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Learn About Places Manipur > Imphal East


Imphal East

Imphal East Manipur

History of Imphal East :: Imphal East District came into existence on  18-06-1997 with its head quarters at Porompat occupying the eastern part of Imphal District. The District is situated in two separate valleys of the state namely Central Valley and Jiribam Valley. The total area of District is 469.44 sq. km. approximately. The District is situated at an altitude 790 metres above the M.S. Level. The climate of the District is salubrious and Monsoon is tropical. The minimum temperature goes down to 0.6degree Celsius in winter and 41 degree Celsius in summer. It has no rail network and hence communication is entirely dependent on roads except Jiribam Sub-Division bordering Cachar District of Assam where there is a railhead. The District is connected with N.H. 39, N.H. 53 and N.H. 150.

POPULATION :: The population of District is 3,30,460 according to 1991 census. The rural population is 2,54,644 (77.06%) whereas the urban population of the district is 75,816 (22.94%). Literacy in the District is 68.05% as per 1991 census. As per 1991 census, male population is 1,68,125 whereas female population of the district is 1,62,335. The population of the Scheduled Castes in the district is 13,153 which is 3.98% of the total population of the district. The population of Scheduled Tribes in the district is 19,191 which is 5.81% of the total population.

AGRICULTURE  :: Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in the district. In the district there are 27,000 and 4,100 hectares of land for H.Y.V. (high yield variety) and improved local paddy field respectively. There are land of 450 hectares for maize, 60 hectares for wheat and 350 hectares for potato in the district. The main food crops are paddy, potato and vegetables. Among the cash crops are sugar cane, maize, pulse, oil seed and other vegetables etc. The total number of workers engaged in agriculture in the district was 42,473 as per 1991 census of which 28,661 were male and 13,812 were female. Spices like chilli, onion, ginger, turmeric and coriander of very good quality are grown in the district.

TOURISM :: There are two tourist home in the district, one is at Kaina and another at Jiribam. In the district, the natural beauty of Poirou Pat rounded with the small hillock is beyond description. Shree-Shree Govindajee Temple, a beautiful golden temple located in the palace compound is still shining here. The two war Cemeteries that maintained by British war grave commission might be attractive to the tourists. In addition to this there is a temple at Kaina a holy place of the Hindu. Besides, Hanuman Temple at Mahabali is a pre-historical place in the State. Manipur is famous for it's scenic beauty, enchanting landscape, salubrious climate and rich cultural heritage which has a great potential for development of tourism.

HISTORICAL PLACES

Temple of Shree Shree Govindaji :: The temple of Shree Shhree Govindaji was originally built in 1846 A.D during the reign of Maharaj Nara Singh.It was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1868A.D and again reconstructed during the period of Maharaj Chandrakirti.The temple measures 16.95m in length and 18.63m in breadth.The whole structure stands on a 1.34m high plinth
   
Temple of Shri Krishna :: The temple of Shri Krishna at Brahmapur Guru Aribam Leikai,Imphal is attributed to Maharaj garibniwaza(1709-48 A.D) and is beleived to have been built in 1722 A.D.The style of the temple is typical Bengal hut type architecture common in Bengal during the 18th century.It is indicativeof the influence from Bengal The area protected is 124.2sqm
   
Thangal General :: The temple is attribured to Kangabam Chitananda Singh popular as Thangal General in Manipur history .He is son of Kangabam Kshtri Singh of Wangkhei angom Leikai.Thangal General was a prominent figure in the court of Maharaj Kulachandra(1890-91A.D) and he was hanged to death by the  British for raising arms up against the crown,as follow up action after Manipurs defeat in the historic Anglo-Manipur war of 1891. The protected area is 650 sq.m.
   
Sacred Jackfruit tree site,Kaina :: Kaina is located in Thoubal district and is around 35Kms to the east of Imphal on the Imphal-Yairipok road.During the reign of Bhagyachandra Maharaj(1763-98A.D) the sacred idol of Shree Shree Govindaji was sculptured from the parts of a jackfruit tree cut from Kaina in complying to a dream in which the King saw the image of the lord,being sacred for the ardent vaishnavites,Kaina therefore assumed importance as the place where the image of the lord originated and consequently became an important religious and historical place for Meitei Hindus.The total area covered under the act is 22X18.40sqm.
   
Sekta Kei Mound :: The site is located in village Sekta and is around 18Kms north east of Imphal on the bank of the Iril river and around 4Kms north of Lamlai on the Imphal-Uhkrul road.There are reportedly 6 well demarked burial areas in village Sekta.however only one burial mound was located,excavated and protected by the State Archaeology.The total area under protection is 0.35 acre.The excavation at the Sekta burial site revealed important informations of the burial customs of the Sekta people and their social and economic life.This has helped archaelogist and historians to reasses the historical process of the people of Manipur.

