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Imphal (; , ) is the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of the Indian state of
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (officially known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
. Spread over parts of the districts of Imphal West and Imphal East, the former contains the majority of the city's area and population. Imphal is part of the
Smart Cities Mission Smart Cities Mission was an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen-friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development ...
under the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is a ministry of the Government of India with executive authority over the formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to the housing and urban development in In ...
. Being a mega commercial hub, Imphal is known for its weaving, brass-ware, bronze-ware, and other cottage industries.
Meitei language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...
(officially known as
Manipuri language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...
) is the most widely spoken language in the city. '' INS Imphal'', the third ship of the ''Visakhapatnam''-class stealth
guided missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a pr ...
of the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
, was named in recognition of the Indian soldiers who fought in
Battle of Imphal The Battle of Imphal () took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Empire of Japan, Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and is the first Indian Navy Ship (INS) named after a city in
Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
.


Etymology

Imphal is derived from two words: ''"Yum"'' meaning house and ''"Phal"'' meaning "plenty" or "beautiful". In old Manipuri language, ''"yum"'' is also spelt as ''"im".'' Even today, Imphal is occasionally pronounced as ''"yum-phal."''


History

Initially ruled by King Khaba, Imphal was later ruled by the Pakhangba leaders. The clan of the Ningthouja tribe originated then. The Ningthouja tribe quickly expanded and dominated the region in politics and war. Kangla Palace was built by King Khagemba and his son Khunjaoba. The palace was later destroyed by the British during the Anglo-Manipur War. During the reign of Maharaja Bhagyachandra, there were a number of Burmese invasions. However, the kingdom survived with the help of Maharaj Gambhir Singh. Imphal remained peaceful until 1891, when there were internal differences in the royal family. The British sent J.W. Quinton to help but the situation only grew worse and Senapati Tikendrajit was hanged. The autocratic British behaviour made people angry. This resulted in the 1891 Anglo-Manipur War, which the British won. The
Battle of Imphal The Battle of Imphal () took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in Northeast India from March until July 1944. Empire of Japan, Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and ...
took place between March and July 1944, during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The Japanese had invaded Imphal to destroy Allied forces and then invade India, but they were defeated and forced to retreat. The attack made the British realise the militarily strategic position of Imphal.


Geography and climate

Imphal lies on the Imphal Valley surrounded by nine ranges of hills at in extreme eastern India, with an average elevation of . It has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Cwa'') with cool, dry winters and a slightly hot
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season. Imphal enjoys a moderate climate tempered by its moderately high altitude and the surrounding hills. Maximum temperatures in the hottest months average about ; January is the coldest month, with average lows near , often drops to around 1 °C in the coldest nights and in some clear nights drops below freezing point. Frost is observable in the winter mornings few days of the year. The city receives about of rain, with June and July being the wettest months. Imphal observes 42.2 days with
thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
and 46.1 days with fog, annually. Thunder is common in the pre monsoon and rainy season, whereas fog mostly occurs in the dry winter mornings which clears out in the noon. The highest recorded temperature was , on 29 April 1999, and the lowest temperature was on 10 January 1970.


Demographics

At the time of the 2011 census, Imphal Municipal Council had a population of 277,196, of which 135,059 were males and 142,137 females. Imphal had a sex ratio of 1052 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 90.8%: 95.1% for males and 86.77% for females. 29,216 (10.54%) were under 6 years of age, 14,997 being males and 14,219 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 1,274 (0.46%) and 29,778 (10.74%) of the population respectively. Hinduism is the majority religion in Imphal. Sanamahi followers are the second-largest group, and Imphal in particular contains a famous Pakhangba temple in Kangla Fort. Christianity is the third-largest religion, practised mainly by the hill tribes in Imphal. Islam is a minority religion practised by the Pangals, while Buddhism is practised by the Gorkhas and Jainism by migrants from the mainland. At the time of the 2011 census, 82.80% of the population spoke Manipuri, 3.65% Kabui, 2.20%
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, 1.39% Thadou, 1.31% Tangkhul, 1.18% Nepali, 1.11% Bengali, 1.10%
Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...
and 1.00% Kuki as their first language.


Government and politics

Imphal is the state capital as well as the headquarters of the Imphal district. The civic administration of the city is under Imphal Municipal Corporation.


