The green state of Manipur, and Imphal its capital, has all the fine, merged, tints of a water colour. Faiths and traditions and life styles seem to flow into each other with a softedged grace so that it is 
impossible to know where one ends and the other begins. The Manipur valley is watered by rivers threading out of the dark, mist-topped, ranges. Bright green fields stretch all the way to the distant mountains. Like the Nair women of Kerala the women of Manipur are trained in the fierce local Martial art known as Thang-ta. Both the men and women are dressed in black and they wield their swords like slicing, flashing, propellers, and when their swords clash, sparks fly. In marked contrast, is the delicate, marionette-like, Manipuri dance. The dances suggest the relationship between the dancers and their Divine Master, Lord Krishna. The principal deity here is carved out of a jackfruit tree in response to a dream which Rajarshi Bhagyachandra had in the 18th century. Older forms of worship, however, continue to exist in the veneration of forest deities known as Umang Lais. Imphal gives a fascinating insight into an archetypal Indian trend.
impossible to know where one ends and the other begins. The Manipur valley is watered by rivers threading out of the dark, mist-topped, ranges. Bright green fields stretch all the way to the distant mountains. Like the Nair women of Kerala the women of Manipur are trained in the fierce local Martial art known as Thang-ta. Both the men and women are dressed in black and they wield their swords like slicing, flashing, propellers, and when their swords clash, sparks fly. In marked contrast, is the delicate, marionette-like, Manipuri dance. The dances suggest the relationship between the dancers and their Divine Master, Lord Krishna. The principal deity here is carved out of a jackfruit tree in response to a dream which Rajarshi Bhagyachandra had in the 18th century. Older forms of worship, however, continue to exist in the veneration of forest deities known as Umang Lais. Imphal gives a fascinating insight into an archetypal Indian trend.Reach - Imphal Imphal, the capital of the easternmost state of Manipur, is the centre of all cultural, commercial and  political activities. Manipur, popularly known as the "land of jewels" splits up naturally into two parts - the hills and the plains. The inhabitants of these two divisions have their own distinctive dialects, customs and tribal costumes.
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