Manipur (Man)
Asm: মণিপুৰ maṇipūra
‘Jewelled Land’
From Skt/Hin: mani, ‘jewel’, ‘gem’; and Skt/Hin: pur, ‘fort’, ‘city’.
Local myths tell of the snake god Vasuki casting jewels across this land, filling it with natural beauty. King Gharib Nawaz (Mei: Meidingu Pamheiba) made Hinduism the state religion in 1714 and ten years later the state was renamed Manipur.
Manipur maintained its independent status as a princely state under the British Raj and chose to join India at Independence in preference to Burma.
The Meitei people represent around 53% of the population, followed by various Naga tribes at 24% and various Kuki-Zo tribes at 16%.
One of the leading Indian classical dance forms, Manipuri, originates from here: a soft, expressive dance featuring stiff, cylindrical skirts.
Imphal (Man)
(Asm): ইম্ফল imphala ‘Cluster of Houses’ -City/Capital/District, Manipur From...