Imphāl, Manipur, India

🇮🇳 Imphal is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace, the royal seat of the former Kingdom of Manipur, surrounded by a moat. Spread over parts of the districts of Imphal West and Imphal East, the former contains the majority of the city's area and population. Imphal is part of the Smart Cities Mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Being a mega commercial hub, Imphal is known for its weaving, brass-ware, bronze-ware, and other cottage industries. Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) is the most widely spoken language in the city.

INS Imphal, the third ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided missile destroyer of the Indian Navy, was named in recognition of the Indian soldiers who fought in Battle of Imphal during World War II, and is the first Indian Navy Ship (INS) named after a city in Northeast India.

Etymology Imphal is derived from two words: "Yum" meaning house and "Phal" meaning "plenty" or "beautiful". In old Manipuri language, "yum" is also spelt as "im". Even today, Imphal is occasionally pronounced as "yum-phal".

History Initially ruled by King Khaba, Imphal was later ruled by the Pakhangba leaders. The clan of the Ningthouja tribe originated then. The Ningthouja tribe quickly expanded and dominated the region in politics and war. Kangla Palace was built by King Khagemba and his son Khunjaoba. The palace was later destroyed by the British during the Anglo-Manipur War. During the reign of Maharaja Bhagyachandra, there were a number of Burmese invasions. However, the kingdom survived with the help of Maharaj Gambhir Singh.

Imphal remained peaceful until 1891, when there were internal differences in the royal family. The British sent J.W. Quinton to help but the situation only grew worse and Senapati Tikendrajit was hanged. The autocratic British behaviour made people angry. This resulted in the 1891 Anglo-Manipur War, which the British won.

The Battle of Imphal took place between March and July 1944, during World War II. The Japanese had invaded Imphal to destroy Allied forces and then invade India, but they were defeated and forced to retreat. The attack made the British realise the militarily strategic position of Imphal.

Geography Imphal lies on the Imphal Valley surrounded by nine ranges of hills at 24.8074°N 93.9384°E in extreme eastern India, with an average elevation of 786 metres (2,579 ft).

Demographics At the time of the 2011 census, Imphal Municipal Council had a population of 277,196, of which 135,059 were males and 142,137 females. Imphal had a sex ratio of 1052 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 90.8%: 95.1% for males and 86.77% for females. 29,216 (10.54%) were under 6 years of age, 14,997 being males and 14,219 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes made up 1,274 (0.46%) and 29,778 (10.74%) of the population respectively.

Hinduism is the majority religion in Imphal. Sanamahi followers are the second-largest group, and Imphal in particular contains a famous Pakhangba temple in Kangla Fort. Christianity is the third-largest religion, practised mainly by the hill tribes in Imphal. Islam is a minority religion practised by the Pangals, while Buddhism is practised by the Gorkhas and Jainism by migrants from the mainland.

At the time of the 2011 census, 82.80% of the population spoke Manipuri, 3.65% Kabui, 2.20% Hindi, 1.39% Thadou, 1.31% Tangkhul, 1.18% Nepali, 1.11% Bengali, 1.10% Bhojpuri and 1.00% Kuki as their first language.

Civic amenities Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited is responsible for electricity supply in the city. Public Health and Engineering Department of the Manipur Government looks after both water supply, and sewage and drainage in Imphal. Roads in the city are developed and maintained by the state Public Works Department. Imphal Municipal Corporation is responsible for Solid Waste Management. The state Department of Fire Services provides fire safety services in the city with one fire station, which is also the department headquarters.

Tourist Industry Imphal offers sites of religious and historical importance within and around the city. Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort) is on the banks of the Imphal River. Kangla means "dry land" in the Meitei language. It was the palace of King Pakhangba, and has religious significance with multiple temples present within the complex. It is also significant in Manipur's history with the British. Bihu Loukon is an ancient star-shaped fort made of mud situated in Maklang, Imphal West District. It was discovered in 2013. Hiyangthang Lairembi Temple is religious site important to both the local religion, Sanamahism, and to Hinduism. The temple is noted for its annual Durga Puja festival.