Civic administration

According to Census 2011, Imphal constitutes 42.13% of the total urban population in Manipur. Hence, the history of urban local governance is longer in Imphal than in other parts of the state. The British established the Town Fund Board in Imphal in 1915, which was headed by the then Political Agent Lt. Col. H.W.G. Cole and other nominated members. The Town Fund Board continued after Independence and merger with India in 1949 and it was not headed by the Chief Secretary of Manipur Administration. In 1956, the Assam Municipal Act, 1923 was extended to Manipur and the Imphal Municipal Board was formed with 12 elected members. The strength of the elected members of this Board was increased to 24 in 1961 and to 28 in 1972. Initially, the Municipal Board was established only to administer the areas in Imphal under the British Reserve, covering and 2,862 inhabitants. This was extended to in 1960, in 1970, and in 1972. In 1992, the Municipal Board was upgraded to a Municipal Council under the Manipur Municipality Act, 1994. In 2014, the council was upgraded to the status of Municipal Corporation. There are 27 wards under the Municipal Corporation, each with its own elected councillor. There are eight committees and five sections at the corporation to govern the administration of the city. There are Ward Development Committees in each ward to look after developmental activities at the ward level. The local ward councillor is the chairperson of the committee, which includes two elected and two nominated members as well. The last election to the corporation was in 2016, with INC winning 12 seats, BJP winning 10 seats, and independent candidates winning 5 seats. According to the Manipur Municipality Act, 1994, the mayor is indirectly elected by the elected councillors from among themselves. The first mayor of the corporation was Soram Sunil and was elected in 2016. The present mayor of Imphal Municipal Corporation is Laisangbam Lokeshwar and was elected to the position in 2017. Sujata Phaomei is the present Deputy Mayor.


Representation in parliament

Manipur is divided into two constituencies for the purpose of Lok Sabha - Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency and Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency. Imphal city is part of the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency. The last elections took place during the
2024 Indian general election General elections were held in Elections in India, India from 2024 elections in India, 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, to elect all List of constituencies of the Lok Sabha, 543 members of the Lok Sabha. Votes were counted and the res ...
s. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam from the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
won the election with 374,017 votes.


Civic amenities

Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited is responsible for electricity supply in the city. Public Health and Engineering Department of the Manipur Government looks after both water supply, and sewage and drainage in Imphal. Roads in the city are developed and maintained by the state Public Works Department. Imphal Municipal Corporation is responsible for Solid Waste Management. The state Department of Fire Services provides fire safety services in the city with one fire station, which is also the department headquarters.


Tourist attractions

Imphal offers sites of religious and historical importance within and around the city. Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort) is on the banks of the Imphal River. ''Kangla'' means "dry land" in the
Meitei language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...
. It was the palace of King Pakhangba, and has religious significance with multiple temples present within the complex. It is also significant in Manipur's history with the British. Bihu Loukon is an ancient star-shaped fort made of mud situated in Maklang,
Imphal West District Imphal West district (Meitei language, Meitei pronunciation:/ˈɪmfəl or ɪmˈfɑːl/) is one of the sixteen districts of Manipur state in northeastern India. As of 2011, it is the most populous district in the state. Geography Lamphelpat city ...
. It was discovered in 2013. Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple is religious site important to both the local religion,
Sanamahism Sanamahism , also known as Meiteism , or Lainingthouism is an ethnic religion of the Meitei people of Manipur, in Northeast India. It is a polytheistic religion and is named after Lainingthou Sanamahi, one of the most important deities of ...
, and to Hinduism. The temple is noted for its annual Durga Puja festival. India Peace Memorial at the Red Hills is located south of Imphal. The place was the scene of action and the theatre of the battle that took place between the British Army and the Japanese Forces fighting alongside the Indian National Army in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Red Hill has now become a tourist attraction since the Japanese war veterans constructed a monument at the foot of this hill. The Imphal War Cemetery remembers Indian and British soldiers who fought and died in 1944 during World War II and is managed by the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...
. Imphal is also home to the largest all women run market in Asia, called the Ima Keithel (Mothers' Market). It was established in the 16th century and hosts around 5,000–6,000 women
vendor In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these term ...
s who sell a variety of products.
Nupi Lal Memorial Complex
is a tribute to the courageous Manipuri women, who sacrificed their lives fighting for justice against the British on 12 December 1939. The Nupi Lal is considered to be one of the most important events in Manipuri history, and it is a symbol of the strength and courage of Manipuri women. File:Uttra sanglen.jpg, A pair of Kangla Sha dragons at Kangla Fort File:Kangla Fort Complex, Imphal (135).jpeg, Bamboo huts in Kangla Fort complex File:Kangla Fort Complex, Imphal (18).jpeg, Ruins of Kangla Fort File:Kangla Fort Complex, Imphal (216).jpeg, Kangla Museum houses File:Kangla 3.jpg, Kangla Fort Complex File:Bihu_Loukon_-_Starfort.jpg, Bihu Loukon aerial view File:Imphal War cemetery.jpg, alt=Cemetery with trees and monuments at ground level, Imphal War Cemetery File:Imphal, Manipur (84).jpeg, alt=Market, seen from above, with colourful textiles, Women's Market (''Ima Keithel'')


Transport


Air

Tulihal International Airport is south of the city and has direct flights to major Indian cities.


