A Bengalis review: 3 day Imphal-Manipur tour
I took a flight from Kolkata airport for imphal. I figured out on the internet based research that there is nothing much to do and I kept the 3rd day of the trip for ukhrul-shirohi peak trekking. I did all the planning and bookings 3 months prior.
I took an indigo flight and landed there in noon. The journey is about 1 hour 20 minutes. I had already asked my hotel- sangai continental, to arrange for an airport pickup.
Most of the sight seeing spots are close to the hotel I booked. They are close to the city centre too.
The imphal airport is quite small,neat, simple but security is quite high compared to Bangalore, paro international airport (bhutan) or Kolkata airport. I have been to all these aforementioned airports personally.on the way down you (flight landing during day time) may get an aerial view of loktak lake.
The hotel has sent me ROM cab. There is no ola and uber in imphal, Manipur. There are few other cab services like rom cab, they are be cab, virgin cab.Later, I came to understand that ROM cab had b2b ties with sangai continental hotel.
I was with my wife and mother in law. Based on our overall feedback, I jot down the below mentioned points-
1. No skyscrapers in capital city imphal,manipur
2. No intercity bus service, either its trekker type shared bajaj ape ride like we have in west Bengal outskirts.
3. No taxi, tram, train, mostly manual traffic signals
4. No malls or shopping complex
5. No multiplex movie halls
6. Separatist spray painted slogans in certain places
7. More paramilitary than police and armoured vehicles
8. The road quality is quite good,wide and less traffic makes it look vacant
9. Traffic laws less strictly implemented for example bikers without helmets, 4 wheel drivers without seat belt, both 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers without number plates still plying on the road. In fact, I saw a jeep brand car without number plate
10. No or nearly invisible restaurants, bars, etc.no McDonald, reliance trends, reliance fresh,Spencer, big bazaar, pantaloons, etc.
11. Pace of life is very very slow compared to Kolkata
12) they have on their own decided not to accept ₹10 coins
13) on Sundays, everything remains closed, even ATMs
14) Wash rooms in every sightseeing place which is good
1. No skyscrapers in capital city imphal,manipur
2. No intercity bus service, either its trekker type shared bajaj ape ride like we have in west Bengal outskirts.
3. No taxi, tram, train, mostly manual traffic signals
4. No malls or shopping complex
5. No multiplex movie halls
6. Separatist spray painted slogans in certain places
7. More paramilitary than police and armoured vehicles
8. The road quality is quite good,wide and less traffic makes it look vacant
9. Traffic laws less strictly implemented for example bikers without helmets, 4 wheel drivers without seat belt, both 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers without number plates still plying on the road. In fact, I saw a jeep brand car without number plate
10. No or nearly invisible restaurants, bars, etc.no McDonald, reliance trends, reliance fresh,Spencer, big bazaar, pantaloons, etc.
11. Pace of life is very very slow compared to Kolkata
12) they have on their own decided not to accept ₹10 coins
13) on Sundays, everything remains closed, even ATMs
14) Wash rooms in every sightseeing place which is good
We decided to spend half day on ROM cab and cover as much as possible of the sight seeing spots. It costed us ₹1300/-.
We were able to cover kangla fort, Manipur state museum, shahid minar, British war cemetery, govinda ji temple.
As I mentioned before, there is no ola, uber, taxi.so, booking cab through hotel came as prudent. Oh! I almost forgot rate varies based on car model. Maruti swift is the lowest model giving the basic package touring price for every where.
Now, I want to go sight seeing spots one by one-
1) kangla fort- nominal ticket fee for entry. Huge complex. Architectural look different from what a traveller would have experienced in Rajasthani forts. The fort is on a plain land surrounded by a moat, no high walls, stone walls, observation posts observed.Clean,green and well maintained. Security personnel at regular intervals.it's a spot for local couples to spend time, after school kids to cycle around or just laze. The museum is on the extreme end and quite rich in history. The language spoken in this state is bangla but accent and certain words are so different that it is a foreign language for me although my mother tongue is bangla. There is an old govinda ji temple which you will find it closed.
2) Manipur State Museum - Except money purse you can not take anything inside. Entry ticket is quite low. Museum is rich in artifacts,texts,scriptures and items which will enhance your knowledge of manipur. There are several large handmade paintings which I really liked.
3) Manipur Polo Ground and Shahid Minar- Polo ground is not open to public except on sangai festival. However, yo can have a fair look of the ground from the adjacent shahid minar. No entry fee for Shahid minar. It is a place of relaxation, for couples and for making music perhaps. A saw a girl group strumming on the guiter and stopped on seeing us (tourists).