India Peace Memorial at the Red Hills is located 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Imphal. The place was the scene of action and the theater of the battle that took place between the British Army and the Japanese Forces fighting alongside the Indian National Army in World War II. Red Hill has now become a tourist attraction since the Japanese war veterans constructed a monument at the foot of this hill. The Imphal War Cemetery remembers Indian and British soldiers who fought and died in 1944 during World War II and is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Imphal is also home to the largest all women run market in Asia, called the Ima Keithel (Mothers' Market). It was established in the 16th century and hosts around 5,000–6,000 women vendors who sell a variety of products.

Transport: Air Tulihal International Airport is 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the city and has direct flights to major Indian cities.

Transport: Road Imphal is connected by the National Highway to major cities like Lamka, Guwahati, Kohima, Agartala, Shillong, Dimapur, Aizawl, and Silchar.

Transport: Rail In October 2012, India's Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure approved an extension of the Jiribam–Silchar railway to Imphal. The extension was expected to reach the city by 2019. The total length of the railway line is 110.62 km. The revised estimated cost of construction for the railway line sits at Rs 9658 crore, with Rs 4927.54 crore being spent as of 2019.

Sport Khuman Lampak Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Imphal. It is used mostly for football and athletics. The stadium holds 30,000 people and was built in 1999. This stadium lies inside the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. Imphal based professional football clubs NEROCA FC and TRAU FC of I-League play their home matches at this stadium.

Polo has its origins in Manipur, India, where a traditional version called Sagol Kangjei was played centuries ago. British colonial officers in the 19th century adapted and popularised the game, leading to the modern version of polo that is played worldwide today.

Education: University • Manipur Central University • Central Agricultural University • National Sports University • Manipur University of Culture; Technical colleges • Indian Institute of Information Technology, Manipur • Manipur Institute of Technology • National Institute of Technology, Manipur • Manipur Technical University; Medical colleges • Regional Institute of Medical Sciences • Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science • Shija Academy of Health Sciences.

Schools There are many schools in Imphal affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Board, as well as state government schools. • Areca School, Ragailong • Catholic School, Canchipur • Comet School, Changangei • Dav Public School, Chingmeirong • Don Bosco School Imphal, Chingmeirong • Guru Nanak Public School • Herbert School • Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Khumbong (Imphal west), Imphal east, Bishnupur, CCpur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Tamenglong and Senapati • Johnstone Higher Secondary Public School • Kids' Foundation School, Ghari • Maria International Montessori School, Koirengei • Meci Explorer Academy Changangei • Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 Imphal, Lamphelpat • Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 Imphal, Langjing • Nirmalabas High School, Imphal • Little Flower School • Lodestar Public School • Manipur Public School • Sainik International School & College Imphal • Savio English Higher Secondary Public School, Thangmeiband • St. Anthony's English School & College Imphal • St. John English High School, Nambol, Bishnupur District • St. Joseph School • St. Paul's English School • Sanfort International School & College Imphal • Sangai Higher Secondary Public School

Healthcare Imphal has many private and government hospitals that are open 24 hours. • Regional Institute of Medical Sciences • Shija Hospitals & Research Institutes • City Hospital • Imphal Hospital • Raj Medicity • Sky Hospital and Research Institute • Mother's Care Hospital and Research Centre • Apex Hospital • Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences • Horizon Hospital and Research Institute • Advanced Hospital • Catholic Medical Centre • Maipakpi Maternity and Child Hospital • Iboyaima Hospital • Asian Hospital • Lamjingba Hospital • Babina multi-speciality • Babina oncology • Rajamoni hospital • Saina multi-speciality(SIMS) • Rajmedicity multi-speciality(Underconstruction).