Road

Imphal is connected by the National Highway to major cities like
Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...
,
Kohima Kohima (; Tenyidie: Kewhira ()) is the capital of the North East Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Kohima constitutes both a district and a municipality. The m ...
,
Agartala Agartala (, , ) is the capital and the List of cities and towns in Tripura, largest city of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tripura, situated on the banks of Haora River, Haora/Saidra River, about east of the border ...
,
Shillong Shillong (, ) is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a Indian state, state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the list of most populous cities in India, 330th most populous city ...
,
Dimapur Dimapur () is the largest city and municipality in the Indian state of Nagaland. As of 2024 , the municipality had a population of 172,000. The city is the main gateway and commercial centre of Nagaland. Located near the border with Assam along ...
,
Aizawl Aizawl (, American English, US: , British English, UK: ; Mizo language, Mizo: ), formerly known as Aijal, is the capital city and the most populous city of Mizoram, India. It is also the third largest city in northeast India. It is situated ato ...
, and
Silchar Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is locate ...
.


Railway

In October 2012, India's Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure approved an extension of the Jiribam–Silchar railway to Imphal. The extension was expected to reach the city by 2019. The total length of the railway line is 110.62 km. The revised estimated cost of construction for the railway line sits at Rs 9658 crore, with Rs 4927.54 crore being spent as of 2019.


Sports

Khuman Lampak Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Imphal. It is used mostly for
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and athletics. The stadium holds 30,000 people and was built in 1999. This stadium lies inside the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. Imphal based professional football clubs
NEROCA FC NEROCA Football Club (known fully as North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association Football Club) is an Indian professional association football, football club based in Imphal, Manipur, that currently competes in the I-League 2. It previousl ...
and TRAU FC of
I-League The I-League is the men's second professional football division of the Indian football league system behind the Indian Super League. Administered by the All India Football Federation, it is currently contested by 13 clubs. It operates as a s ...
play their home matches at this stadium.
Polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...
has its origins in
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
, India, where a traditional version called Sagol Kangjei was played centuries ago. British colonial officers in the 19th century adapted and popularised the game, leading to the modern version of polo that is played worldwide today.


Education


Universities

* Manipur Central University * Central Agricultural University * National Sports University * Manipur University of Culture


Technical colleges

* Indian Institute of Information Technology, Manipur * Manipur Institute of Technology * National Institute of Technology, Manipur * Manipur Technical University


Medical colleges

* Regional Institute of Medical Sciences * Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science * Shija Academy of Health Sciences


Schools

There are many schools in Imphal affiliated with the
Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...
and
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an academic qualification awarded by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of education in India. The CISCE conducts these examinati ...
Board, as well as state government schools. *Areca School, Ragailong *Catholic School, Canchipur *Comet School, Changangei *Dav Public School, Chingmeirong * Don Bosco School Imphal, Chingmeirong *Guru Nanak Public School *Herbert School * Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Khumbong (Imphal west), Imphal east, Bishnupur, CCpur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Tamenglong and Senapati *Johnstone Higher Secondary Public School *Kids' Foundation School, Ghari *Maria International Montessori School, Koirengei *Meci Explorer Academy Changangei *Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 Imphal, Lamphelpat *Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 Imphal, Langjing *Nirmalabas High School, Imphal *Little Flower School *Lodestar Public School *Manipur Public School *Sainik International School & College Imphal *Savio English Higher Secondary Public School, Thangmeiband *St. Anthony's English School & College Imphal *St. John English High School, Nambol, Bishnupur District *St. Joseph School *St. Paul's English School *Sanfort International School & College Imphal *Sangai Higher Secondary Public School


Healthcare

Imphal has many private and government hospitals that are open 24 hours. * Regional Institute of Medical Sciences *Shija Hospitals & Research Institutes *City Hospital *Imphal Hospital *Raj Medicity *Sky Hospital and Research Institute *Mother's Care Hospital and Research Centre *Apex Hospital * Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences *Horizon Hospital and Research Institute *Advanced Hospital *Catholic Medical Centre *Maipakpi Maternity and Child Hospital *Iboyaima Hospital *Asian Hospital *Lamjingba Hospital *Babina multi-speciality *Babina oncology *Rajamoni hospital *Saina multi-speciality(SIMS) *Rajmedicity multi-speciality(Underconstruction)


Notable people


See also

* Churachandpur * Dzüko Valley * Keibul Lamjao National Park * Loktak Lake * Moirang,
Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. * Moreh *
Ukhrul Ukhrul District( Tangkhul pronunciation:/ˈuːkˌɹəl or ˈuːkˌɹʊl/ is one of the hilly disctrict in the state of Manipur, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries an ...


References


External links

*
Imphal West
(archived 27 September 2011)
Imphal East
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Imphal East district Cities and towns in Imphal West district Tourism in Northeast India 1957 establishments in Manipur