Rotaract Club of Imphal

Manipur - Graceful Contours

The erstwhile princely state of Manipur is a jewel of a land with its
bounteous vistas of untrammeled beauty and ancient traditions. Set in
an oval valley amongst smoky blue hills, it is the home of the Meitei who
dominate the populace, which is an admixture of Naga and Kuki-Chin
Mizo groups amongst other colourful communities. The serenity of these
pristine and isolated environs has permeated the lifestyle of these
people with a lavish hand, allowing them to live for centuries in harmony.
The Manipuri's inspiration arises from the wondrous balance of the flora
and fauna that abound in its environs. Almost 70 per cent of the land is
under forest cover. The stunning combination of wet forests, temperate
forests and pine forests sustain a host of rare and endemic plant and
animal life. Some of the world's rarest orchids spring from the fertile soil.
Denizens of the forest include the rare hoolock gibbon, the snow leopard
and slow loris amongst a galaxy of other rare fauna. Indigenous to
Manipur's rich natural heritage is the sangai - the dancing deer, the
rarest of creatures that is facing extinction.

Manipur is reputed for its tradition of the arts. Weaving (done by the
women) is a time-honoured occupation, fine-tuned to an art form with its
intricate designs in the dazzling range of sarees, sarongs, shawls and
bedspreads. Each home has a loom. Even the state's martial arts are
recognised for their almost poetic traditions. The economic and fluid
movements of the spear dance (Ta Khousarol) and sword fight (Thang
Yannaba) have a sinuous beauty. This playful, sports loving community
is reputed for its indigenous version of Sagol Kangjei or Polo (it was the
first place in India to have evolved this sport of kings), the Mukna Kangjei
- (wrestling hockey) and Yubi-Lakpi, a form of rugby played with a
greased coconut.

Also known as the land of Radha and Krishna, Manipur, in the best of
traditions, has gifted to India's classical dance repertoire her lyrical Ras
Leela dance that re-enacts the love story of Radha and Krishna. The Lai
Haraoba (Spring Festival) is also celebrated with the Manipuri's graceful
movements in all dance forms. Even its expressive tribal folk dances are
performed with traditionally aesthetic movements.

Recommended Tourist Circuits

1.
     Imphal - Moirang -Loktak Lake - Keibul lamjao nnational park and back.
     Imphal- Ukhrul - Imphal

2.
Access
     Imphal, the capital, is connected by air with Delhi and Kolkata. The nearest railhead is Dimapur. Imphal is
     connected by road with Kohima, Guwahati, Silchar and Shillong.
Temperature
     Summer: WC to 32°C. Winter: O°C to 25°C
Best Time to Visit
     From October to March. The monsoons are from April to October.














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