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East India - Manipur
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Fast Facts |
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Area: 22,327 sq km
Population: 2.3 million
Capital: Imphal
Climate
Summer
(Mar to June) - Warm
Monsoon
(July to September) - Warm and Humid
Winter
(October to February)-
Chilly and Very Cold
Clothing
Summer - Cottons
Winter - woollens.
Languages spoken
Manipuri, Hindi, English, Burmese, Tibeto
Best Time to visit
October to February. |
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Manipur, which literally means "the land of jewels", has
been described by Lord Irwin as "the Switzerland of India".
The tranquil green state has all the fine tints of a watercolour.
Faiths, traditions and life styles seem to flow into each other so
seamlessly that it is impossible to know where one ends and the other
begins.
Geography
Manipur boasts of an exotic landscape with gently undulating hills,
emerald green valleys, blue lakes and dense forests watered by rivers
threading out of the dark, mist-topped, ranges. The terrain changes
from parts resembling the delicate valley of Kangra (north of the
plains of Punjab), to those like the flat sub-mountain lands of Kerala
(deep in the warm south of India). |
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The characteristics of the Manipuri people vary according to geographical
divisions. The Meitees inhabit the plains, and the Kukis and Nagas
live in the hills. Early Manipuris were followers of Hinduism, and
believed in the hierarchy of the Gods. Many of the hill-dwellers have
converted to Christianity, while the majority of those residing in
the plains continue to be Hindus. Older forms of worship, however,
continue to exist in the veneration of forest deities known as Umang
Lais. They are represented as metal masks, similar to the deities
of other Himalayan people such as the Himachalis of Kulu.
Like the Nair women of Kerala, the women of Manipur are trained in
the fierce local Martial art known as Thang-ta. Dressed in black,
they look like lithe, vicious felines. When their swords clash, sparks
fly. |
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Dance: |
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In marked contrast, is the delicate, marionette-like, Manipuri dance.
The choreographers of this very feminine dance must ensure that the
faces of the women are veiled at all times, that there is no gesture
or eye-contact between the dancers and their audience, that the movements
of the lower part of the body are minimal, that the bottom half of
the costumes are heavy and concealing, and that the mudra gestures
and movements merely suggest the relationship between the dancers
and their Divine Master, Lord Krishna. |
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Cities: |
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Imphal
Manipur's capital city is a mini-metropolis. Visit:
• Govindajee Temple
• Shaheed Minarin
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Tikendrajit Park
• War Cemetry
• State Museum
• Khwairamband Bazaar |
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Headlines for today: |
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