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Imphal Airport Experience

As soon as you land at Imphal Airport, you will experience the open sky and fresh air. This small but attractive airport with green roofs of Manipur is so simple that you can directly enter the building on foot after deboarding the plane. Away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan cities, Imphal city is famous for its natural beauty and cultural diversity. Here the youth are seen in modern clothes, while many women are seen in traditional clothes like blouse, phanek and fine scarf. The long tilak of sandalwood from nose to forehead further enhances the beauty of those women.

Ima Market

Ima Market, which symbolizes women's participation, is located in the center of the city. 'Ima' means mother, and this market is run by mothers. There are stalls run only by women, where traditional attire like blouses, phanek, dupattas, shawls, chadars, gamchas and puja items are available.

Visit to Kangla Fort

There are two major places to visit in Imphal: Kangla Fort and Loktal Lake. Kangla Fort, situated on the banks of the Imphal River, means 'head of land' in the Meitei language. This fort used to be the capital of the dynasty's rulers of Manipur and even today it is an important historical site for the local residents.

At the main gate of the fort there are sculptures of two lion figures, which are called the God of Gods. Golf carts were available here, but we decided to explore on foot. There are many museums inside Kangla Fort.

Kangla Museum

In this museum, objects to ancient rulers and their history can be seen.

Boat Museum

Boats of ancient rulers and information to them are available here.

Archaeological Museum

By visiting the Archaeological Museum, we get in-depth information about the history of Manipur.

Sanamahi and Pakhamba Temple

Sanamahi and Pakhamba temples are extremely beautiful. The Sanamahi temple is an excellent example of Meitei architecture, with the motif of horns, which the Meitei people consider auspicious. There are other places of interest here, such as the statue of Maharaja Narasimha on horseback and the mausoleum of Raja Bodhchandra. The fort also has the palace of the kings and a polo ground. Shri Govind Ji Temple has been built by Maharaja Narsingh, which is one of the major tourist places of Imphal.

Important travel information

To reach Imphal, you will have to go to Dimapur or Guwahati by train, from where you can take a bus to Imphal. Apart from this, one can also reach here directly by flight from major cities of the country.

The best time to visit here is between September to April, when the weather is pleasant. Indian citizens are required to obtain an Inner Line Permit for travel in the state of Manipur, which is now also available online. Applications can be made on the official portal of Manipur Government. Additionally, it can also be availed from Manipur Bhavan in Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. This facility is also available at Imphal Airport, for which copy of passport or Aadhar card is required. Its fee is Rs 100. Protected Area Permit is required for foreign nationals.