Original URL: http://bobby.maisnam.com/manipur/

Note (7/10/2004): You might also want to check out this website: www.manipur.org

"The sweet winds gently caress the vast extent of green fields. The smooth, soft rays of the early morning sun bathe the landscape and make the drops of dew on the grass-blades glisten like pearls..."

Such is the beauty of Manipur, my home state. It's beauty is to be seen to be believed and trying to describe it in words would be outright injustice. The late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, called it "The Switzerland of India". Do read on to know more about my home state...

Nesting in the slopes of the south flowing Sub-Himalayan ranges in the north east of India at the latitude 23.80º N to 25.68º N and longitude 93.03º E to 94.78º E, lies my home state, Manipur. With seven beautiful ranges of hills surrounding a valley of some seven hundred square miles - the Imphal valley. Manipur has been the home of more than thirty ethnic groups in historical times, with varying responses to the changing geo-cultural environment. Manipur is also the birthplace of the game of Polo.

Manipur is located in the north-eastern part of India. It is bounded by Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Cachar district of Assam in the west. In the east it shares an international border with Upper Burma (presently, Myanmaar). Click on the maps below to enlarge them...

Manipur has a varied and proud history from the earliest times. It came under the British rule after the First Anglo Manipuri war of 1891. In this war, many great heroes of Manipur laid down their lives. Major General Paona Brajabashi died fighting the British Army in the battle of Khongjom. The British then captured Imphal and had General Thangal and Yuvraj(Prince) Tekendrajit hanged.
    After India became independent on August 15, 1947; the Manipur Constitution Act, 1947 established a democratic form of Government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and a legislature constituted by election on adult franchise. This legislative assembly functioned till it was dissolved on the integration of the state with the Dominion of India in October, 1949. Manipur achieved full statehood on January 21, 1972.

Manipur is not only the gateway to the North-Eastern India but also a fascinating destination for discerning tourists. Legend says that the discovery of Manipur is the result of the delight the Gods took in dancing. It is this remarkable bid that gives Manipur a unique identity of her own. Blessed with a salubrious climate, famous for its distinctive cultural pattern and its evergreen scenic beauty, Manipur always extends a cordial invitation to the tourists...

Shree Shree Govindajee Temple
This temple adjoining the palace of the former rulers of Manipur, is a historic centre for Vaisnavites. It is a simple and beautiful structure with gold domes, a paved court and a large, raised congregation hall. The presiding deity in the centre is flanked by idols of Radha Govinda, Balaram and Krishna on one side and Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on the other.

Khwairamband Bazaar
This is a large covered market split into two sections on both sides of the Khwairamband Road. Vegetables, fishes, household utensils & implements and fruits are sold on one side and colourful handloom shawls, phaneks, khudeis, bedsheets on the other. The market is very special in the sense that all the stall holders are women. This particular market is called Nupi Keithel (Women Market). In fact, it is the largest women's market in India. Not far from here, is a street where beautiful cane baskets and furniture are sold. Other smaller markets are Singjamei, Kongba, Lamlong, Kwakeithel, Heirangoithong, Terakeithel, Naoremthong etc

Loktak Lake and Sendra Island
48 km. from Imphal. A huge and beautiful stretch of water, this lake is like a miniature inland sea. From the Tourist Bungalow, set atop Sendra island, visitors can get a bird's eye view of the lake and the life on it, the fisherman and their families who live in neat huts on its shores and who make full use of their watery environment. They cast their nets on it, rear fish farms in it using nets as floating walls, harvest it for the water chestnut known as Heikak, and even build their houses on the islands of floating weed that dart around the lake.

Kaina - The sacred place for Hindus
29 kms. from Imphal. A beautiful hillock, about 921 m. above sea level, Kaina is a sacred place for the Hindus. According to legend, Shri Govindajee appeared to his devotee Bheigyachandra, Maharaja of Manipur, in a dream and asked him to build a temple enshrined with his image carved out of a jackfruit tree which was then growing at Kaina. Beautiful hill shrubs and charming natural surroundings give the place a saintly solemnity. Ceremonial dances depicting the divine dream are performed as Ras at the Mandop. Kaina can be reached by bus via Thoubal also.

Moirang
45 km. from Imphal, Moirang holds an ancient temple of the pre-Hindu deity, Lord Thangjing. Every May, men and women, in gorgeous traditional costumes, sing and dance in honour of the Lord here at the Moirang Lai Haraoba. It was from the village of Moirang, too, that the graceful Khamba-Thoibi dance originated, traditionally celebrated in May. It was in Moirang that the flag of the Indian National Army was first hoisted on Indian soil on April 14, 1944. There is an INA Museum exhibiting letters, photographs, badges of ranks and other articles associated with this movement. There is also a bronze statue of Netaji in uniform.

  Keibul Lamjao National Park
53 kms. from Imphal and on the fringes of Loktak Lake, this is the last natural habitat of the endangered marsh-dwelling brow-antlered deer of Manipur called "Sangai". The scientific name of this deer is "Cervus eldi eldi". The uniqueness of this particular park is that it is the only floating national park in the world and the deer is also found nowhere else on earth. The park is composed of large masses of floating weed (called "Phumdi" in local dialect). Geographically the floating biomass (phumdi) encompasses an area of about 42 sq. km.The thickness of the biomass is from 0.5 to 1.5 metres. These phumdi unseemingly can suport a lot of weight. In fact, migratory fishermen bulid houses on these floating islands of weed that float around the lake. I myself have visited some of these houses (huts, to be more precise). It was quite an experience, really. Imagine going to sleep at night in one part of the lake and waking up the next morning in a different part of the lake!