4) Ima Keithel- This point is totally based on the observation by my wife and mother in law. The market is a women operated market of cheap, 2nd hand goods mostly. There are no specific sections.So, an apparel retailer has a shop next to a fish retailer. The sellers didnt speak english or hindi.So, there was communication problem. Anyways, the 2 ladies (wife+mother in law) concluded the purchasing power of locals are extremely low and we will not buy the quality of items for sale and given the condition of the market.
5) British WW2 Cemtery - the place has no entry fee. Place is well maintained, calm, silent. I took pictures of several cemetries with indian regiment names as well as different british, scottish, irish regiments who were here in India.
6) Govinda ji temple - the temple is dedicated to Jagannath and Lord Krishna. Architecture inside is quite nice apart from the ambience. Try to go towards the evening when they have evening ritual. Notice the use of metallic ceremonial conches which is exclusive for Hindu rituals in Manipur. There is no commercialization of religion in and around the temple.So, no one is going to pester you or seduce you to offer puja that we see in other temples around India like puri. We were by chance there during the religious ritual and without asking, we were offered cucumber 9offering for gods) to us by priests there.
Day 2: Started at 8:30 am; car rent - INR 3500/-
1) Keibul Lamjao National park - The only floating national park in the world and is home to sangai deer. Sangai deer has religious significance like dragons for chinese. Entry ticket is cheap and car will take you till the observation post on the hill. I was able to locate a sangai deer close by. There is also a provision to take you by a boat for 500 m and back which we declined.
2)Loktak Lake- The sight seeing vantage point is inside a privately owned resort which charges a nominal fee to go to the observation post and see around the lake. Then we drove out to the Loktak lake pier and purchased a package of INR 500 for a round trip on a motor boat for a kilometer or two around the lake. The journey was pleasant, quality of boats were nice and we were given safety vests.
3) INA Museum @ Moirang- the museum was closed due to durga puja (Ocotber-sunday,2019). Generally it stays closed on mondays. We were allowed to walk around the building and just opposite the Museum is a raised platform for car parking. You have to pay car parking fee which is nominal. At the end of the car parking i came across a dilapidated looking building which looked more like a godown and on closer observation, I was shocked to learn they are palaces of erstwhile meitei kings.
4) Sadu Chiru Waterfall - It is not for people with knee problems and when we were on the way down it has already started raining. Its totally forested and at least on 3 points We were asked for entry fees which were quite nominal. The road towards the waterfall is quite beautiful. We also say women openly selling rice liquor along the path to the waterfall. We only say 2 tourist group there and we were one of them. There was another college or school children group who has hijacked the closest point to the waterfall.
Day 3 - Car rent - INR 4500 till Ukhrul Bazar + INR 850 for 30 Km round trip from Ukhrul Bazar to Shirohi peak
1 way journey is 3 hours 30 minutes. The slope is 60 to 75 degree straight to the top in the form of small stairs not the snake like path around the hill along the ridge line.so, its an absolute no no for children and people who cant walk. It will take around 1 hour for locals and 2 hours for non trekkers. We had to come down 30 minutes away from the peak because there is staircase and hand railing construction going on and the labourers, one of whom spoke english to our shock and surprise appraised us about the wet cement and slush ahead. WE calculated it would damage our shoes and make it difficult while coming down. There is construction work going on at the base of the hill also.
There were no public toilets so there were night stays. We had to use wash room so our driver drove to ukhrul bazar and talked to a local lodging. They allowed to use their washrooms for free. The washrooms were not very up market but served our purpose and we are really thankful for the owners for this gesture.
We also came across a black and white spotted puppy. If you find it give some love on our behalf. The puppy was super cute and we wanted to take it but then......
Please come to this state. It is of extreme historical significance for Indian history. For foreigners coming to India for the first time and starting from this state,please dont judge India based on this state. You will require a special permit excluding visa.
1) kangla fort- nominal ticket fee for entry. Huge complex. Architectural look different from what a traveller would have experienced in Rajasthani forts. The fort is on a plain land surrounded by a moat, no high walls, stone walls, observation posts observed.Clean,green and well maintained. Security personnel at regular intervals.it's a spot for local couples to spend time, after school kids to cycle around or just laze. The museum is on the extreme end and quite rich in history. The language spoken in this state is bangla but accent and certain words are so different that it is a foreign language for me although my mother tongue is bangla. There is an old govinda ji temple which you will find it closed.
