Manipur is a state in the north east India with capital in Imphal. population of manipur is almost 3 million and having area of 22327 sq km . This state is 23 rd state in india in terms of the size and the population . Here major religion are the Hinduism and the Christinity but there is small portion of the people are islam sanmahism , buddhism and jainism . 29 tribes live in this state which are Meitai , naga , kuki , Mizo and others . The state being bordered with mayanmar in the east and Nagaland in the north , assam in the west and mizoram in the south . It is long been the hub to exchange culture and economic activity to central asia , south asia , china , Russia , Micronesia and Polinesia . Human presence are found here before christ also .
Here most of the festivals are prganized by the lunar calender . Rash , Lai-Haroba(it is organized april-may month after cutting the crop and bringing back it to home) , yaosong (this is our holi) , Ningol chakuba(here married woman are invited to her parental home to feast them ) , Kuk(after harvesting the crop this festival is organized ) , chairoaba (this is the nes year festival organized in march/april month ). Other festivals like id-ul-fitar , christmas , buddha purnima are also celebrated here . It is also the birth place of Polo games .
How to reach to Manipur ?
By Air and road way you can reach to Manipur.
AIR : In capital there is Imphal airport . From here there is diect flight to delhi , Bangalore , Kolkata , Dimapur , Aizawl and guwahati .
Rail : Unfortunately in Manipur there is no rail link established . Nearest Rail link is in Dimapur Nagaland.
Road: NH 2 , NH 53 . NH 37 , NH 39 , NH 102 are the highway passing through the state . From Imphal there is direct bus service to Guwahati but it was very hectic journey , It takes around 20 hr time . It has regular winger and bus services toward Dimapur(Rs 900 in winger and Rs 600 in bus ) , Kohima , Aizawl , silchar .
Why Manipur is called the Jeweled Land ?
Manipur is sarrounded by 9 hills and oval shaped valley inside . It looks like a oval shaped jewel . This is the reason it is called jeweled land.
Where to stay in Manipur ?
In manipur I would say come to Imphal and book the hotel . In Imphal there is lots of hotel which starts from min 400 but in online it is costly here .
Foods :
They mainly eat rice with different meat and local grown vegetables. Manipuri people eat too mich fish , dry fish , Fried fish in the food market .
Key points for Manipur :
- As there is long Ethenic clashes in this area so before reaching there please aware of the latest situation .
- Loktak Lake is Must visit place for manipur traveler.
- Moreh is the Indian – Mayanmar border . You can reach there and with Indian ID card you can also visit the mayanmar side for day trip.
- Here in the market you can find different types of candies.
- Ima Kethral is the market totally run by woman in the central area of Imphal . Here 5000- 6000 woman shopkeeper run the business . It is asia’s largest market run by woman .
- polo game is started from here
Story
Day 14 : 28 th April 2021
I am now in the bus from Dimapur to Imphal it is stranded near the border between nagaland and manipur in Mao . All the vehicle coming from the other state stranded here . Around 4 I wake up and come out of bus to see what is the situation . I saw a long que of cars there . The place was very nice with beautiful scenary . After some our bus driver and conductor comes out and taken to the place where ILP and covid certificate checked . As usal counters are not opened in time . On the meantime I make my breakfast . Around 6 they opened the counter .
First I stand in the line for checking covid . where after checking they put a ink stamp on your hand . then I went for the counter to issue ILP . After checking the document they take 100 rs and then issue the ILP . I must say on the whole procedure they follow strict covid regulation . They are maintaining strict social distance . You have to wear mask properly. In the line of covid certificate check there is a boy who just don’t cover the nose by mask . The police kept him out from the line for 30 mins . It is very good sign that they follow covid rules strictly. everybody wearing mask , gloves and using sanitizer.
Around 6:30 the bus left for the Imphal . It is still 109 km from here . In the way I find there is a lots of big grinder machine which make stonchips from the big rocks of the river . In between bus stops near a resturent . I don’t eat there because I thought here I don’t find any good food . so better will be to feast in the city . From there I take rice cake which are made in Mayanmar. I find this thing new so I buy this thing . After 30 mins bus left from here and around 9 it reaches to Imphal city .
