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Imphal, the tiny capital city of the north-eastern
state of Manipur, is an ideal destination off the beaten track. The
landscape of freen-blue hills, lush fields and low clouds is like an
exquisite painting.
One of the few places in
India where nothing seems to have changed is Imphal, a tiny valley
tucked away in the north-eastern state of Manipur Relics of an old,
historical palace well-planned temples and ceremonial houses in all
their splendour amidst the tall pine and jack-fruit trees, speak of
Imphal’s ancient past.
At places, Imphals looks
almost like a painting- clouds hanging low over long stretches of
lush green fields and numerous small hills of the green-blue Koubrou
and Namaijing ranges forming a garland around the valley. Adding a
riot of colour are hundreds of orchids.
Most people expect very
little from this tiny capital city. For travel buffs, this is way off the tourist circuit.
This was precisely our impression too. When we were planning an
extensive tour of the north-eastern states.
The best way to visit the
places in Imphal is to hire an auto-rickshaw or a cycle-rickshaw on
an hourly basis. It will take you to all the interesting sites and
finally to the central market where you can spend as much time as you
like.
Lying at the center of
Manipur valley, Imphal is one of the most ancient towns in the Indian
subcontinent and has much to offer to a discerning tourist.
Eight kilometers from
Imphal, at the foot of the pine-covered hillocks you will find a
wealth of rare birds, animals and reptiles at the Manipur zoological
Gardens. In the Zoo’s sylvan surroundings, you will even get a
glimpse of one of the rarest species of deer in the world the
graceful brow-antlered Thamin deer.
Then there is the
Khonghampat Orchidarium which has more than a hundred rare varieties
of orchids. The best time to visit the Orchidarium is in the months
of April and May when the orchids are in full bloom.
One of the main features
of Imphal is the Khwairamband Bazaar. What makes this market
different is that it is run by women. Split into two sections on
either side of the road, it has tribal women clad in colourful,
traditional attire, selling everything from handwoven shawls, skirts,
vessels, mugs an mats to fish, lotus, oranges and orange-flavoured
honey. And if you wander in the quaint by-lanes around the market,
you will get a glimpse of Manipur’s customs and traditions.
The core of Imphals
traditions however lies in its various temples. The most important of
these is the Shri Goindajee Temple, a historic center for
Vaishnavites. A simple, twin-domed structure, it adjoins the
magnificent palace of the former rulers of Manipur. Constructed in
the early 18th century under the Rajarishi Bhagyachndra
regime, the temple comes alive during festivals when thousands of
people come to offer prayers. In fact the best time to visit it is
during Holi, also known in Manipur as Dolijatra or Yaosong when boys
and girls do the Thaba Changba folk dance, all night.
In the center of the
temple stands the presiding deity, Lord Vishnu flanked by the shrines
of Balarama and Krishna on one side and Jaganatha on the other. The
temple also has a paved court and a large raised congregation hall.
The Manipur State Museum
is another place which is worth a visit. The museum has a rich
collection of Manipuri costumes, war implements, historical documents
and relics, and gives you a sample of the state’s complex
history. Here, the visitors can also see sculptures of the local
forest gods, and the motif of the Phakangba, the man who could turn
himself into a dragon. Represented in his dragon form, Phakangba is
considered as the ancestor of all Vishnavites. All these things speak
about the importance which the Manipuris attach to the organic
relations of humanity with nature.
Right in the heart of the
city is the tall Shaheed Minar at the Bir Tirkendrajit Park which was
built in memory of Manipur’s martyrs who sacrificed their lives
for India’s independence.
From totally another era,
there are the famous cemeteries of the British and the Indian armies
which commemorate those who died in the second world war. Well
maintained by the Commonwealth Grave Commissions, it has stone
markers and stone plaques, each of which has a record of the
sacrifice made by the soldiers.
Yet another special
feature of Imphal is the Achery Stakes which are held everyday on
various low-lying stretches of ground just below a stand of conifers.
Evolved from an ancient tribal sport it is still very popular in
Manipur and one can see archers shooting as many as 500 arrows within
a span of a few minutes.
For the history buffs,
there is in the heart of the city, the Old Palace, with interesting
ruins of an old fortress wall and a palace.
If you want to add a
torch of glamour to your visit plan a trip to the city during
November when Imphal becomes the stage for a national festival of
classical dance on the lines of the Khajuraho, Ellora and Badrinath
festivals.
If you are one of those
who are always on the lookout for the quaint and the unusual, get off
the beaten track and visit Imphal. You may feel that Imphal is too
far away but this is not really true. It is far easier to reach than
you may think. You can reach either through Calcutta or Guwahati by
any fast train or fly down to either of these places and then to
Imphal. The airfare in the north-eastern sector is highly subsidized
and is just a little more than the first class railway fare.
Alternatively, you may take a bus from Guwahati. The road journey,
though a little tiring and time consuming, brings to you unspoilt
scenes, limitless greens, virgin forests and crisp air. However, if
you wish to travel by road, keep a passport-size photograph handy
because you will required to et an Inner Line Permit-a mere
formality- for traveling through Nagaland to reach Imphal.
Imphal boasts of the
biggest fresh water lake in the country, the Loktak. Besides Loktak,
there are a number of places an hour or two away from Imphal, each
more beautiful than the other. Moirang is just 45-kilometres away
and it is here that the flag of the Indian National Army(INA) was
first hoisted on Indian soil by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. There is
an INA museum which contains letters, photographs, badges of rank and
other articles associated with this movement. There is also a statue
of Netaji. The graceful Khamba-Thoibi dance originated here.
Keibul Lamjao National
Park at a distance of 53 kilometres is suppossed to be the last
natural habitat of the Thamin deer; Ukhrul at a distance of 83
kilomeres, is he highest hill station of the state; Moreh, 100
kilometres away, is close to the Burma border and is a commercial
center; Tengnoupal is 69 kilometres away and from here one can have a
full view of the valley of Manipur.
Remember, because this
place is situated in the extreme east of the country, the sun rises
and sets quite early. So plan your excursions accordingly.
VISITING IMPHAL
GETTING THERE
By Air
Indian Airlines Connect
Imphal with Delhi via Guwahati by daily Airbus service. Imphal is
also connected with Calcutta via Silchar by a daily Boeing Service
Vayudoot connects Imphal with Calcutta and Dimapur, thrice a week
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
By Rail
Dimapur, 215 kilometres
from Imphal, is the nearest railhead for Manipur.
By Road
Imphal is connected by
road with Dimapur by National highway No.39 and Silchar by National
Highway No.53 (269 kilometres)
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Taxis are available but
they have no fixed charges Autorickshaws and cycle-rickshaws have
fares according to distance
SHOPPING
Sales Emporium, Manipur
Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd., (A
Government of Manipur undertaking), Paona Bazaar, Imphal Tel:20340
Eastern Handlooms and
Handicrafts, Paona Bazaar, Imphal Maximum Temperature 32 C.
Clothing Warm clothes
from
November to February and
cottons for the rest of the year.
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