Imphal and Loktak: a royal citadel and a floating lake, with care

A note first. Manipur has been marked by serious ethnic violence since 3 May 2023. Published figures from Manipur Police, as of 15 September 2023, recorded 175 deaths and about 60,000 people displaced. We could not verify current security conditions, curfew status or any permit rules for this issue. Before you plan any visit, check the advisories from the Government of India and the state government, ask local contacts, and travel only if you are sure you will be welcome and safe. If in doubt, wait.

With that said, the state's heritage deserves attention. Kangla Fort in Imphal was the traditional seat of the Meitei rulers of the Ningthouja dynasty, and the capital of pre-modern Manipur. Only the western half of what was once a fort on both sides of the river survives. The site is sacred to the Meitei people, and includes the Pakhangba Temple, dedicated to the deity Pakhangba, along with museums, a royal boatyard with traditional racing boats and the Kangla Sanathong gate. It is managed by the Kangla Fort Board for the Government of Manipur and is a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site, not an inscribed one.

Loktak Lake lies south of Imphal. Its surface area varies from roughly 250 to 500 square kilometres in the rainy season, and it is known for phumdis, floating masses of vegetation and soil. The largest, about 40 square kilometres, carries Keibul Lamjao National Park, described as the only floating national park in the world and the last natural refuge of the sangai, the Manipur brow-antlered deer, an endangered subspecies of Eld's deer. The lake was designated a Ramsar wetland on 23 March 1990. Fishers live on the lake and on small floating huts called phumshangs, so a boat trip is a visit to a working community, not just a view.

Manipur's state government, as listed in one reference page, is headed by Chief Minister Y. Khemchand Singh. The annual Sangai Festival is organised by Manipur Tourism every year from 21 to 30 November at venues including Hapta Kangjeibung and the Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre in Imphal. The 2026 dates and arrangements should be confirmed with the Manipur government, given the situation.

How to go well, if you go: travel with a local guide, stay with local hosts, ask before photographing people or religious sites, and follow any advice from local authorities. Do not treat the state as a backdrop for adventure; people live here.