Thoubal, my hometown

When do you call a place as "home away from home"?

I have been residing here at Imphal for quite a long time. My parents work here and we have settled here for long.

But, I was and I am always attracted and had this strong desire to stay at Thoubal, my hometown.

My grandparents, great fathers, my cousin brothers and sisters, my niece and nephews, they all stay there. Whenever I had holidays or school vacations, I would ring up my Baachou, my great father, to come and pick me up. I loved staying there.

Though I have stayed here for long, I always loved staying at Thoubal more. I feel more enjoyable there and I call this as "home away from home".

I can enjoy the beauty of the fields, I loved playing and jumping between the straws in the fields, loved going out to dams and all.

 

Thoubal is a town in Thoubal district of Manipur. It is a peaceful place with rivers, paddy fields, streams, dams, gardens and happy people. It is about 23 kilometres from Imphal.

We have several temples for worship. Some mentions can be made of Arom Ningthou and the Lairembi, Santrik Chankhombi. The Lai Haraoba of  these God and Goddess are usually celebrated in summer.

Let me write on the beauty of these mustard flowers blooming at its best in our paddy fields. We live at Thoubal Athokpam. We are surrounded by these beautiful paddy fields all around. We will be able to see the enchanting yellow flowers blooming usually during February to March. 

Whenever I see these fields, I feel like dancing and blooming among them. It gives me relishing moments when I go there or whenever I cross over them. 

Apart from mustard, the paddy fields grow crops and sometimes vegetables are also planted according to the season.

My brother just sent me recent pictures of our place to help me in my writing and the above picture is how our fields look like during a rainy season.

Among all the outdoors of nature, the river is one among which I adore. Rivers exist not only for me but for the whole world. They unite one place with another. They supply us with water and capture our imaginations. Whenever it rains, the water droplets will find its way to a river, a stream or a lake.

We have a dam located very near to our house. When I was a kid, I used to throw tantrums to  my cousin brothers and sisters to take me there. I was a bad kid but now a good adult. 😄  

I always thought of the basic difference between a dam and a bridge. I simply thought like both are used to cross a river or a lake. But now I have found out the various benefits of dams. 

I along with my friends once went to my hometown after our university classes. It was an unplanned one. 

We enjoyed a lot playing in the fields. Next time, I would like to invite all of my friends to my place. 

I love Thoubal and my family members there. I miss playing among the straws with my friends, I miss my childhood days there.  

MY HOMETOWN... I LOVE YOU AND  I MISS YOU. 

Ukhrul, giving me an Enchanting call to visit

I thought I could write better of this place if I have been there. But, we can write about places we have never been by doing research and talking with people about their experiences there.

I am lucky enough that I have a bunch of friends who have gone to Ukhrul. They have shared most of the beautiful pictures to help me with my writing. 

Ukhrul is a place which have been calling me since a long time. 

Ukhrul is a town in Ukhrul district, Manipur. It is about 84 kilometres from Imphal and is the highest hill station of Manipur. It is mostly dominated by the cheerful indigeneous Tangkhul Nagas.  

It enjoys a pleasant climate with a wet summer and a cold, dry winter. 

Ukhrul is famous for its Shiroi Lily or the Shirui Lily ( Scientific name: Lilium mackliniae ), a pink-white flower, which is found in its natural habitat. It can only be grown on top of the Shirui hills.

Manipur Tourism has recognised Shirui Lily as the State Flower of Manipur. 

Ukhrul is one of a popular Manipur's tourist attraction place. It is popular for its festivities. The chief festivals include Luira (seed sowing festival), Thareo (harvest festival), and Mangkhap (resting feast). Their festivals have a great attraction with their traditional cuisines, songs and dance forms. 

Another popular festival of Ukhrul is the Shirui Lily festival. This festival seeks to spread awareness about the one and only endangered Shirui Lily and to promote Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Manipur.It is celebrated at the time when the flower blooms usually from the last week of May till the second week of June.

 This festival is organised under the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur,   with an aim to promote tourism and culture of the state. It also aims to bring the different communities of the state under one roof. This is another great opportunity to learn more about the place and its culture.

My friend had been there last year at the Shirui festival and she has shared all her experiences with me.  She told me about the beauty of the place, its pleasant climate and the festival. Another event she enjoyed was the ShiRock, the musical extravaganza of live music performances and competition. This has added me more on my eagerness to go there. Shirui festival is one of my favorite festival celebrated in the state.

 I will surely join this in the next one. 

One of my friend had also been to Khangkhui Cave also called as Khangkhui Mangsor at Ukhrul. She has shared her experiences there. There are altogether 5 caves in the Khangkhui Cave area. These are ancient limestone caves. It is said that this cave was used as a shelter by the local people during the 2nd World War.

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Khangkhui cave is one of the best sites to satisfy the wanderlust in you. 

Ukhrul is one of the preetiest place in the state. I am enchanted just by seeing the pictures and listening to stories about the place. Ukhrul has its pleasant climate all throughout the year. 

YES! So, why don't we pack our things once for a trip with friends? And, who is joining with me?

I am ready...

Chingnungkhok, where nature at its best

This is one of the popular picnic spots in Manipur. People hang out here for sight seeing, picnics and to enjoy the fresh air of the place, etc. 

Chingnungkhok is a hill located at Lamlai, Imphal East. It is becoming one among the beautiful places in Manipur. The hill is covered with greens. Some tall trees and grasses grow there. Around Chingnungkhok, other hills can also be seen.

