Imphal, Manipur

      Imphal, the capital of Manipur, lies in the heart of an oval shaped valley. Imphal is a bustling mini-metropolis situated at an altitude of 790 m above sea level. One school of scholars thinks that the town was founded in the 3rd century BC making it one of the oldest state capitals of the country. It derives its name from yumpham, which means homestead. 

How to reach there: Imphal is 567 km from Agartala, 3067 km from Ahmedabad, 2949 km from Amritsar, 3489 km from Bangalore, 2517 km from Bhopal, 2100 km from Bhubaneshwar, 3316 km from Mumbai, 1620 km from Calcutta, 2752 km from Chandigarh, 2503 km from Delhi, 1094 km from Gangtok, 469 km from Guwahati, 2923 km from Hyderabad, 4088 km from Thiruvananthapuram, 3394 km from Srinagar, 2871 km from Shimla, 520 km from Shillong, 1492 km from Patna, 3635 km from Panaji, 3298 km from Chennai, 1979 km from Lucknow, 123 km from Kohima, 3089 km from Jammu, 2533 km from Jaipur, and 495 km from Itanagar.

Air: Imphal is connected with major cities like Delhi, Guwahati, Calcutta and Silchar with Indian Airlines flights. Tourist coaches are operated betwen Hotel Imphal (a unit of Tourism Department, Govt. of Manipur) and the Imphal airport daily. Tourists may contact Tourism Department's Reception Counter at Imphal airport for booking, information and assistance. Indian Airlines office is situated at Mahatma Gandhi Avenue, Imphal. Tel :- 220999.

Rail: Dimapur 215 km from Imphal, is the nearest railhead. Another railhead is at Jiribam, a small town on Manipur's border. It is 225 km from Imphal.

Road: Imphal is connected by road with Guwahati through National Highway No.39 and Silchar through National Highway No. 53. Imphal is about 579 km from Guwahati, and there are State Transport buses and other private bus which gives regular services to connect these two cities. Auto and cycle rickshaws are the main means of transport within Imphal, and taxis and rental cars can also be booked. 

Places to visit:
Shaheed Minar: The indomitable spirit of the Meitei and tribal martyrs who sacrificed their lives while fighting the British in 1891, is commemorated by this tall Minar at Bir Tekendrajit Park in the heart of Imphal.

War Cemeteries: Commemorating the memories of the British and Indian soldiers who died during World War II, these cemeteries are managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Serene and well maintained, the graves carry little stone markers and bronze plaques recording the sacrifice of those gallant soldiers.

Langthabal: 8 km down the Indo-Myanmar road lies his small hill feature with relics of an old,historic palace, temples of architectural importance and ceremonial houses. Set among symmetrically planted jackfruit and pine trees. Langthabal offers a view of the Manipur University and some picturesque vistas.

The Manipur State Museum: This interesting museum near the Polo Ground has a good collection of tribal costumes, jewellery and weapons. It also have geological, archeological and natural history displays. Museum remains open from 10 am to 4.30 pm, and closed on Monday and holidays.

Khonghampat Orchidarium: It is spread over 200 acres with over a hundred species of orchids. It lies 7 km from Imphal on National Highway 39 and is best visited during peak blooming season in April and May when the orchids are in bloom.nbsp;

The Zoological Gardens: are situated 6 km to the west of Imphal, at Lamphelpat. The rare brow-antlered deer, seen in the wild at Keibul Lamjao Sanctuary, can be seen here in captivity.

Shri Govindjee Temple: is Manipur's pre-eminent Vaishnavite temple. It has two gold domes and has an impressive large prayer hall. This temple is a simple yet beautiful structure. Twin domes, a paved courtyard, and a large raised congregation hall forma perfect backdropfor priests who descend the steps, to accept offerings from devotees in the courtyard. The shrines of Krishna and Balaramand Jagannath flank the teo sides of the presiding deity. 

Some entertainment:The Polo Ground is one of the main features of the city. According to the legends, the Manipuri game of Sagol Kangjei is the original form of the modern game of polo.

Shopping:Khwairamband, a unique all women's market in Imphal, having 3000 "Imas" or mothers who run the stalls is split into two sections on either side of the road. Vegetables,fruits, fish and household groceries are soldon one side and exquisite handlooms and household tools on the other. Not far away is a street where beautiful wickerworks and basketry are sold. 

