Manipur Tourism

The tourist season is from October to February when it is often sunny without being hot and humid. Culture includes martial arts, dance, theater and sculpture. Greenery is with moderate climate. Ukhrul (district), Dzuko Valley at Senapati, seasonal Shirui lily plant at Sangai (Brown-antled deer) and floating islands at Loktak Lake are among the rarities of the area. Polo, which can be called the royal sport, originated in Manipur.

Imphal (Capital)

The town is inhabited by the Meiteis who predominate, besides the Pangals (Manipuri Muslims) and other tribes. The city has Tulihal Airport. The district is divided into East and West. The Khuman Lempak Sports Complex was built for the 1997 National Games.

A stadium is used for a sports venue. It also has a velodrome for cyclists. Most of the imported goods are sold here at its Paona Bazaar, Gambhir Singh Shopping Complex and Lima Plaza. Sri Govindji Temple, Andro Village and Manipur State Museum are in the city.

Lakes and Islands

48 km (30 mi) from Imphal, the largest freshwater lake in northeast India, Loktak Lake, is a miniature inland sea. There is a tourist bungalow on top of Sandra Island. Life on the lake includes small islands that float on which lake people live, the blue waters of the lake and colorful water plants. In the middle of the lake is the Sandra Tourist House with an attached cafeteria.

Floating islands are made from a tangle of aquatic weeds and other plants. The wetland is swampy and suitable for a number of species. It is in Bishnupur district. The etymology of Loktak is “loka = flow / taka = end” (end of flow). At the top of the Sendra Mountains, the Sendra Park and Resort is opening and attracting tourists.

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake (ancient supervolcanic caldera) in India. It is a pulsating lake, with a surface area ranging from 250 sq km to 500 sq km with a typical area of 287 sq km during the rainy season. The lake is located at Moirang in the Indian state of Manipur.

The etymology of Loktak is Lok = “flow” and Tak = “end”. It is famous for the phumdi (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter) floating on it. The largest of all the fountains covers an area of 40 km 2 (15 sq mi) and is located on the southeastern shore of the lake. Located on this lagoon, Kaibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the world.

The park is the last natural refuge of the endangered Sangai (state animal), Rucervus aldi aldi or Manipur bro-antlered deer (Cervus aldi aldi), one of the three subspecies of eld deer.

Loktak Diwas is celebrated every year on 15th October in the vicinity of Loktak Lake.

This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It serves as a source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply. The lake is also a source of livelihood for rural fishermen who live in the surrounding areas and on the piers, also known as “Phumshong”. Human activities have put severe pressure on the ecosystem of the lake.

The 55 rural and urban settlements around the lake have a population of about 100,000 people. Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, the lake was initially designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on 23 March 1990. It was also listed on 16 June 1993 under the Montreux Record, “Record of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur”.

The park is a swamp on the south-eastern side of Loktak Lake, with floating masses of vegetation formed by the accumulation of organic waste and biomass in solid form with soil particles, which has been declared a Ramsar site. . Two-thirds to three-fourths of the total park area is formed by Phumdi. A waterway through the park provides year-round access by boats passing through Loktak Lake.

North to Pabot Hill. The park’s reserve area, which was 4,000 hectares (9,884.2 acres) in March 1997, was reduced to 2,160 hectares (5,337.5 acres) in April 1998 under pressure from local villagers.

The swamp consists of three hills, namely, Pabot, Toya and Chingjao which provide shelter for large mammals during the monsoon season. The unique nature of the park is that it is “too shallow to be a pond, too deep to be a swamp”.

hills and valleys

Kaina is a hill about 921 meters (3,022 ft) above sea level. It is a holy place for Manipuri Hindus. Legend has it that Sri Govindji appeared in the dream of his devotee, Sri Jaisingh Maharaja, and asked the saintly king to install an idol of Sri Govindji in a temple.

It was carved from the jack fruit tree, which was growing near Ca’ina at the time. It is 29 km (18 mi) from Imphal. The Dzuko Valley is bordered by Kohima in Senapati district. There are seasonal flowers and a number of flora and fauna. It is at an elevation of 2,438 meters (7,999 ft) above sea level, behind Mount Japfew in Nagaland. The rare dzuko lily is found only in this valley.

Eco tourism

Kaibul Lamjao National Park, located 48 km (30 mi) from Imphal, is home to rare and endangered species. There are 17 rare species of mammals in this ecosystem. It is the only floating national park in the world. Six kilometers (3.7 mi) west of Imphal are the Zoological Gardens at the foot of the pine-growing hills at Iroisemba on the Imphal-Kangchup road. There are also some brow antlered deer (sangai) kept there.

Kaibul Lamjao National Park is a national park located in Bishnupur district of Manipur state, India. It is an area of 40 km2 (15.4 sq mi), the world’s only floating park, located in North East India and is an integral part of Loktak Lake.

First discovered in Manipur in 1839 and named Cervus aldi aldi in 1844 in honor of British officer Lt. Percy Ald, the species was reported extinct in 1951. It was rediscovered in Kaibul Lamjao.

Park area by environmentalist and photographer EP Gee, which necessitated the declaration of this reserved park area as a national park for the protection and conservation of the deer, now known as bro-antlered deer (Cervus aldi aldi) or Sangai in the Meitei language ( To distinguish it from two other subspecies found in Burma and Thailand called Cervus eldii thamin and Cervus eldii siamensis and also in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Hainan Island).

It has a pride of place in the folklore and culture of the state of Manipur and is the state animal of Manipur. From a small herd of 14 deer in 1975, it had a population of 155 in 1995 and increased to 260 as per the latest wildlife census conducted in March 2016.

The national park is characterized by floating decaying plant material locally known as phumdi. It was created in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary to protect the natural habitat of the endangered eld deer (Cervus aldi aldi). In 1977, it was gazetted as a national park.

waterfall

Sadu Chiru Falls is near Ichum Kirap village, 27 km (17 mi) from Imphal in the Sadar Hills area of Senapati district. It consists of three falls with the first fall about 30 meters (98 ft) high. Agape Park is nearby.

natural caves

Thalon Cave (about 910 meters (2,990 ft) above sea level) is one of the historical places of Manipur under Tamenglong district. It is about 185 kilometers (115 mi) from the state capital and about 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the Tamenglong district headquarters in the north. From Thalon village, this cave is 4-5 kilometers (2.5-3.1 mi). Khangkhui Cave is a natural limestone cave in Ukhrul District.

The main hall in the cave is the court hall of the Devil King who resides inside while the northern hall is the royal bedroom, according to local folklore. Villagers took refuge here during World War II. The cave is an hour’s trek from Khangkui village.