I have heard of a story about Moirang Thoibi relating to this place. When she was on her journey for exile, she lost her gold ring at this place and she was not able to find it anywhere there. So, out of anger, she cursed this small hill that trees should be hardly grown or not to grow any trees. The name of the hill Chingnungkhok was named from this story. 

Chingnungkhok (Ching Luu Kokpa), a bald hill.

I have been there once for a family picnic and I can observe nature at its best. When I reached there, I felt like I was on top of a highest hill. It is not that the hill is high but I was so enchanted by the scenic beauty that I felt I was at the highest point. 

Whenever I interact with greenery, I reduce myself from stress and emotional states. 

Green is the prime color of the world and it is also the color from which love arises.

I feel like I am always connected with nature when I am in green places. The clearest way into nature is with greeneries. 

Whenever I see a setting sun, I always remind myself of how beautiful and bright the world is with the light given by the sun. How beautifully the sun has brightened the world everyday! 

With every sunset, a new hope is born and an old expectation dies.

I have been to picnic spots of river banks, parks and fields but this one is different because this is another experience of an outing at the hills. I have so much love for the trees. I always feel like the trees encourage me because at different seasons they would get their leaves fall off and then grow again. This gives me so much hope. Trees teach us to stay rooted whenever we are in a journey. Our journey might be a good one or a bad one but what is important is that we stand strong and still throughout the journey. This will bring out the best of us at the end. 

I would love to plant more trees in this place. It will look more enchanting when a greater number of trees are grown. As compared to other hills, this place lacks growing of trees. So, why don't we plant more trees?

We can reach Chingnungkhok by public transport services. Direct auto or buses can be caught from Lamlong Bazar, Khurai and these vehicles will go through the Ukhrul road to reach Chingnungkhok. 

(Ukhrul road here is the road from Lamlong Bazar which leads to Ukhrul).

So, if you would like to touch the beauty of this place, you can visit it and feel it your own. I love this place.

Samanphai village, Chandel

I was talking to one of my friend about my assignments and I told my friend that I am working on a blog writing. When he heard that my blog was about places of Manipur, he suggested that he would like me to add about his village at Chandel.
I told him that I would love to do it and I asked much about their place to do my writing.

Samanphai village is a small village of Machi sub division in Chandel district with a total of 20 to 25 people residing there. It is a newly formed village which existed some 9 to 10 years ago. The village members are the Maring Tribe community. This village is near to Pallel of Chandel district. There are public transport vehicles from Imphal till Pallel but no such transport facilities from Pallel to Samanphai village. So, there is a need for the village members to travel in their own private vehicles from Imphal to their place as it would be inconvenient for them to walk a long distance.

 Imphal to Pallel is 37 kilometres and Samanphai village is another 10 kilometres from Pallel. This village is like a small farm house. Only those 25 members reside there permanently while other people visit the place too but they come and go. 

"We can cross the rivers of doubt and discouragement on the bridge of faith even before we get to them."

A small river flows just beside the village. I have not visited the place yet but I have held my imagination high. I am imagining the beauty of the place with these pictures sent by my friend. There is also a bridge in the picture across the river. By seeing this, my mind just remembered of a film which I have watched long ago during my childhood.

 Bridge to Terabithia, directed by Gabor Csupo, a 2007 film. In the film, the two children's playing place was at a forest, they crossed the river in the forest with hanging ropes. The picture just reminded me of the film.

 Another film I am reminded of is Ella Enchanted, a 2004 film, directed by Tommy O'Haver, where Ella and the prince walked on a bridge across the river in their kingdom.

Look at the greeneries here. I have always loved green things and places - plants, trees, green hills and all. Maybe, this place is the right place to write poems, perfect for people who love poetry. 

Lets explore all the beautiful places in Manipur. There are many places which we have not reached and yet to be explored. Samanphai village of Chandel is one among them. My friend will be inviting me soon with a feast😆. Let us all join and enjoy together. 

Sandy Shores Sekmai Turel

A visit to this place cleans and freshens us up, inner and outer. This beauty of nature have a profound effect upon our senses. We are constantly flowing from one moment to the next, unable to stop the tide of time, just like a river. Rivers nourish and refreshes us. I am writing whatever that comes to mind about my love of river and nature.

Most of us are familiar with this picnic spot. This is also one of my favourite place. Since childhood, I have always wanted to visit water places. I always loved connecting with rivers.

 I have visited there many times but I am writing this one sharing my memories of a department picnic with my teachers and friends.

It was 7th December 2018 and we were ready for the picnic. I waited for the bus arrival with some of my friends at Chingmeirong while others have already started from the university campus.The bus picnic journey was awesome. We were singing songs, laughing, talking and we were enjoying a lot.

As soon as we reached the place, we did with the vegetables and started cooking. The dish was chicken, my favourite curry. Alongside chicken was eromba and salad. While some of our seniors and friends were cooking, we all played in the river and took pictures.

We enjoyed a beautiful picnic along the bank of the picturesque sekmai river. The river is a mother and a friend to women, men, children, farmers, cattle, birds, insects, animals and all. There were workers both women and men who works hard to earn a living along the river banks. They were busy with the stone-breaking.

After lunch, we along with our teachers were singing and enjoying a lot. As we were enjoying a lot we didn't realise that we were late.

 Time waits for no one.

Of course, the last picture is my most favourite one. I was closing my eyes, standing quietly alone in the water and then the photographer was taking the right moment to capture it.

Sorry, I forgot who took it.  Please excuse me for that.

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit."

- Emerson.

There are public transport services to reach this place from Imphal such as auto and buses. Its convenient to reach there anytime with this help.

Now, pack your picnic kits... enjoy the place.