Manipur Tourism

Manipur is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south, and Assam to the west; Burma (Myanmar) lies to its east. The state covers an area of 22,327 square kilometres (8,621 sq mi) and has a population of almost 3 million, including the Meitei, who are the majority group in the state, Loi, Yaithibi, Kuki and Naga peoples, who speak a variety of Sino-Tibetan languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. It has long connected the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia and China, enabling migration of people, cultures and religions

History
The history of Manipur is reflected by archaeological research, mythology and written history. Since ancient times, the Meitei people have lived in the valleys of Manipur alongside the highlanders in the hills and valley in peace. Meitei Pangal (Muslims) people settled in the valleys during the reign of Meidingu Khagemba in the year 1606. Since then, they also lived along with the Meitei. Mythological origins begin with the reign of the "Konchin Tukthapa Ipu Athoupa Pakhangpa" (Pakhangpa was the name given to him meaning "The one who knows his father"), who gave birth the seven clans of Meitei society. After the war, the Manipur Constitution Act, 1947, established a democratic form of government with the Maharaja as the Executive Head and an elected legislature. In 1949, Maharaja Budhachandra was summoned to Shillong, capital of the Indian province of Meghalaya where he signed a Treaty of Accession merging the kingdom into India. Thereafter the legislative assembly was dissolved and Manipur became part of the Republic of India in October, 1949. It was made a union territory in 1956 and a full-fledged state in 1972.Mairembam Koireng Singh became the first Chief Minister in 1972 of the State of Manipur.

Fairs & Festivals
Manipur is a land of festivities. Merriments and celebrations go on round the year. A year in Manipur represents a cycle of festivals. Hardly a month passes by without a festival which to the Manipuris is a symbol of their cultural, social and religious aspirations. It removes the monotony of life by providing physical diversions, mental recreation and emotional outlet helps one to lead a more relaxed and fuller life. Festivals of Manipur are mostly religious and related with the culture of Manipur.

Best Time to Visit
Manipur has breezy summers, moderate rainfall in monsoon and chilly but pleasant winters. Manipur can be visited any time of the year but the maximum number of tourists visit the city in summers. October to April are the best months to visit Manipur, avoiding the monsoons which might keep you from experiencing the best of Manipur.

How to Reach :-

BY AIR - Tulihal Airport in Changangei, Imphal is the only airport of Manipur which is connected directly with Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati and Agartala.

BY RAIL - There are no direct train service to Sikkim. The railway stations at Dimapur in Nagaland at a distance of 215 km from Imphal. National Highway 53 (India) connects Manipur with another railway station at Silchar in Assam, which is 269 km away from Imphal.

BY ROAD - National Highway NH-39 links Manipur with the rest of the country, Manipur State Road Transport Corporation(MSRTC) and many other private buses available to reach various parts of Manipur and nearby states.