Manipur

The tiny landlocked state in the northeast dates back to the days of the epic Mahabharata and has been a valley of enchantment for centuries. Today it has all the promises of becoming a great tourist attraction. An oval-shaped valley nestling among the verdant hills, it is home to diverse and colourful tribes whose repository of folklore and culture, myths and legends, dances and martial arts is a source of unending wonders. The graceful Manipuri dance with its lilting songs are considered to be one of India's best classical dance forms; the energetic folk dances where men with their Dholaks, cymbals and other musical instruments exhibit their physical prowess are now one of the mainstays of any cultural program. And most people consider Manipur to be the place from where the game of polo originated.

Manipur shares 352 km common International boundary with Myanmar and lies south of Nagaland, north of Mizoram and east of Assam. It covers an area of 22,327 sq. km with a population of 23,88,634(Provisional census 2001). Manipur is a mosaic of traditions and cultural patterns.

Nestling deep within a lush green corner of North East India is the wondrously beautiful little Shangrila called Manipur. Literally meaning - "A Jeweled Land" this little corner is a veritable paradise on earth where mother nature has been extra generous in her bounty.

Untouched and undiscovered Manipur promises to be the great tourist discovery of the 21st century. An oval shaped valley surrounded by the blue green hills, rich in art and tradition has inspired descriptions as the "Switzerland of the East" with its caManipuri Tribalscading rapids, tripping rivers, carpet of flowers, exotic blooms and lazy lakes.

The people and tribes of Manipur include Meities, Naga and Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups and other colorful communities which have lived in complete harmony for centuries. These are the people whose folklore, myths and legends, dances, indigenous games and martial arts, exotic handlooms and handicrafts, are invested with the mystique of nature and an indefatigable "joie de vivre". The wonders are never ending, the place is Manipur.