The Loktak Nessie in New Delhi

India’s very own Nessie has come a-visiting to the capital’s National Museum. Showcased in a single object special exhibition is a 21-foot wood carving of a gigantic mythical python called the Poubi Lai Paphal, which, according to Manipuri mythology, is the animal form of the holy king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba. The gigantic python was believed to have lived in Lake Loktak in central Manipur. In a dream one night, the python god asked Karam Dineshwar, the creator of the piece, to sculpt his image. Six months later, the artist had completed the task. Now a part of the collections of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya in Bhopal, the 12-year-old Poubi Lai is on display at the museum till August 31.