ImphalThe valley capital at 786 m — Kangla Fort, Ima Keithel’s women-run stalls and Loktak’s floating world
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Imphal in one minute
Imphal — live weather, population, hidden places and cost of living, auto-updated.
Imphal, the valley capital of Manipur at 786 m, keeps the old kingdom’s heart — Kangla Fort, the royal seat beside the Imphal river, and the Shree Govindajee temple’s golden-crowned idols. The city’s soul is its Ima Keithel, the 500-year-old Mother’s Market run entirely by thousands of women traders. Census 2011 counted about 4.2 lakh in the UA.
History runs deep — the Battle of Imphal (1944) turned the WWII tide, remembered in war cemeteries and the INA memorial at Moirang — while the valley’s crown is Loktak Lake: its floating phumdi islands carry the Keibul Lamjao national park, home of the dancing Sangai deer, and the birthplace-claim of polo, Sagol Kangjei, still gallops here.
Fast facts
| Status | State capital — municipal corporation |
| District | Imphal West (HQ) |
| Market | Ima Keithel — all-women, ~500 yrs |
| District population (2011) | 5,17,992 |
| City population (2011) | ~2,64,986 (corp) — UA 4,18,739 |
| Elevation | ≈786 m — Imphal valley |
| Heritage | Kangla Fort — Manipur kingdom seat |
| Languages | Meiteilon (Manipuri) · English |
| Nearest airport | Bir Tikendrajit Intl (IMF) |
| Note | No rail head — Jiribam line rising |
| Nature | Loktak Lake · Keibul Lamjao (Sangai) |
| History | Battle of Imphal 1944 · INA orbit |
| District literacy | 86.1% (2011, Imphal West) |
| Famous for | Ima Keithel · Kangla · Loktak · polo |
City map
Demographics CENSUS 2011
Last official census — 2021 census deferred, estimates update on release.
2,68,243 residents
per 1,000 males
municipal area (2011)
≈29,507 children (est.)
🌟 Hidden & heritage places
Imphal beyond the postcards — quiet places and lanes most guides skip.
Kangla Fort
The kingdom’s old citadel — the Kangla museum, the sacred Nungjaiek heart-stones and the British-era quarters.
Directions ↗Ima Keithel
The 500-year women-run market — the imas’ vegetable rows, the textile stalls and the dawn auction lanes.
Directions ↗Loktak Lake & phumdis
The great lake — the floating-ring fishing villages, the Sendra viewpoints and the sunset fisher fleets.
Directions ↗Keibul Lamjao NP
The world’s only floating national park — the Sangai deer’s dancing-bog refuge and the hog-deer trails.
Directions ↗Imphal War Cemetery
The Commonwealth graves — the 1944 Battle-of-Imphal memory and the Moirang INA flag memorial orbit.
Directions ↗Shree Govindajee Temple
The royal Vaishnav temple — the twin-domed hall, the Ras-leela evenings and the palace-side calm.
Directions ↗Weekend getaways
Approximate road distances from Imphal.
Cost of living
Indicative monthly estimates for a single person — verify locally before deciding.
| 1 BHK rent (city) | ₹3,000 – 6,000 / mo |
| 2 BHK rent (city) | ₹6,000 – 11,000 / mo |
| Meal at a local eatery | ₹70 – 150 |
| Groceries (single, month) | ₹3,500 – 5,500 |
| Utilities (basic) | ₹1,200 – 2,500 |
| Monthly total (est.) | ₹10,000 – 17,000 |
Estimates only · tier-3 capital city · updated with market data over time
Top industries
What actually runs Imphal.
Handloom & textile trades
The loom economy — the state’s famed weaver households, the moirangphee and lei-rum fabrics of the emporia.
Textiles ↗Ima Keithel trade economy
The women-run commerce — the vegetable, fish and textile trades of the mother’s market halls.
Retail ↗Valley rice & horticulture
The farm belt — the valley paddy, the pineapple-and-orange trades and the chakhao (black rice) GI.
Agro ↗Cane, bamboo & kauna craft
The craft economy — kauna-reed mats, cane furniture and the longpi-black-pottery orbit.
Craft ↗Valley-tourism desks
The heritage circuit — the Loktak boat desks, the battlefield tours and the festival services.
Tourism ↗Manipur University & colleges
The education belt — the university campus at Canchipur, the medical college and the NIT orbit.
Education ↗State-capital administration
The secretariat economy — the government offices and the hill-valley agency desks.
Government ↗Top restaurants & food
Where locals actually eat — local counters, classics and street institutions.
Thangal Bazaar food rows
The valley food line — eromba carts, singju counters and the chak-hao kheer bowls.
Directions ↗Manipuri thali houses
The regional kitchens — eromba, ooti, chagem pomba and the nga-athu fish plates.
Directions ↗Ima Keithel morning kitchens
The market-cooked belt — the imas’ rice-and-vegetable stalls and the morning tea counters.
Directions ↗Fish & pakora rooms
The grill streets — the lake-fish fry plates and the evening pakora carts.
Directions ↗Paona Bazar cafe strip
The new-city cafe mile — coffee counters, bakery bars and the student crowds.
Directions ↗Style-verified from local guides · Sep 2026 · hours change — call ahead
Markets & shopping
Ima Keithel (Mother’s Market)
The world-famous women-run market — the three imas’ halls of vegetables, fish and textiles.
Directions ↗Thangal & Paona Bazaars
The old-market pair — general-trade rows, handicraft stalls and the Myanmar-border goods.
Directions ↗Valley santhas & village haats
The rural markets — the hill-vegetable rows and the valley-rice trades.
Directions ↗Festival & fair calendar
Yaoshang (Holi of Manipur)
The five-day festival — the thabal-chongba moonlight dances and the nagar-kirtan weeks.
Ningol Chakouba
The family feast festival — the married daughters’ homecoming banquets and the gift-giving days.
Sangai Festival
The state’s tourism festival — the Manipuri-dance stages, the boat races and the craft halls.
Mera Houchongba orbit
The hill-valley unity festival — the Kangla rites and the brotherhood exchanges.
October – March
The valley winter — lake trips, festival weeks and the food streets.
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FAQ
What is Imphal famous for?
The all-women Ima Keithel (500 years running), Kangla Fort, Loktak Lake’s floating phumdis, the Sangai deer and the 1944 Battle-of-Imphal memory.
What is the population of Imphal?
Census 2011: about 2,64,986 in the corporation city (queue figure 2,68,243, pending reconciliation); Imphal UA 4,18,739; Imphal West district 5,17,992.
What is the pincode of Imphal?
The city starts at 795001; Imphal spans 795001–795160 across Thangal Bazaar, Lamphel and the airport belt.
Which places should I visit there?
Ima Keithel’s halls, Kangla Fort and the Shree Govindajee temple — with Loktak’s phumdis and Keibul Lamjao as the nature runs.