About the Sangai FestivalManipur

The Sangai Festival is a grand extravaganza celebrated every year from 21-30 November in the extremely beautiful region of Sangai in Manipur. The region is named so due to the rare species of deer that can be found only here. The Manipur Tourism Department makes sure that this eloquent celebration does not fall short on any terms as the primary goal of this festival is to promote Manipur as a promising upcoming tourist attraction. Guests and tourists from all over the world grace this festival every year and this festival showcases the amazing contribution of Amnipur in various areas such as the performing arts as well as the ecological atmosphere of the state.

The festival is celebrated all across the state and the primary locations comprise Mao, Ukhrul, Lamboikhongnangkhong, Uripok, KeibulLamjao, KhumanLampak, and HaptaKangjeibung. The locations of the festival are popular tourist destinations, and this helps to boost not only the economy of the state but also the reputation of the state of Manipur as a primary tourist spot. The main venue of this 10-day celebratory gathering is the HaptaKangjeibung and Bheigyachandra Open Air Theatre, popularly known as the BOAT. The BOAT is mainly used for the presentation of various cultural programmes such as the traditional Manipuri dance, and the traditional form of music that is indigenous to Manipur. The principal goal of these cultural performances is to spread awareness and educate the thousands of visitors about the rich cultural heritage of Manipur.

Manipur is inhabited by a number of tribes and all these tribes have their own special way of building their huts. The BOAT also presents a specimen of these huts built by the tribal locals. The KhumanLampak Sports Complex at Imphal and Takmu Water Sports Complex at Loktak, Moirang have always been used in order to organize the sports and water sports competitions. Some of the events are the local sports of Manipur and are thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators. Boating is one of the prime events. There are many boating options for the tourists as well at Loktak Lake. deemed to be the largest freshwater lake in all of North-East India, the Loktak Lake is located at distance of 48 km from the city of Imphal.

The tourists can enjoy the beauty and grandeur of this water body without any restrictions. The nearby fishermen live in special huts called the ‘Phumsangs’ which literally mean ‘floating huts.’ All these huts are built on ‘Phumdis’ which means ‘floating islands.’ The sight of these huts is extremely intriguing and very beautiful.

The KeibulLamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the entire world and is located on the Loktak Lake. it is the last natural home of the dancing deer called ‘Sanga’ found only in Manipur. The species of Snaga is one of the endangered subspecies of the famous brow-antlered deer. In all of India, it is only found in Manipur.

In 2017, the Sangai Festival completed 17 years of the grand celebration and the Tourism Department wants to continue this legacy. The officials are constantly striving harder day by day to make this tourist haven better every year. A number of countries participate in these celebrations every year and the 2017 fiesta marked the participation of countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe.

The toruism department has also made sure that all tourists have comfortable accommodation options. A number of hotels such as the Hotel Imphal, Hotel Nirmala, The Classic Hotel, HOtelBHeigo, Hotel New Airlines, Hotel Anand Continental, Hotel Krishtina, Classic Grande and Youth Hostel, have been provided the mammoth responsibility if handling the tourist rush. All these hotels have passed all kinds of tests to ensure complete comfort of tourists from all over the country. All these hotels can be booked on online portals. If booked within the correct time limit, the tourists can avail Sangai Festival discount rates.

Another prime tourist attraction that can be enjoyed by the guests while participating in the Sangai Festival is the range of adventure sports activities. The adventure sports include kayaking, water trekking, and other adventure sports that have their origin in Manipur. Some of the local adventure sports that are specially organized during the Sangai festival includes yubi-lakpi, thang ta, sagolkangjei, and muknakangjei. Thang ta is a form of sports where sword and spear skills are performed along with choreographed moves by professionals. SagolKangjei is a form of polo that is indigenous to Manipur while Yubi-Lakpi is another form of traditional, Manipuri rugby. Mukna-kangjei is a form of adventure sports that includes features of both wrestling and hockey. The other traditional forms of sports that can be enjoyed by the adrenaline-seekers are caving, trekking, paragliding, rock climbing, windsurfing, and rafting.

Reaching Manipur at the time of celebrations becomes quite a challenge unless tickets for the desired mode of travel haven’t been booked well in advance. The probable modes of transfer are:

• If you are living close to Manipur in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Assam, the best way to reach Manipur is by the road.

• Manipur does not have any railway services and hence, cannot be reached directly by using the rail system. Dimapur, located at a distance of 215 km is the closest Railway station. If you are ready to drive this distance to reach Imphal, this is the perfect way of reaching Manipur.

• The best way to reach Manipur is by means of air travel. The airport of Imphal us located just 6km away from the main city of Imphal. Other modes such as cars and buses can be used to cover the 6km distance.

Sangai Festival is the ideal time to visit Manipur as the complete state is in a constant period of celebration and merriment. The warm and hospitable nature of the citizens helps in the complete stay experience. The festival is a grand celebration of the flora and the fauna of the region as well. The eco-tourism is an important part of the Sangai festival, and it makes the tourists aware of the natural bounty of nature available in Manipur. Visiting any state or place especially during a festival or celebration enhances the complete travel experience. If you are ready to immerse yourself in all the celebrations and relax your senses, visiting Manipur at the time of Sangai Festival is the best location.

When in Manipur, irrespective of participation in the Sangai festival, the tourists must make it a point to visit the KeibulLamjao National park and witness these amazing animals, commonly called the Eld's deer. The national park also offers the view of some other animals such as hog deer, otter, waterfowl and migratory birds. The maintenance of this national park is under the supervision in of the Forest Department of Manipur.

The other nearby tourist destinations include the INA Memorial at Moirang. Moirang was the city where the Indian National Flag was first unfurled for the first time. There is an INA Museum in Mopirang which showcases a collection of photographs, letters, badges of ranks and numerous other instances of war memorabilia. The museum is perfect for inculcating nationalist views in children and young adults. It is situated in a quiet corner of the town and provides the tourists with an amazing getaway.