Manipur presents a mosaic of traditions and cultural patterns. Particularly, it is world famous for the Manipuri style of classical dance, very much distinct from other Indian dance forms. The Manipuri school of dancing whether folk, classical or modern, is devotional in nature. The rich culture and tradition of Manipur is also depicted in its handloom clothes and handicrafts. The Manipuri handloom and handicraft are world famous for its craftsmanship as well as ingenuity, colourful, colourfulness and usefulness.

Khamba Thoibi Dance
Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male and female partners, a dance of dedication to the sylvan deity, Thangjing of Moirang. Khamba and Thoibi are actually two mythological characters who have become immortal in Manipuri folklore. This, with the "Maibi" dance (Priestess dance) , the "Leima Jagoi" etc. form the "Laiharaoba" dance. The "Laiharaoba" dance , in many ways, is the fountainhead of the modern Manipuri dance form.This dance is a part and parcel of Moirang Lai-Haraoba. It is believed that the legendary hero - Khamba and heroine - Thoibi danced together before the Lord Thangjing, a celebrated deity of Moirang for peace and prosperity of the land.

Pung Cholom Pung or Manipuri Mridanga is the soul of Manipuri Sankritana music and Classical Manipuri Dance. It assumes an important ritual character, an indispensable part of all social and devotional ceremonies in Manipur, - the instrument itself becoming an object of veneration. Pung Cholom is performed as an invocatory number preceding the Sankirtana and Ras Lila. It is a highly refined classical dance number characterised by the modulation of sound from a soft whisper to a thunderous climax. There is the interplay of intricate rhythms and cross rhythms with varying markings of time from the slow to the quick with graceful and vigorous body movements leading to ecstatic heights.

Maibi Dance
During the festival of Lai-Haraoba which is an annual ritual festival of the Meiteis, the inhabitants of the valley of Manipur, the Maibis, the priestesses considered to be spritural mediums, trace through their dances the whole concept of cosmogony of the Meitei people and describe their way of life. Beginning with the process of creation, they show the construction of houses and various occupations of the people to sustain themselves. It is a kind of re-living of the way of life of the past.

Ras Lila
The Ras Lila, the epitome of Manipuri classical dance is inter-woven through the celestial and eternal love of Radha and Krishna as has been described in the Hindu scriptures and reveals the sublime and transcendental love of Krishna and Radha and the Gopies' devotion to the Lord. It is generally performed in an enclosure in front of the temple throughout the night and watched with a deep sense of devotion. Ras performances are seasonal and varied and performed at the temple of Shree Shree Govindajee in Imphal on the nights of Basanta Purnima, Sarada Purnima and Kartik Purnima and at local temples later. As to the composition, the performance is a combination of solo, duet and group dances. This highly stylised form of dance has sublimity, subtlety and grace. The richness of the costumes gives lustre to the beauty of the art.

The tradition of sports dates back to the ancient history of Manipur - a history of small kingdoms which were in keen competition with one another. Wars among themselves and with the Aawa (the Burmese) resulted in a martial tradition which in turn gave due impetus to the development of indigenous games.

Sagol Kangjei (POLO)

The Manipuri Sagol Kangjei has been adopted by the International Community as Polo and is now being played worldwide. The 'PUYAS' trace it to the mythological age when the game was played by gods. The game is played with 7 players on each side mounted on ponies which are often not more than 4/5 feet in height. Each player is outfitted with a polo stick made of cane having a narrow angled wooden head fixed at the striking end. The ball, 14 inches in circumference is made of bamboo root. The mounted players hit the ball into the goal. Extremely vigorous and exhilarating, the game is now played in two styles - the PANA or original Manipuri style and the International style i.e. Polo. The ponies are also decorated fully with various guards protecting the eyes, forehead, flanks etc. The British learned the game of Sagol Kangjei in the 19th Century from Manipur after refinement it was transplanted to other countries as Polo.

Thang Ta & Sarit Sarak (Manipuri Martial Arts)

These are the Manipuri Martial Arts, the traditions of which had been passed down over the centuries. It is a very energetic and skillful art and is a way to hone one's battlecraft during the peace time in the olden days when every Manipuri was a warrior who is required to serve his country at the time of war. Long and precise practices is required and only the brave and athletic could excel. The art as seen today observes elaborate rituals and rules which are strictly followed by the participants.

Yubi Lakpi (Manipuri Style Rugby)

"Yubi" is the Manipuri word for coconut and "Lakpi" for snatching. Played on the beautiful green turf of the palace ground, or at the Bijoy Govinda Temple Ground. Each side has 7 players in a field that is about 45 x 18 metres in area. One end of the field has a rectangular box 4.5 x 3 mtrs. One side of which forms the central portion of the goal line. To score a goal a player has to approach the goal from the front with his oiled coconut and pass the goal line. The coconut serves the purpose of a ball and is offered to the king or the judges who sit just beyond the goal line. However, in ancient times the teams were not equally matched but the players, with the coconut had to tackle all the rest of the players.

Hiyang Tanaba (Boat Race)

It is generally held in the month of November at Thangapat (a long man-made stretch of water). The boats called Hiyang Hiren is regarded to be invested with spiritual powers and the game is associated with religious rites. The Meiteis believe that worship of the Hiyang Hiren will negate evil omens. The rowers don traditional dresses and head gears. The game is also conducted during the times of natural calamity.

Mukna (Manipuri Wrestling)

This game is the Manipuri style of wrestling played between two male rivals for trial of strength by sheer physical strength and skill. Athletes of the same or approximately the same physical built weight and, age are made rivals. The game is an absolute must for the closing ceremonies of the Lai Haraoba festival. Mukna is a highly popular and prestigious game. In the olden days the game enjoyed royal patronage.