From Our Correspondent
IMPHAL, Sep 8: With around 15 heritage sites, Senapati district has the highest number of natural heritage sites among all nine districts of the state.
Some of the important heritage sites found in Senapati include Willong, Maram Khullen, Makhel, Kharam, Liyai, Ingourok, Leimatak waterfall etc.
This was uncovered when experts tried to make a tentative list of the state’s natural heritage as part of documentation and further recommendation to different platforms during the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Manipur Chapter sponsored four-day workshop on listing and documentation of Natural Heritage of Manipur which concluded today.
Some of the heritage sites identified in Manipur’s Imphal West district include Konthoujam Leirembi, Langol Lairembi, Sekmai besides Imphal city and Kangla Fort etc.
Similarly Imphal East district has heritage sites such as Nongmaiching hill, Andro,Sekta, Palace ground, Jiri-Makru etc.
Nambol Khoriphaba, Ningthoukhong’s Ibudhou Oknarel, Moirang’s Ibudhou Thangjing, Loktak and even Moirang town were among the important sites in Bishnupur district while Changamdabi, Ningel and Chandrakhong Thumkhong are among the major sites in Thoubal district.
Nungbi, Somdal, Lamdang-sung, Kamkui, Mapithel are some of the places in Ukhrul while Bunning, Khoupum and Barak waterfall are in Tamenglong district.
The tentative heritage sites of the state would be screened later for proper documentation. The delegates of the workshop besides the organisers are also looking for more unexplored heritage sites, if any, in the state. But it has to have INTACH guidelines for listing and documentation.
The delegates of course suggested a good number of heritage sites during the valedictory function today.
S Singsit, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest attending the valedictory function said efforts are on to include Sangai’s last habitat Keibul Lamjao National Park as one of the world heritage sites.
Earlier those attending the workshop expressed the need to develop a database of natural heritage of Manipur and sought cooperation and suggestions from all quarters.
