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Which indigenous Meitei faith continued alongside Vaishnavite traditions?
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Manipur
The largest freshwater lake in northeastern India, Loktak Lake is known for its numerous phumdis, or floating islands with vegetation.
The indigenous faith that has continued alongside Vaishnavite traditions among the Meitei people is Sanamahism.1
While the majority of the Meitei population adopted Vaishnavism as their primary religion in the 18th century, Sanamahism—the faith practiced prior to the widespread adoption of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity—remains influential. Specifically, the veneration of the creator deity Sanamahi and the practice of ancestor worship persist in many Meitei households, including those that have embraced Vaishnavism. Furthermore, traditional cultural expressions such as Manipuri dance and the festival of Lai Haraoba are deeply rooted in these indigenous Sanamahi traditions.1