2) Manipur State Museum - Except money purse you can not take anything inside. Entry ticket is quite low. Museum is rich in artifacts,texts,scriptures and items which will enhance your knowledge of manipur. There are several large handmade paintings which I really liked.
3) Manipur Polo Ground and Shahid Minar- Polo ground is not open to public except on sangai festival. However, yo can have a fair look of the ground from the adjacent shahid minar. No entry fee for Shahid minar. It is a place of relaxation, for couples and for making music perhaps. A saw a girl group strumming on the guiter and stopped on seeing us (tourists).
4) Ima Keithel- This point is totally based on the observation by my wife and mother in law. The market is a women operated market of cheap, 2nd hand goods mostly. There are no specific sections.So, an apparel retailer has a shop next to a fish retailer. The sellers didnt speak english or hindi.So, there was communication problem. Anyways, the 2 ladies (wife+mother in law) concluded the purchasing power of locals are extremely low and we will not buy the quality of items for sale and given the condition of the market.
5) British WW2 Cemtery - the place has no entry fee. Place is well maintained, calm, silent. I took pictures of several cemetries with indian regiment names as well as different british, scottish, irish regiments who were here in India.
6) Govinda ji temple - the temple is dedicated to Jagannath and Lord Krishna. Architecture inside is quite nice apart from the ambience. Try to go towards the evening when they have evening ritual. Notice the use of metallic ceremonial conches which is exclusive for Hindu rituals in Manipur. There is no commercialization of religion in and around the temple.So, no one is going to pester you or seduce you to offer puja that we see in other temples around India like puri. We were by chance there during the religious ritual and without asking, we were offered cucumber 9offering for gods) to us by priests there.
Day 2: Started at 8:30 am; car rent - INR 3500/-
1) Keibul Lamjao National park - The only floating national park in the world and is home to sangai deer. Sangai deer has religious significance like dragons for chinese. Entry ticket is cheap and car will take you till the observation post on the hill. I was able to locate a sangai deer close by. There is also a provision to take you by a boat for 500 m and back which we declined.
2)Loktak Lake- The sight seeing vantage point is inside a privately owned resort which charges a nominal fee to go to the observation post and see around the lake. Then we drove out to the Loktak lake pier and purchased a package of INR 500 for a round trip on a motor boat for a kilometer or two around the lake. The journey was pleasant, quality of boats were nice and we were given safety vests.
3) INA Museum @ Moirang- the museum was closed due to durga puja (Ocotber-sunday,2019). Generally it stays closed on mondays. We were allowed to walk around the building and just opposite the Museum is a raised platform for car parking. You have to pay car parking fee which is nominal. At the end of the car parking i came across a dilapidated looking building which looked more like a godown and on closer observation, I was shocked to learn they are palaces of erstwhile meitei kings.
4) Sadu Chiru Waterfall - It is not for people with knee problems and when we were on the way down it has already started raining. Its totally forested and at least on 3 points We were asked for entry fees which were quite nominal. The road towards the waterfall is quite beautiful. We also say women openly selling rice liquor along the path to the waterfall. We only say 2 tourist group there and we were one of them. There was another college or school children group who has hijacked the closest point to the waterfall.
Day 3 - Car rent - INR 4500 till Ukhrul Bazar + INR 850 for 30 Km round trip from Ukhrul Bazar to Shirohi peak
1 way journey is 3 hours 30 minutes. The slope is 60 to 75 degree straight to the top in the form of small stairs not the snake like path around the hill along the ridge line.so, its an absolute no no for children and people who cant walk. It will take around 1 hour for locals and 2 hours for non trekkers. We had to come down 30 minutes away from the peak because there is staircase and hand railing construction going on and the labourers, one of whom spoke english to our shock and surprise appraised us about the wet cement and slush ahead. WE calculated it would damage our shoes and make it difficult while coming down. There is construction work going on at the base of the hill also.
There were no public toilets so there were night stays. We had to use wash room so our driver drove to ukhrul bazar and talked to a local lodging. They allowed to use their washrooms for free. The washrooms were not very up market but served our purpose and we are really thankful for the owners for this gesture.
We also came across a black and white spotted puppy. If you find it give some love on our behalf. The puppy was super cute and we wanted to take it but then......
Please come to this state. It is of extreme historical significance for Indian history. For foreigners coming to India for the first time and starting from this state,please dont judge India based on this state. You will require a special permit excluding visa.
After coming back from Manipur trip I came to learn about the tribal hostilities between kuki and nagas leading to riots and deaths of 1000 people in 1993. Similar, situation has sprung up on the 100 years celebration of Anglo kuki war.
Rom cab rates:-
Rom cab rates:-
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