Keikhu (also Keikhoo) is a village, itself consisting of two twin villages, in the

Imphal East Imphal East district ( Meitei pronunciation: /ˈɪmfəl or ɪmˈfɑːl/) is one of the 16 districts of Manipur state in northeastern India. In 2011, it was the second most populous district in the state, after Imphal West. In 2016, the Jiribam s ...

district 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 ...

, India. The village in the south, known as Keikhu Kabui, is inhabited by the Kabui tribes, the early settlers of the place. The one in the north, known as Keikhu Muslim, belongs to a mixed tribe who identifies themselves as

Pangal The Meitei Pangals, also known as Meitei Muslims or the Manipuri Muslims, are a group of Meitei Muslims. They live mainly in Manipur. The word Pangal simply means ''Muslim'' in the Meitei language. Various historical sources have differe ...

, a collective term used for Manipuri-Muslims.

Geography

The villages are located approximately 2 km ESE of

Imphal Imphal (; , ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. 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 ...

, capital of the state of Manipur. The village lies along the Baruni hill, visited by

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s as a ritual during the festival celebrating

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. The two villages are geographically divided by a rivulet. The village suffered from destructive flooding in 2010.

Demographics

The two villages of Keikhu belong to under-represented minorities in the state. One is inhabited by Kabuis, a Schedule Tribe, and the other by

s, a Scheduled Caste. The Keikhu-Kabuis speak the Kabui Naga language, while the Keikhu-Pangal speak the Pangal dialect of

Meiteilon 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 constit ...

Ethnic conflict

There have been violent confrontations between the two communities from at least 1993 to 2023, as well as calls for peace from community groups and leaders. A camp was set up in Keikhu for displaced victims of wider ethnic conflict in the region.

Community and events

Keikhu hosts large annual

Gaan-Ngai Gaan-Ngai is a festival of the Zeliangrong people (indigenous Zeme, Liangmei and Rongmei tribes) of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland states in North Eastern India. Gaan-Ngai is a festival of light, celebrating the victory of light over evil and ...

celebrations.

References

Villages in Imphal East district {{Manipur-geo-stub