Imphal: Manipur

Imphal is the capital of Manipur, India. The Imphal Valley is drained by several small rivers originating from the hills surrounding it. These include the Imphal, Iril, Sekmai, Thoubal, and Khuga rivers. ‘Ima Keithel’ at Khwairamband Bazar is the only market in the world where, as the name suggests, all the stalls are run by women.

In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Until 2003, the grounds used to be occupied by the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force. Another place of historical interest is the Polo Ground which is the oldest existing polo ground in the world. Near the Polo Ground is the Manipur State Museum, which has a good collection of old artifacts and nice pictures depicting the history of Manipur.

In 1944 during World War II the Battle of Imphal, along with the simultaneous Battle of Kohima, was the turning point in the Burma Campaign. For the first time in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II the Japanese lost the initiative to the Allies which they then retained until the end of the war.

The state is also famous for inhabiting the Brow-antlered Deer called the Sangai. This species of the deer is only found in Manipur and is on the verge of extinction. Last count of Sangai deer revealed only 162 left in the Keibul Lamjao National Park.