Places to see in Imphal

Imphal, the capital city of Manipur will be the entry or exit point for Manipur trip if you are travelling by air. There are quite some places to see in Imphal for a tourist. In this post, I will explain about few places we saw during the trip.

Kangla fort

The most important place in Imphal for a tourist. It has a rich history and was the cradle of civilization for the people of Manipur. Interesting to note that it was the seat of power of Ningthouja dynasty that ruled from 33 AD to 1891 AD till their defeat to British. It was one of the longest lasting dynasties in the world. I never knew about it until I visited Kangla fort. Sadly, history of India as taught in schools is a pity as it only glorifies a dynasty that ruled just 300 years.

 

Kangla fort is situated in the heart of Imphal occupies a huge area. Unlike the typical forts we see in India, Kangla does not have huge fortifications in terms of walls or other giant structures. Double layer moat and Imphal river forms the boundary of the fort.

 

There are three options to explore the fort.

• Explore of your own – it is a large area requires a bit of walking.
• Hire a guide and travel on a battery-operated vehicle (Rs 150/- per head)
• Travel on a battery-operated vehicle. I do not remember the price.

Kangla Museum

We chose the second option and it was fully worth the money. The guide was very knowledgeable and gave us a nice tour of the fort. The first place we visited was the museum. It was once a hospital and now one of the wings is converted to museum. It provides a good overview of the history of the fort.  A very nicely maintained place.

Shree Govindajee temple

This is the old temple dedicated to Lord Govinda and Radha. The temple is unused now and a replica of the same is constructed in Imphal city. The idols were also moved to the new temple.

Ruins of the Citadel and Uttra

It is the coronation site of the Manipur kings. Most of it was destroyed in the Anglo Manipur war of 1891. The two huge “Kangla Sha”, considered as the protector. It is the site where four British officers were beheaded and subsequently Britishers destroyed the place after occupying Kangla fort.

Pakhangba temple

A very beautiful temple dedicated to lord Pakhangba, the ruling deity of Manipur.

Boat house

An excellent display of giant boats used for snake boat race.

 

The fort also houses many British period cottages and buildings. After Independence, the fort came under the control of Assam Rifles. In 2004, it was handed over to the state Government of Manipur. The occupation of the fort by Assam Rifles was a major discontent among the people of Manipur.

 

The guided tour lasted little more than an hour. The whole area was very peaceful with only very few visitors.

Ima Keithel (Ladies market)

This is a unique market which is run by only women, about 3,000 of them. This market is spread across three buildings. It is very crowded and could put off many people. It is a good place to bargain and buy fruits, vegetables and clothes. While Sankara and me found a relatively peaceful place and settled, Pavithra and Chaya enjoyed shopping!! Kids decided to stay with us.

Shaheed Minar

Housed in Bir Tirkendrajit Park, this tower was constructed to honour the martyrs of Anglo Manipur war of 1891. Tikendrajit Singh was the prince of Manipur during that time and was instrumental in the revolution during the war. He was later hanged by British.

Imphal War Cemetery and Indian Army War Cemetery

During Second World War, Imphal witnessed massive battle between British and Japanese forces which finally led to the defect of Japan. There are two cemeteries in Imphal – Imphal War Cemetery that mainly has the burials of soldiers from commonwealth countries and Indian Army War Cemetery has graves of Indian soldiers.

 

It is sad to see that most soldiers were at their late teen and early twenties. Some graves do not have a name. It makes the heart heavy.

Other places

We had to drop few places due to the reschedule of our flight to Imphal, which reduced our time in Imphal and the rain on one of the evenings also played spoilsport.

• Nupi Lal Memorial Complex
• Manipur State Museum
• Langthabal Konung
• Shree Govindajee Temple
• Khongjom War Memorial