Introduction to Manipur

Due to its geographical situation, Manipur is a shining pearl in the Himalayan system. Jawaharlal Nehru once described Manipur as the 'Jewel of India'. Manipur is a natural delight with hills around the cup-shaped valley and numerous small lakes and swamps. Manipur had been a Union Territory from 1956 and became a full-fledged state from 1972. Manipuri was recognised as a national language in 1992.

Brief History of Manipur

Manipur has population of two groups, the people who inhabit the hills called the Nagas and those who inhabit the valley called the Meiteis. The hills are also inhabited by the group called the Kukis. Imphal is the political capital of Manipur. The earliest recorded history dates to 900 AD. In the course of its history there have been several invasions from Myanmar (Burma), which borders with Manipur and numerous clashes with the Nagas.

In 1826, Manipur was brought into India by the treaty of Yandavo by Raja Jai Singh with the British at the end of the Indo-Burmese war. This followed a dispute in accession to the throne. With the intervention of the British the dispute was settled.

In 1891 Churachand was nominated the Raja and it came under British rule as a princely state. During World War II Imphal was occupied by the Japanese. After Indian independence Manipur became a Union Territory and subsequently achieved statehood in January 21,1972.

Geography of Manipur

Manipur is located between 23.83oN and 25.68oN latitude and 93.03oE and 94.78oE longitude. It comprises 1820 sq. km of flat plateau of alluvial valley and 20,507 sq. km of hill territory and forms a part of the Himalayan mountain system, which carries this cup-shaped wonderland inside its series of hill ranges. Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south, upper Myanmar in the east and Cachar district of Assam in the west bound Manipur. Hill ranges from all sides surround the valley portion of the state. All the hills are covered with luxuriant growth of forests with nagesar, jurul, Indian rubber, tan, oak, ash, teak and palm.

The climate of Manipur is largely influenced by the topography of this hilly region which defines the geography of Manipur. Situated at an elevation of 790 meters above the sea level, the state of Manipur is wedged between  hills from all sides. This north eastern corner of India is blessed with a generally amiable climate though the winters can be a little chilly.

Climate

The maximum temperature recorded in the summer months of Manipur is 32 degree Celsius. In winter the mercury often falls to sub zero temperature making it frosty in the wintertime. The coldest month in Manipur is January and July experiences the maximum summer temperature. The ideal time for tourism in the state, in terms of the climate of Manipur, is from the months of October till February, when the weather remains bright and sunny without the scorch of the sun.

The hilly state is drenched in rains from the months of May and continues till the middle of October. It receives an average rainfall of 1467.5 mm, annually. However, the rain distribution varies from 933 mm in Imphal to 2593 mm in Tamenglong. The downpour ranges from light drizzles to heavy showers.

The normal rainfall of Manipur enriches the soil and helps in agricultural processes and irrigation. However, the heavy and sustained fall of rain is largely responsible for the soil erosion down the hill slopes. The South Westerly Monsoon picks up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and heads towards Manipur, hits the Eastern Himalaya ranges and produces a massive amount of rain in the state.

Population of Manipur

The noteworthy aspect of the population of Manipur is its sex ratio. With 978 females per 1000 males, Manipur has a balanced sex ratio. According to the last census in 2001, the total population of Manipur is 23, 88,634. There are a total of 11, 81,296 of females in comparison to 12, 07,338 of males.

About 60% of the population resides in the valley region while the rest lives in the hilly areas of the state. The state population is a combination of non tribal and tribal people. The tribal people mostly inhabit the hilly areas and the plains have a dense population of non tribal people.
Manipur has a large rural population of 18, 18,224 and comparatively much lower urban population of 5, 70,410. The population density in Manipur is 107 per square kilometers. The literacy rate of Manipur is almost 69% with the total literate population of 14, 29,656.

Districts of Manipur

Manipur has 9 districts: Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal-East, Imphal-West, Senapati, Tamenglong, Thoubal and Ukhrul

Rivers of Manipur

Manipur has Major Rivers - Imphal, Iril, Nambul, Sekmai, Chakpi, Thoubal and Khuga.

Language 

Meitei, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Hindi, English, Mizo and local dialects.

Government of Manipur

Okram Ibobi Singh is the Chief Minister of Manipur, He has held that position since March 7, 2002. He is a member of the Indian National Congress.

Economy of Manipur

Agriculture and allied activities is the single largest source of livelihood of rural folk. Paddy is the main crop grown. Manipuri rice is very sweet. It can be eaten without curry. Other crops are wheat, pulses, maize etc. There are two modes of cultivation viz, punghul and transplantation of seeds. In the hill area Jhum and terraced cultivation are carried in the agricultural season. In general the land is cleared in the month of January and February. Crops are sown in May-June and harvesting starts in October and ends about in the early part of December. The soil is considered fit for all kinds of grain crops, vegetables and fruits. Sirohee hill in Ukural is famous for the Sirohee lily. The species of this plant is endemic to that particular hill only. Fruits cultivated include pine-apple, arum, orange. In some areas of the valley apricot, oranges, lemons and mangoes are also grown. Every kind of vegetables like cabbage, carrot, radish, beetroot, turnip, ladies finger, pumpkin and pulses are grown and the yield is very good. Vegetables also include chilly, potato, cabbage, pea, brinjal and tomato.

Manipur has also made some progress in the setting up of small-scale industrial units. A joint sector plant to manufacture drugs and pharmaceuticals has been commissioned and electronic goods; Steel fabrication articles and plastic goods are being produced in the state. Among other industries a spinning mill, a ghee manufacturing unit and similar factories to make other consumer products have been commissioned. A factory is already making colour and black and white, TV sets.

Manipur Travel Information

Manipur has a many offer to the tourists visiting this state. Some of the places worth visiting are the Shree Govindajee Temple, Kaina (a sacred place of Hindus), Khwairamand Bazaar, Manipur Zoological Garden, apart from the beautiful Loktak Lake and Sendra Island. Besides, Langthabal (historic sites), Moirang, Moreh, Phubala, Singda, Khongjom, Sahid Mandir, Khonghampat Orchidarium, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Sekta Archeological Living Museum, and the Manipur State Museum are surely worth a visit.