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."[13]
History
Soldiers of the two wings of the 14th Army link-up at Milestone 109 during the Battle of Imphal-Kohima
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 behavior made people angry. This resulted in the 1891 Anglo-Manipur War, which the British won.[14]
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.[15]
It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa)[18] with cool, dry winters and a slightly hot monsoon season. Imphal enjoys a moderate climate tempered by its high altitude and the surrounding hills.[19] Maximum temperatures in the hottest months average about 29 °C (84 °F); January is the coldest month, with average lows near 4 °C (39 °F), often drops to around 2 °C in the coldest nights and rarely drops below freezing point. The city receives about 1,381 mm (54.4 in) of rain, with June and July being the wettest months. Imphal observes 42.2 days with thunder and 46.1 days with fog, anuually. Thunder is common in the rainy season, whereas fog mostly occurs in the dry winter season.[20]
The highest recorded temperature was 36.1 °C (97.0 °F), on 29 April 1999, and the lowest temperature was −2.7 °C (27.1 °F) on 10 January 1970.[20][16][21]
Climate data for Imphal (1991–2020, extremes 1953–present)
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.[1][22]
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, practiced mainly by the hill tribes in Imphal. Islam is a minority religion practiced by the Pangals, while Buddhism is practiced by the Gorkhas and Jainism by migrants from the mainland.
Imphal is the state capital as well as the headquarters of the Imphal district. The civic administration of the city is under Imphal Municipal Corporation.
Civic administration
According to Census 2011, Imphal constitutes 42.13% of the total urban population in Manipur. Hence, the history of urban local governance is longer in Imphal than in other parts of the state. The British established the Town Fund Board in Imphal in 1915, which was headed by the then Political Agent Lt. Col. H.W.G. Cole and other nominated members.[24] The Town Fund Board continued after Independence and merger with India in 1949 and it was not headed by the Chief Secretary of Manipur Administration. In 1956, the Assam Municipal Act, 1923 was extended to Manipur and the Imphal Municipal Board was formed with 12 elected members. The strength of the elected members of this Board was increased to 24 in 1961 and to 28 in 1972.[25] Initially, the Municipal Board was established only to administer the areas in Imphal under the British Reserve, covering 3.10 km2 (1.20 sq mi) and 2,862 inhabitants. This was extended to 17.48 km2 (6.75 sq mi) in 1960, 18.25 km2 (7.05 sq mi) in 1970, and 76.58 km2 (29.57 sq mi) in 1972.[24]
In 1992, the Municipal Board was upgraded to a Municipal Council under the Manipur Municipality Act, 1994.[26] In 2014, the council was upgraded to the status of Municipal Corporation. There are 27 wards under the Municipal Corporation, each with its own elected councillor. There are eight committees and five sections at the corporation to govern the administration of the city.[27]
There are Ward Development Committees in each ward to look after developmental activities at the ward level. The local ward councillor is the chairperson of the committee, which includes two elected and two nominated members as well.[26] The last election to the corporation was in 2016, with INC winning 12 seats, BJP winning 10 seats, and independent candidates winning 5 seats.[28] According to the Manipur Municipality Act, 1994, the mayor is indirectly elected by the elected councillors from amongst themselves.[29] The first mayor of the corporation was Soram Sunil and was elected in 2016.[30] The present mayor of Imphal Municipal Corporation is Laisangbam Lokeshwar and was elected to the position in 2017. Sujata Phaomei is the present Deputy Mayor.[31]
Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited is responsible for electricity supply in the city.[34] Public Health and Engineering Department of the Manipur Government looks after both water supply, and sewage and drainage in Imphal.[35] Roads in the city are developed and maintained by the state Public Works Department.[36] Imphal Municipal Corporation is responsible for Solid Waste Management.[37] The state Department of Fire Services provides fire safety services in the city with one fire station, which is also the department headquarters.[38]
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.[39] It is also significant in Manipur's history with the British.[40]Bihu Loukon is an ancient star-shaped fort made of mud situated in Maklang, Imphal West District. It was discovered in 2013.[41]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.[42]
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[43] fighting alongside the Indian National Army in World War II.[44] Red Hill has now become a tourist attraction since the Japanese war veterans constructed a monument at the foot of this hill.[45] 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.[46]
Imphal is also home to the largest all women run market in Asia, called the Ima Keithel (Mothers' Market).[47] It was established in the 16th century and hosts around 5,000–6,000 women vendors who sell a variety of products.[48][49]
Nupi Lal Memorial Complex is a tribute to the courageous Manipuri women, who sacrificed their lives fighting for justice against the British on 12 December 1939.The Nupi Lal is considered to be one of the most important events in Manipuri history, and it is a symbol of the strength and courage of Manipuri women.
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.[51][52] 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.
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 popularized the game, leading to the modern version of polo that is played worldwide today.
^bureau, Odisha Diary (26 January 2018). "The India Peace Memorial at Lokpaching, Imphal". Odisha Breaking News | Odisha News | Latest Odisha News| Odisha Diary. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
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