Imphal

One of the untouched and pure destinations in India is this archaic town of Imphal. It is a small picturesque valley, which has been placed comfortably in the northeastern corner of the Indian state of Manipur. The place houses remains of archaic palaces, beautifully structured temples and the grandiose ceremonial houses as well as forests of plush green trees. The mountain ranges of Koubrou and Namaijing with the thick white blankets of clouds floating over the plush dense trees and meadows make a breathtaking sight for the visitors. This town of Imphal, which is one of the oldest towns in India, is located in the middle of the valley of Manipur. 

                                   TOURIST PLACES IN IMPHAL

Shree Govindajee Temple: During the era of the Maharajas, the place used to witness utmost intellectual activities. The structure contains two numbers of domes and an elevated hall for people attending to worship. This place is situated close to the Maharaja’s Royal Palace.

Women's Market or Ima Keithel: This market is full of hustle bustle of daily life. One can observe the busy bodies roaming around amidst the wonder vibrant textiles. There are two principal parts of this bazaar. In one part, one can find different types of vegetables, fruits and other needy products. In the second part one can find various handloom items. The unique feature of the market place is that as many as 3000 mothers or ‘Imas’ in local language, operate the shops.

Manipur Zoological Gardens: In the Manipur Zoological Gardens one can find the Brow Antlered Deer. It is an endangered species. The distance between Imphal and this zoological garden is a mere 6 Kms. The zoo contains vast area of unclosed land.

Manipur State Museum: In this Museum of Imphal, the tourists can see the items related to history and also items related to the tribal communities – their traditions and customs. One can see the art items of the previous Ningthourels of the state of Manipur. Other things on display in the museum are the attires of the citizens and soldiers, arms and different weapons of various tribal groups as well as archaic manuscripts. 

Matai Garden: In a place called Matai, this garden is located. It is located at a distance of 5 Kms towards the north direction on the National Highway Number 39 in the Imphal east district. The name ‘Ibudhou Asheiningthou’ has been given to this garden. The name has been derived from the name of a local God of Matai named Ibudhou Asheiningthou. The presence of the countless Duranta plant, which ornaments the entire garden, makes this place quite famous.

Sambal- Lei-Sekpil garden: In a place called Sagolban, Imphal in the direction of the Tidim road, a place called the Sambal- Lei-Sekpil garden is located. The presence of Sambal-Lei-Sekpil has made this place renowned all over the globe. The word ‘sambal’ stands for fence, the word ‘lei’ stands for flower while the word ‘sekpil’ means topiary. On 26th November, in the year 1999, the Guinness Book of Records was given to this flower because of its altitude of 50 feet 35 steps.

                                     HOW TO REACH IMPHAL

By air: The town of Imphal has got its own airport. Connecting flights from all major locations are available.

By rail: The nearest railway station is the Dimapur railway station, which is located at a distance of 215 Kms from Imphal.

By road: NH 39 links Imphal to Dimapur, while NH 53 links Imphal to Silchar. Road transportation includes buses, jeeps, taxis and private cars.