algae, known as Nungsham, literally meaning "stone hair" (botanically identified as Lemanea fluviatilis ), which is found in the Chakpi River around Sugnu, in Manipur. The Nungsham algae is believed by the tradition to represent the hair of the goddess Shangnu. It is regarded as a divine gift bestowed by Shangnu upon the Anal and Meetei communities and holds cultural and spiritual significance in their traditional belief systems.