Visit to Cultural City of Imphal in the State of Manipur in India

Manipur is a small state in India, which is situated at the South of Nagaland and North of Mizoram. Manipur is known as the land of dances. The famous Manipuri dance is the gift of this historical state of India. The total area of Manipur is around 22300 square kilometers. Imphal is the capital city of this State. I had an opportunity to visit Imphal once before around 6 years. I was amazed by the natural beauty of this beautiful metropolitan city.

The city of Imphal has lots of historical importance starting from Mahabharata times. The Pandavas had stayed here for around three years during their twelve years long stay of forest. The tourists can reach Imphal by air from Delhi, Calcutta, Guvahati, and Silture through daily flights. The nearest railway station is Dimapur, which is around 125 miles away from Imphal. Imphal can also be reached via other railway station of Giriban, which is around 130 miles away from Imphal. Imphal is also well connected by road from all the major cities like Guvahati and Silture. The best option to reach Imphal is by air from any of the major cities of India. There are some unique sites seeing spots here at Imphal. The famous temple of Lord Govindji is the most vital of them all. This ancient Vaishnav temple attracts many tourists from all over the country. There are two golden summits to this temple. The main hall of this temple is circular in shape and many important dance functions are held here in front of the statue of Lord Krishna. The statues of Lord Vishnu, Lord Jagannath and Lord Balram are also placed at this temple. The State museum at Imphal is having a very large collection of arts, paintings, sculptures, and the life size photographs of all the kings of Manipur. This state museum remains open on all week days from Monday to Saturday and remains closed on Sunday. The nominal entrance fee is charged at this famous historical museum.

There is a most unique market called Khwair Amaband market here at Imphal. Only women are allowed to do business in this market. Around 10000 shops, all owned and handled by women, are situated at this market. The tourists from all over the world visit this unique market for shopping. There is a famous grave yard in Imphal, where all the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives during both the world wars have been cremated. The full names of such 6400 soldiers are engraved on one pillar at this grave yard. Imphal is famous for handicrafts and the items like woolen shawls, scarfs, and the most colorful artistic bed sheets. The colorful and beautiful dolls are also available at Imphal in large varieties. There are many nice hotels available at Imphal. Some of these hotels are Hotel Excellency, Hotel Imphal International, Hotel Continental, Hotel Maharaja, and Hotel White Palace. We had stayed at Hotel White Palace during our stay at Imphal. This is a small hotel having only around 15 rooms. But the cleanliness and the facilities of this hotel are really worth appreciating. The rates for a nice double room are around Rs.2000 ($50) per day here at Hotel White Palace. The stay of around two to three days at Imphal can be sufficient for the tourists. The weather of this beautiful city of Imphal remains pleasant all throughout the year. The dance programs of local Manipuri dance are also worth attending in the city of Imphal. Such programs are held regularly on every Sunday at the city town hall of Imphal.

Imphal attracts thousands of tourists every year from all over the world due to its scenic natural beauty and its cultural heritage. If you are fond of visiting highly cultural places, Imphal is the place for you.