What is "manimekhala"

In Indic mythology, Manimekhala (, Moni Mekhala; , Mani Mekkhala) is a goddess regarded as a guardian of the seas; namely the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea as part of the mythology of Indochina. She was placed by Catummaharajika to protect virtuous beings from shipwreck. She appears in several Buddhist stories including the Mahajanaka- Jataka in which she rescues Prince Mahajanaka from a shipwreck.