Tourists Info:
Manipur Tourism runs day tours to Sri Govindaji Temple, Bishnupur, INA Memorial, Moirang, KL National Park and the Lok Tak Lake. Information relating the to the state and tourism can be obtained from:

• The Director of Tourism, (Hotel Imphal Complex) near Raj Bhavan, Imphal. Tel. No. 224603, 220802, 222705, 222451.
• Manipur Tourist Information, Reception Counter, Imphal Airport.
• Govt. of India Tourist Office, Old Lambulane, Jail Road, Imphal. Tel. No. (03852) 221131
• Manipur Information Centre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi. Tel :- 3344026.
• Manipur Bhavan, 2-Sardar Patel Marg, Chankayapuri, New Delhi. Tel :- 3013311 / 3013150 / 3013009.
• Manipur Bhavan, 26, Rowland Road, Calcutta. Tel :- 747087/ 747975 / 747937
• Manipur Bhavan, Rajgarh Road, Guwahati. Tel :- 540707.

Around the city:
Loktak Lake and Sendra Island: It lies 48 km south of Imphal, and is a huge water body, fed by numerous rivers and dotted with islands. It is home to a community of fishermen, who live on large floating rafts made of reeds. Rare and endangered dancing Sangai, brow-antlered deer, live on the floating vegetation that covers much of the lake also supports hog deers. From the Tourist Bungalow set atop Sendra Island,visitors get a birds eye view of life on the lake - small islands that are actually floating weed. The Sendra Tourist Home with an attached cafeteria in the middle of the lake is an ideal tourist spot. Boating and other water sports are being introduced here.  

Keibul Lamjao National Park:  Much of the lake comes under the Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is 53 km form Imphal. It is the only floating National Park in the world. Many waterfowl and migratory birds visit the Lake during November and March. 

Moirang: It is situated 45 km south of Imphal, is a centre of Meithei culture, with a temple devoted to the pre-Hindu deity Thangjing. Here, a large festival is organised each May. There is also a memorial and museum to commemorate the unfurling of Indian flag by Indian National Army, under Netaji Subhas Chandra Boss. 

Phubala: 40 km from Imphal on the western fringe of the Loktak lake to the South of Imphal is a charming little resort,linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Boating and other water sports are being introduced here.

Bishnupur: 27 km from Imphal on the Tiddim Road, is a picturesque town situated at the foot hills that roll down to valley. The 15th century Vishnu temple built of peculiarly small bricks supposedly of Chinese influence during the reign of King Kiyamba is of historical importance. Bishnupur is also famous for it's chiselled stoneware.

Kaina: It is a hillock about 921 m above the sea level and a sacred place of the Hindus. The scenery is charming and the hill shrubs and natural surroundings give the place a saintly and religious atmosphere. It is only 29 km from Imphal by bus via Thoubal.

Khongjom: 36 km on the Indo-Myanmar road. A war broke out between Manipur and British India in 1891 and Manipur was invaded from three directions. The British troops that came from Myanmar were resisted at Khongjom with heavy casualities. A war memorial has been constructed on top of Kheba hill. Khongjom Day is celebrated every year on April 23.

Churachandpur: It is on the Tiddim Road,60 km from Imphal and is one of the most beautiful places for sightseeing and holidaying.Inhabited by the hill tribes,it is an advanced tribal town and district headquarters where products of arts and crafts of the area are available in local market.

Tamenglong: It is 156 km from Imphal and is the district headquartersof the Tamenglong district. This region is known for it's deep gorges, mysterious caves and splendid waterfalls and it's exotic orchids. The Tharon cave, Buning meadow, Zailad lakes, Barak waterfalls are some of the places of tourist interest. Rongmei, Lengmei, Zemei and Puimei Nagas are dominant tribes of Tamenglong.

Waithou Lake: 16 km on Indo-Myanmar road. A picturesque site famous for it's pineapple slopes. A tourist lodge at the fringe of the lake.

Tengnoupal: 69 km from Imphal. The highest point on the Indo-Myanmar road, from here one can have a full view of the valley of Manipur.

Moreh: 110 km from Imphal. This border town is located on the Indo-Myanmar road. A commercial town attracting a large number of people from neighbouring places. It is only 5 km away from Tamu, it's Myanmar counterpart. Tamu depicts a total change in the attire and eating habits of the people and in the architecture of it's buildings.

Ukhrul: 83 km east of Imphal, this district headquarters of Manipur East is the highest hill station of the state. A centre of the colourful warrior tribe Tangkhul Nagas, it is well developed and famous for a peculiar type of land-lily, the Siroi, grown on Siroi hills. Siroi Hills and Khangkhui Lime caves are interesting places for excursions.Ukhrul bears gay and festive appearance during Christmas.

Kangchup: Kangchup 921 m above sea level, 16 km from Imphal in west,is a health resort on the hills of over-looking the Manipur valley. The scenery is picturesque and worth seeing. With the construction of Singla Dam at Kangchup the place has become one of the important picnic spots.

Red Hill (Lokpaching): Red Hill is a hillock about 16km from Imphal on Tiddim Road. It is a thrilling spot where a fierce battle took place between the British and the Japanese forces in the World War II and regarded as a holy place. The Japanese War Veteran had constructed "India Peace Memorial", a monument in memory of Japanese Martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the fierce battle.

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