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Manipur
- India
Manipur is a state in
northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. Manipur
is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in
the south and Assam in the west; it also borders the country of
Myanmar to the east.
The Meiteis, who live primarily in the state's valley region, are
one of the primary ethnic groups. Their language, Meiteilon (also
known as Manipuri), is also the lingua franca in the state. It was
recognized as one of India's national languages in 1992. The Kukis
and Nagas live in the hills of the state. The Kukis too have their
own kingdoms like the Chahsat, Aisan,Jampi, etc. and were close to
the Meitei kings in the plain. The independent existence of the
Meitei and Kuki kings can be proved by common practice of calling
Kuki village headmen by Meiteis as Ningthou, which means "King".
'Manipur' is considered a sensitive border state. Foreigners
entering 'Manipur' (including foreign citizens born in Manipur) must
possess a Restricted Area Permit which can be obtained from the
Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office in the "metros" (Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata) or certain other state government offices. Permits
are valid for only 10 days, and visitors must travel only on tours
arranged by authorised travel agents, in groups of four.
Furthermore, they may come to Imphal only by air and will not be
permitted to travel outside the capital.
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