Imphal
Imphal at a glance
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Air
Imphal has its own airport, it is 7 kilometers downtown. Imphal is connected by air with Kolkata and New Delhi. Indian Airlines, Jet Airways connects Imphal to Delhi, 4 hours Journey. Imphal to Kolkata is 1 hour, Guwahati is 50 minutes, Aizwal 30 minutes, Jorhat 35 minutes and Silchar is 30 minutes.
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Rail
By Rail - There is no direct train service to Imphal. Nearest railway station is Dimapur and Manipur Road on the North East Frontier Railway (NEF) nearly 215 kilometers from Imphal. Another railway station is in Jiribam 225 kilometers from Imphal. Or travelers can travel up to Guwahati (nearest major rail head from Imphal) by bus or by air.
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Road
Imphal to Dimapur is 8 to 9 hours journey. Buses and private vehicles are mostly used for transportation but buses are preferable. Routes are from Guwahati by NH 39 via Dimapur and Kohima, MSRTC and many other private buses are available. Manipur State Road Transport Corporation and many other private buses are available and from Silchar daily on the NH 39 via Jiribam. Mostly MSRTC and many other private buses are available.
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Andro
Andro is the village which is just around 26 kilometers away from Imphal, the capital town of the State of Manipur . Andro village is known for the cultural heritage and artful creativeness of the Manipuri tribe. This place is situated in the foothills of “Nongmaiching’, the village is a small ancient hamlet inhabited by one of the groups of the ‘Loi communities’ of Manipur which some believe were the earliest settlers of Manipur known as the ‘Chakpas’ and are ardent followers of the traditional religion and beliefs that prevailed before the onset of Hinduism in Manipur. This hamlet is now very popular to the domestic as well as to the foreign tourist also.
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Loktak Lake
Loktak lake is consider as the largest fresh water lake in whole North East India. It is also called as the only floating lake in the World due to floating plumdis. In the Loktak lake there are many phumdis which support not just birds and rich aquatic life, but also thousands of fishermen, who have developed an entire way of life on these floating islands, navigating through them on narrow boats, easily turning landmasses into waterways whenever needed, to negotiate their way through them. Visit to this lake is a lifetime experience.
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Sirohi National Park
Sirohi National Park is the smallest forest reserve of India. This National Park become favorite destination among all because of its wide valleys and the hilly terrain which give a beautiful view of the park. This National park is the home of the many wild animals including Tiger, Leopard and wild bear. Many flowers including the rarest Sirohi Lily has made this National park as the must see destination of Imphal.
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Kangla Fort & Kangla Museum
This Fort surrounded on three sides by a lake just on the banks of the Imphal River, also known as the Palace of Kangla (which means "dry land" in the Meitei language) belongs to King Pakhangba, and also has religious significance. In the fort are a number of temples.
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Govindajee Temple
The symbolic temple in Imphal adjoining the palace of the former rulers of Manipur & a historic centre for Vaisnava culture having simple and beautiful structure with gold domes, a paved court and a large, raised congregation hall. The main deity of the Temple is The presiding deity in the centre is flanked by idols of Radha Govinda, Balaram and Krishna on one side and Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on the other.
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Mahabali Temple
Dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Hanuman, Mahabali temple is located in the midst of Mahabali jungle –a region inhabited by hundreds of monkeys. Situated in close proximity to the Imphal River, this popular place of worship is visited by devotees and tourists alike. As you approach the premises of this popular temple, you will come across many flower sellers selling fragrant flowers at the entrance of the temple. It seems that this temple is truly blessed by Lord Hanuman!
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Imphat Museum
It is located near the Imp Hal Polo ground has a fairly good display of the state’s heritage and a collection of portraits of Manipur’s former rulers having Items of special interests like costumes, arms and weapons, relics and historical documents.
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Second World War Cemetery
Among the two Second World War cemeteries in Imphal as maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the first one, the Imphal War Cemetery, contains some 1,600 graves of Commonwealth soldiers, including Indians, Britons, Australians, Canadians, and East Africans. The second cemetery is the Imphal Indian Army War Cemetery which contains 828 graves, most of which are of Muslim soldiers of the British Indian Army. The cemetery also includes the Imphal Cremation Memorial which commemorates 868 Sikh and Hindu soldiers who were cremated.
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Jewellery
Like many others parts of India, Manipur loves its gold. Weddings and other special occasions are time for the glittering metal to make its public appearance. It is traditional to make most jewellery out of pure gold but given the costs, gold-plated and costume jewellery are gaining buyers.
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Handicrafts
Bamboo, cane, cloth, clay, cotton and wood are popular raw materials used for various handicrafts in Manipur. The bridal doll, wearing a traditional Manipur wedding costume, is a fun souvenir to take back. Cane and bamboo craft centres produce a wide variety of products including mats, baskets, trays for daily use as well as showcase items.
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Chamthong or Kangshoi
This dish is very popular in Manipur. It is a vegetable stew. It consists of seasonal vegetables that are boiled and flavoured with sliced onions, cloves, salt, garlic, maroi and a bit of ginger. This stew is served with rice or fish and is supposed to be consumed piping hot.
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Eromba
Here is another favorite dish among the Manipuris. Their cuisine almost always includes a type of fish called Ngari. Eromba is prepared by boiling a tonne of vegetables along with some dry fish. It is mixed until the texture becomes like a paste. Finally, it is garnished with maroi and a sprinkle of coriander leaves.
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Paaknam
Similar to a pancake, this fish cake is prepared with the traditional Ngari fish. It is finally wrapped up in a banana leaf and steamed. It is considered to be quite a delicacy and is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike! Paakam is served with a sweet chilli sauce.