India: All about Manipur Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nagaland

Manipur does border Mizoram, but Mizoram lies south. Manipur also shares a border with Assam, but Assam lies west. Manipur also has an international border with the country of Myanmar, which lies east.

There is a dispute in India regarding Manipur and Nagaland's border, as a result of the arguments of three tribes: the Angamis of Nagaland, and the Marams and Maos of Manipur. The Dzukou Valley covers areas in both states, and has long been a quarrelsome topic between the the Mao Nagas of Senapati (Manipur) and the southern Angami Nagas of Kohima (Nagaland). The Angamis also assert that the Kezoltsa (a thick forested area on the edge of Dzukou Valley) was unfairly included within the territory of Manipur, as it is part of their ancestral tribal land.

Answer: Market

Located in the centre of the city, the Ima Keithel (also known as Nupi Keithel, or Ima market) is the only market in the world to be run solely by women. It has been running since the 16th century, as a result of the Manipur Kingdom (when Manipur was an independent state between 1110-1949 AD) when males were forced to either join the army, or work in faraway lands. This meant that the traders of Manipur had to be women. Women supported their families by weaving garments and ploughing fields, then selling the products they had created at the market.

The British colonial occupation of India brought trouble to the market, and the citizens of Manipur. The British meddled with political and economic reforms, which had a negative effect on the market. Crops and food sources were taken from the citizens of Manipur, resulting in starvation. This was one of the catalysts for the women's war, Nupi Lan, in India, with the first demonstration against the British occurring in 1904.

The market regained its prosperity when India became independent. To this day, the market still upholds the tradition of only allowing women who have been married at least once in their life to trade there, although divorced women and widows are also welcomed.

Answer: Meitei

Meitei is a Tibeto-Burman language, and the most widely spoken Tibeto-Burman language in the world. The Meitei language is also spoken in neighbouring Assam and Mizoram, as well as the Indian state of Tripura. Meitei is the third most widely spoken language of northeast India, behind only Bengali and Assamese, although Meitei is classified as an endangered or vulnerable language by UNESCO.

In 1992, Meitei became the first Tibeto-Burman language to be listed as an official language of India.

Answer: Loktak Lake

Loktak Lake is the largest fresh water lake in the northeast of India. The only floating National Park in the world is situated on this lake, Keibul Lamjao National Park. The park and lake are home to many types of birds, otters and deer. Fishermen also live on the lake, on floating islands in floating huts named "phumsangs." The lake and park are around around 30 miles (50 km) from Imphal.

Keibul Lamjao National Park is home to the sangai, an endangered species of deer which is endemic to Manipur. The sangai are a frequent part of Manipuri folklore and are seen as a bridge between humans and nature.

Answer: Polo ground

Although popularized by the British, the sport of polo is said to have been born in Manipur, and the "Mapal Kangjeibung" that is, the Imphal Polo Ground, is the oldest polo ground in the world. The ground was written about as early as 33 AD in the royal chronicle of Cheitharol Kumbaba, when King Nongda Pakhangba hosted the site's first polo match.

The Imphal Polo Ground hosts the Manipur International Polo Festival annually.

Answer: Andro

Andro is located around 12 miles (20 km) away from Imphal, in the forested area around the foot of the Nongmaiching range. The museum displays artefacts from all over Manipur including rare coins, pottery, wood carvings, baskets, paintings, tribal dolls etc. Unlike a traditional museum, the Mutua Museum is composed of thatched huts. Unmarried women are forbidden from creating pottery for this museum to this day. Andro is also notable for its locally made brews, Sekmai and Andro. Sekmai is the most popular, and is made by fermenting rice and yangli.

Answer: Moirang

The Indian National Army (INA) War Museum is the only official museum dedicated to World War II in Manipur. It displays various artefacts from the Second World War, such as ammunition, arms, soldiers uniforms, helmets, bayonets, letters, photographs etc. The museum was inaugurated in 2019 on the 75th anniversary of the Imphal battle. A statue of Indian nationalist and rebel against the British, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, stands in front of the museum.

Moirang is around 30 miles (45 km) south of Imphal. Moirang was where the Indian National Army's flag was first flown, and Moirang was was the headquarters for the army during the Second World War. The Lai Haraoba festival, celebrating the deities of the religion of Sanamahism was born in Moirang. The Ebudhou Thangjing Temple, dedicated to Thangching, the main deity of ancient Moirang, is also located here.

Answer: Barak

The Manipur River Basin is in the centre of the state, the Yu River Basin is east and the Layne River Basin (or a portion of it) lies north. The Barak River Basin drains not only India, but Bangladesh and Myanmar. Its drainage area in India covers around 1.38% of the country's total land area. The Barak River flows around 560 miles (900 km) through Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam.

Answer: Jackfruit tree

Around 18 miles (30 km) from Imphal, the Sacred Jackfruit Tree is where carvings of Lord Vishnu are. King Ching-Thang Khomba (1748-1799) had a vision of Krishna, in which Krishna told him to carve images of him on a jackfruit tree. Seven images of Krishna were carved from this tree, and placed around what is now modern day Manipur and Assam.

The first of these pieces was placed in the Shree Govindajee Temple, Imphal, which is the largest Vaishnava temple in the city.

Answer: Raja Nara Singh

Meidingu Nara Singh, or Raja Nara Singh (1792 - 1850) was regent, then king of the Kingdom of Manipur. It was he who made Imphal the capital of Manipur. He died in Kangla Palace on April 11 1850, and his death is remembered as a national holiday every year in Manipur. The bronze statue was unveiled outside the west gate in 2022.

Kangla Palace was once on both sides of the Imphal River, but now the palace on the east of the river is in ruins, with the preserved part lying on the west bank. It was the traditional palace for the ruling family of the Kingdom of Manipur.