From there I take a auto and it says that here you can can find good hotels . It is very near to the Kangla fort . In this place there is a big hospital Raj Medicity . First a local people taken me to a hotel …. which was cheap but rooms are dark and it is suffocating situation . So I don’t choose that one and look for another hotel . After looking to some more hotel I finally selected Royale Lodge , here rooms are good and there wind and sun light comes. After check in to the hotel next I go food . As in this hotel dinning is not available so I pack my food and come to my hotel and eat and then take rest for sometime .
Around 2 in the afternoon I went outside for some local tourist spot . First I went to the War cemetery (Here you can find the grave of the british soilder who fought with japan in the 2nd world war, It is also very near to my hotel ) , After that I went for the Kangla Fort (It is one of the oldest Fort made by the kings of Manipur . This fort is older than the christ birth and this is political and also religious centre of the Manipur ) . Now , as the Corona spread so It is closed . I can not enter the fort . I just made some picture of the fort . Next I reach to the Ima Keithal (It is the biggest woman market in the world ) it is also closed . I just take some picture , which is unique in design . this building are very big and two storied market .
Then I reach to the Sahid Minar (It is made in the memoir of the metai and outher tribe people who sacrifice their life in the fight against British in 1891 ) . Only in this place I can enter inside the mark . Here I find one shop very funny . This is a juice shop on a car . As it does not have electricity so How to run mixer Grinder . As when I ordered a orange juice the shop owner runs the small generator and then make the juice in mixture grinder and then stop . Is not funny a juice maker carry a generator for making juice . There also I eat some bhujia and went for the next stop Which is Imphal Museum . It is also closed for the corona crisis.
Here people are very serious about corona virus . Now I find the way to back to my hotel and follow the road . In the road I visit a Shopping mall and the Secteriate Building . In way I buy some chocolate which are packed like tablets . This are really funny looking , When I come in my home my father said “it is which medicine , such a big tablet ” . People are confused , Is it a chocolate or medicine . After that I went to my hotel . Today I don’t go for dinner as after 7 there is night cerfew. So today I have to be hungry in the night .
Day 15 : 29th April 2021
Today I wake up late , around 8 in the morning as in previous two nights I don’t sleep in the night . In both two days I was traveling from one place to another. After taking my breakfast today I traveled for the Loketak lake . So first I reach to the bazar which is near to the Ima keithal . The auto driver taken me to the bus which will go in that direction . The bus left after 30 mins . It takes around 1 hour to reach that place and from there I take another auto to reach Mairang. it is 10 km from here . From there also I take another transport to reach the bank of Loktak lake .
Loktak Lake is the largest sweet water lake in Manipur . From here the Drinking water is supplied to the Imphal city . It is very rich for fishing . One part you can see there is lots of Lotus are cultivated here . In another part you see that there lots of floating grasses structure which are used to make fish trap and also making hotels above that . It takes around 1200 for 45 minutes journey. It was a small boats and they are co-operative society take care of the lake tourism . Inside loketak you will find lots of trap made by bamboo for fishing . It is very calm and mesmorishing experience .
After visiting Loktak I take a shared winger to reach to the city and take rest in the Hotel in the afternoon . Today lunch was very fine in Laxmi kitchen in the centre of the city . It have some paisam with some brown color thing . It has some bhujia made of peanut that also great and also the ambians very good . just look at the thali. It has 15 types of menu with all total 200 rs.
In the evening I roming in nearby area . I find bhujia are very fine here . Some are made of egg some with onion and rest with the Meat . I also take the dinner packed . In one sweet shop I buy some faluda and a rosogolla (Here it is not as good as kolkata). Then I walked towards the Gobindaji Mandir . One of the famous temple in Imphal . It was opened but there was no devotee. In time of Holi and Rash big festivals happend . Then I came back to Hotel . Today I sleep early.
Day 16 : 30 th April 2021
Today In the morning I wake up then freshens up a bit and then around 7 I start for the Imphal airport . I take a auto to reach to the Airport . Around 7: 45 I reached. In airport they allow us to go inside around 8 o clock . My Flight was with Indigo . It leaves here around 9:30 and reaches in Guwahati 3o minutes later . My 2nd flight was toward kolkata in 3:40 in noon . Now I eat good food in the Airport Lounge . Then take the flight to kolkata and reach to my home .
