Manipur

The literal meaning of Manipur is "Land of jewels". These jewels are in the form of emerald lakes, Blue Mountains, foaming waterfalls and exotic wildlife. It is claimed to be the birthplace of the equestrian sport of polo. Manipur's dance forms are based on "Raas Lila" linked to the life of Lord Krishna.

General Information

• Latitudes : 24° 49′ 01″N / 24.81
• Longitudes : 93° 57′ 00″E / 93.95
• Time zone : IST (UTC + 5:30)
• Area : 22,327 square kilometer (8,621 square miles)
• Capital : Imphal
• Temperature : Maximum 32° C and Minimum - 2° C
• Rainfall : 1467.5 millimeters
• ISO abbreviation : IN-MN
• Districts : Nine (9)
• Population : 23,88,634
• Density : 107 / kilometer square
• Official Language : English, Hindi & Meiteilon (Manipuri)
• Sex Ratio : 978 female per 1000 male
• Male Population : 12,07,338
• Female Population : 11,81,296
• Literacy Rate : 14, 29,656 (68.87%)
• Nearest Railway Station : Dimapur
• Nearest Airport : Guwahati (Assam). Imphal
• Major Towns : Imphal, Dimapur
• Rivers : Barak, Manipur, Imphal, Iril, Nambul, Sekmai, Chakpi, Thoubal and Khuga, Irang, Maku, Tuivai.
• Snow Fall : Occasional
• Major Crops : Timber, bamboo, rubber, tea, coffee, orange, cardamom
• Highest Peak : Saramati (3,841 metres),Mount Iso Peak (2,994 meters)
• Major Minerals : Lime Stone, Marble & Decorative Stone, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Nickle, Cobalt, Chromium, Basalt, Chert, Dunite, Gabbro, Granodiorite, Serpentine, Spilite, Pyroxenite, Quartzite
• Major Tribes : Sumi, Lothas, Angami, Ao, Kuki, Chakhesang , Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Pochury, Rongmei, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchungru, Zeliang

Places to See in Manipur

Imphal, Kaina, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Khwairamband Bazaar, Manipur Zoological Garden (6 km. from Imphal), Senapati, Ukhrul, Loktak Lake, Sendra Island, Langthabal, Moirang - Manipur State Museum

Adventure Activities in Manipur

Trekking: Loktak - Lamdan Polo: Manipur Archery – Manipur

Festivals and Fairs of Manipur

• Yaoshang Festival (February/March)
• Cheiraoba Festival (April)
• Kang Festival (July)
• Kut Festival
• Ramazan-Eid - The Festival of Manipuri Muslims
• Heiku Hidongba (September)
• Ningol Chakouba Festival (November)
• Chumpha Festival (December)
• Lui-Ngai-IMi (15th Feb) (December/January)
• Kut (1st Nov)

Wildlife of Manipur

• Keibul Lamjao National Park
• Manipur Zoological Garden (6 km from Imphal)

Pilgrimage / Places of worship in Manipur

• Shri Govindji Temple (Imphal)
• Shri Gopinath Mandir (Imphal)
• Vishnu Temple (Bishnupur)

Art and Craft of Manipur

• Cane and Bamboo (Utilities)
• Wood Carving (Wooden Tray, Spoon and Drum etc)
• Textile Weaving
• Dolls and Toys
• Stone-Carving (Bowls, Candle-stands, Grinders, Flower-vases, Plates, etc)
• Block Printing (Printing on Pillow-covers, Towels and Bed-sheets)
• Kauna (Water Reed) Mat (Mats and Cushion)
• Hand-Embroidery

Dance and Music of Manipur

Khullong Ishei (Folk Song), Pena Ishei (Folk Song), Lai Haraoba Ishei (Folk Song), Khamba Thoibi dance, Maibi Dance, Pung Cholom, Ras Lila, Nupa Pala

Cuisine of Manipur

Ngri (roasted fish and fried fish), Yongchak singju, Monica gi chakum, Aloo mattar and smoked fish, Bora (A kind of pakora), Kanghau, Khajing bora.

Connectivity of Manipur

By Air: The state has an airport in its capital Imphal, which is well connected with Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati.

By Rail: Manipur does not have any train service. But there are other north-eastern cities like Guwahati, Dimapur, Silchar which have railway stations and are serviced by important trains to and from the rest of the country.

By Road: The road network is quite efficient in Manipur. National Highway 39 connects Manipur with major cities like Guwahati, Dimapur, Kohima, Silchar in the north-eastern part on India.

Important Information

STDCode : Imphal 0385, Churchandpur 03874, Bishnupur 03879

Summer : March to May
Monsoon : June to September
Post-Monsoon : October to November
Winter : December to February

Main Languages : Manipur(Meiteilon), Hmar, Tangkhul, Paite, Kuki, English