Introduction
Imphal East District, an administrative district of Manipur, came into existence on 18th of June, 1997 with its headquarters at Porompat. It is occupying the eastern part of Imphal District. Imphal East District is situated in two separate valleys of the state namely Central Valley and Jiribam Valley. The total area of this district of Manipur is 469.44 sq kilometres approximately. Imphal East District is situated at an altitude 790 metres above the mean sea level. The climate of the district is healthy and monsoon is tropical. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Imphal East District. Cane works, Bamboo works and Carpentry are the important household industries among the male people of the district. The artisans in these trades are widely spread over Imphal East District.
Administration of Imphal East District
There are four Revenue Sub-Divisions in Imphal East District namely Porompat Sub-Division; Sawombung Sub-Division; Keirao Bitra Sub-Division and Jiribam Sub-Division. The total number of Revenue Circles under the administrative set-up of the district is nine. There are 237 Revenue villages in the district. The total number of urban local bodies is four comprising of two Municipalities and two Nagar Panchayats. The two municipalities are Imphal Municipal Council and Jiribam Municipal Council whereas the two Nagar Panchayats are Andro Nagar Panchayat and Lamlai Nagar Panchayat. Further, administration of Imphal East District includes three Community Development Blocks namely Imphal East-I Community Development Block, Sawombung; Imphal East-II Community Development Block, Keirao Bitra and Jiribam Community Development Block. It also includes 56 Gram Panchayats. There is a Zilla Parishad in the district comprising of 19 Zilla Parishad members. However, there is no Panchayat Samiti in the administrative set-up of Imphal East District as well as in the other districts of the state.
Art and Culture of Imphal East District
Art and Culture of Imphal East District that falls within the ambit of Manipur have been identifying itself to the world exhibiting the confluence of the ancient tradition with the modern. Manipur portrays a mosaic of traditions and culture patterns. Manipuri classical dance is world famous and it is very generally distinct from other Indian dance forms. Ras Lila, the very face of classical dance that devours its nourishment from the spiritual and eternal love of Radha and Lord Krishna.
Rash Dance : As an obvious result their sublime and transcendental love and the selfless devotion of the milkmaids of Vrindavan to the Lord. The dance is performed in the "Mandap" in front of the temple all through the night and witnessed with great dedication and care. Rash performances are mainly of four types-Vasanta Rash, Kunja Rash, Maha Rash and Nata/Nitya Rash. Within the premises of Shri Shri Govinda, Vasanta Ras is performed on the full-moon night of Hiyangei (November). After a certain moment when the rituals are completed at the temple of Shri Shri Govinda, they are performed at any time of the year. Based on Tenth Book of the Bhagavata, Maha Rash and Vasanta Rash are performed on Geet Govinda of Jayadeva. A fifth type called Diva Ras is occasionally met with Ras Lila is a combination of solo, duet and grace. It is the richness of the costumes that provide lustre to the overall artistic proliferation of the programme.
Pung Cholom : Pung Cholom comes from the term Pung that is a kind of Manipur drum. Khuyoi Tompok who ruled over Manipur during (154-264 A.D) introduced the pung having only one beating face. Since then, it has developed to the present form of `Meitei Pung with two beating faces. This Pung has become a part and parcel of Nata Sankirtan which is an important part of Manipuri culture. Today, `Pung Cholom` which is a traditional dance form of the pung drummers has earned international acclamation for its charming artistic display.
Pena : Pena is a stringed musical instrument of Manipur. Its origin may be traced back to a hoary past. It is called Bena in Parts of Assam. It is made up of two parts viz the penamasa and pena cheijing. Earlier, Pena was usually played by its player to invoke the gods and goddesses. But today, this musical instrument is played in musical concerts and other performances also.
Khongjom Parva : Khongjom Parva is a musical narration of the Battle of Khongjom fought between the Manipuris and the British in April 1891.Dhobi Leinou started singing Khongjom Parva by thumping his hands on the knee and some times used an empty tin to thump upon. The Khongjom Parva narrators glorify the Manipuris soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland. Today the theme of singing Khongjom Parva includes the stories of Khamba and Thoibi, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the exploits of the kings of Manipur. The singer uses only a Dholok while singing.
Wari Liba : Wari Liba is an indigenous art form of telling stories prevalent in the State since the 17th century. The Mahabharata and the Ramayan are the themes of such story telling. Manipuri folk song is known as `Khulang Ishei`. It is popular for its thematic and romantic contents. The folk songs are commonly sung by the rural folk and hill men at the time of harvesting, collecting firewood, hunting and fishing.
Tourism in Imphal East District<
Tourism in Imphal East District consists of its spectacular tourist destinations which boast of rich natural splendour and ancient temples like Shree Shree Govindajee Temple, Hanuman Temple which is located at Mahabali and several others. The Indian state of Manipur possesses excellent mountain ranges, and offers excellent pilgrimage tourism opportunities.
Shree Shree Govindaji Temple : The Shree Shree Govindaji Temple was constructed in 1846 A.D. during the rule of Maharaj Nara Singh and was demolished seriously by an earthquake in about 1868 A.D. However, it was again renovated during the reign of Maharaj Chandrakirti. This temple measures about 16.95 metres in length and stands at an elevation of 1.34 metres. Its breadth is about 18.63 metres.
Shri Krishna Temple : The Shri Krishna Temple was established by Maharaj Garibniwaza in 1722 A.D. and its interiors reflected the Bengali style of architecture which was quite popular in the 18th century. The temple is located at Brahmapur Guru Aribam Leikai. The total area occupied by this temple is 124.2 square kilometre.
Thangal General Temple : The Thangal General Temple was built by the Kangabam Chitananda Singh, who was the son of Wangkei angom Leikai. Thangal General was a significant figure who was present at the court of Maharaj Kulachandra who had ruled from 1890 to 1891 A.D. During the British Raj, he was hanged to death by the British. The approximate area covered by this temple is 650 square kilometre.
Sacred Jackfruit Tree Site
The Imphal East district possesses a sacred jackfruit tree, which is present in the region of Kaina in the district of Thoubal. It is located at a distance of about 35 km from the eastern part of Imphal on the Imphal-Yairipok Road and was constructed during the regime of Bhagyachandra Maharaj who ruled from 1763 to 98 A.D. There is a legendary account which asserts that this ruler had dreamt of the idol of Lord Krishna which appeared near the site of the jackfruit tree. Inspired by this dream, he had created his sacred site. The idol of Shree Govindaji was sculpted by this ruler.
Sekta Kei Mound : This place is present inside Sekta village and is located at a distance of nearly 18 km from the north eastern part of Imphal on the river banks of Iril. It is about 4 km from the northern part of Lamlai, on the Imphal-Uhkul Road. There exists about six burial spots in Sekta village. The State Archaeology has been entrusted the responsibility of protecting this burial ground which is excavated by this organization. Sekti village occupies an area of 0.35 acres. Excavations conducted at this site reveal some of the burial customs which were prevalent during ancient ages.