FLORA AND FAUNA :: The district has a rich and varied vegetation. The climatic conditions are suitable for a wide range of flowering and non-flowering trees and shrubs, Bamboos, Pepals and Kaubila are a common sight everywhere in the valley. Eucalyptus, Amla, Parkia roxburgil (Tree bean) (Yongchak), Arundo donax (Yendhou) etc, are also very common. The hills are the homes of many valuable trees. A wide variety of medicinal plants are grown wild both in the hills and the plains. Carica papaya (Papaya), Citrus grandia (Pamelo), Mangifera indica (Mango), Prunus domestics (plum), Prumus persica (peach) Pyrus selerotine (pear), Psidium guavaya (guava), Famarindus indica (Tamarind) etc. are some of the important fruit bearing trees. A large variety of birds are also found in the district. Sparrow, swallow, owl, myna, pigeon, nightingale, king fisher, wood pecker, heron, kite etc are the common birds found in the district. The lakes and the marshy lands of the valley are the favourite habitat of a variety of rare migratory birds such as duck, geese, snipe etc, arriving particularly in winter months from places as far as Siberia. The gradual decrease in the size of the habitats and the over-hunting and the netting have greatly reduced the number of such rare migratory birds visiting the district in recent years.

Art Culture :: Manipur has been identifying itself to the world through its rich art and culture. Manipur presents a mosaic of traditions and culture patterns. Manipuri classical dance is world famous and it is very distinct from other Indian dance forms. The Ras Lila, the epitome of Manipur classical dance is based on the spiritual and eternal love of Radha and Krishna, the full incarnation of God. This dance enacts their sublime and transcendental love and the selfless devotion of the milkmaids of Vrindavan to the Lord. It is performed in the Mandap in front of the temple throughout the night and witnessed with great devotion. Ras performances are mainly of four types-Vasanta Ras, Kunja Ras, Maha Ras and Nata/Nitya Ras. At the temple of Shri Shri Govinda, Vasanta Ras is performed on the full-moon night of Hiyangei (November). After they are performed at the temple of Shri Shri Govinda, they are performed at any time of the year. Maha Ras is based on Tenth Book of the Bhagavata and Vasanta Ras on Geet Govinda of Jayadeva. A fifth type called Diva Ras is occasionally met with Ras Lila is a combination of solo, duet and grace. The richness of costumes gives luster to the beauty of the art.

Pung Cholom :: Pung is  a kind of Manipur drum. Khuyoi Tompok who ruled over Manipur during (154-264 A.D) introduced the pung having only one beating face. Since then, it has developed to the present form of ‘Meitei Pung with two beating faces. This pung has become a part and parcel of Nata Sankirtan which is an important part of Manipuri culture. Today, ’Pung Cholom’ which is a traditional dance form of the pung drummers has earned international acclamation for its charming artistic display.
   
Pena :: Pena is a stringed musical instrument of Manipur. Its origin may be traced back to a hoary past. It is called Bena in Parts of Assam. It is made up of two parts viz the penamasa and pena cheijing. Earlier, Pena was usually played by its player to invoke the gods and goddesses. But today, this musical instrument is played in musical concerts and other performances also.

Khongjom Parva :: It is a  musical narration of the Battle of Khongjom fought between the Manipuris and the British in April 1891.Dhobi Leinou started singing Khongjom Parva by thumping his hands on the knee and some times used an empty tin to thump upon. The Khongjom Parva narrators glorify the Manipuris soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland. Today the theme of singing Khongjom Parva includes the stories of Khamba and Thoibi, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the exploits of the kings of Manipur. The singer uses only a Dholok while singing.

Wari Liba  :: It is an indigenous art form of telling stories prevalent in the  State since the 17th century. The Mahabharata, and the Ramayan are the themes of such story telling. Manipuri folk song is known as ‘Khulang Ishei’. It is popular for its thematic and romantic contents. The folk songs are commonly sung by the rural folk and hill men at the time of harvesting, collecting firewood, hunting and fishing.

Unique Handloom &  Handicrafts :: Manipuri enjoys a district place amongst the Handloom zones in India. Handloom industry is the largest cottage industry in the State. This industry has been flourishing since time immemorial. One of the special features of the industry is that women are the only weavers. According to the National handloom Census Reports 1988 there are about 2.71 lakh looms in Manipur.Handloom and Handicraft goods are the important cottage and home industries taken up by the people. Among the womenfolk, handloom cloth weaving is the traditional occupation of the district. Their productions of clothes are mainly household clothes for everyday use and traditional ceremonial dress etc. They feel proud to wear clothes which they themselves have made. In some place, such as Wangkhei, Chingmeirong and Khurai areas where handloom weaver co-operative societies are concentrated. Handloom products like, Wangkhei Phi, Lashing Phi and Phanek and its different designs made  by these weavers are in great demand both in the home and outside markets as well. This occupation provides employment to almost women in the district. This can certainly be developed in the district by upgrading the skills of artisans introducing of improved looms and provision of cheap yarns. Cane and Bamboo works, Carpentry, Black smithy and Jewellery etc. are the important household industries among the male people in the district. The artisans in these trades are widely spread over the district. This enables them to supplement their meager income from agriculture.