Places to Visit in Thoubal

Thoubal is the district headquarters of Manipur. Most of the important areas of the town are located on the banks of the Thoubal River, one of the two rivers flowing through the district.Located amidst hills and hillocks, the town has its own distinctive beauty. There are several must see places to visit in Thoubal such as Panthoibee and Chinga Lairenbhi temples, Tomjing Ching and the Manipur Sahitya Samiti.There are many open spaces in the outskirts of the town which are ideal for picnics and day-long outings. Trekking and hiking are also popular activity here. There are numerous lakes and rivers in the region too, making the district ideal for outdoor activities.The town also has several market areas where shopping is quite a pleasure. From souvenirs to handicraft and handloom products these bazaars sell it all. By Air: The nearest airport to Thoubal is in the capital of Imphal. The Imphal Airport is connected to all the major cities of India via Guwahati. Tourists will have to board a stopover flight to Guwahati from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore to reach Imphal. The Imphal Airport is 30 km away from Thoubal.By Train: Apart from a narrow gauge rail line, Manipur doesnt have a railhead. Thus, the nearest railway station to Thoubal is in Dimapur located 230 km away. Regular trains connect Dimapur to Guwahati the most important railway station and north-eastern city.By Road: National Highway 102 passes through Thoubal connecting it to all the important centres of Manipur and India. Additionally the Imphal-Moreh Road also connects Thoubal to other parts via NH 39 and NH 53. Apart from state transport buses, private taxis also ply on this route and can easily be availed by tourists.Photo Courtesy: t.saldanha Khanabok is a must see place in Thoubal, Manipur. It is the largest village of the state and the Meiteis are the primary group populating the village. The language spoken here is Meiteilon or Manipuri. The name Khangabok is derived from the tree Khangra which covered the present-day village area. As people started settling in the area, the trees were cut down, and the place got the name Khangrapokpi, meaning where Khangra is grown. The modern derivation of Khangrapokpi is Khangabok. There are a few places to visit in the village such as the Ikop Lake which is also called Ikop Pat and the Lamlong Bazaar.Photo Courtesy: Subodhthok Khonjam is one of the most famous places to visit in Thoubal district. It was in Khonjam that the last battle of independence was fought by the Manipuris against the British. Khonjam is located 10 km from Thoubal. A small war memorial has been erected in the hillock to commemorate the war heroes. Every year 23rd April is a state holiday in Manipur in remembrance of the battle. Khonjam is connected by the National Highway, and it also has a tourist home.Photo Courtesy: Diamond Oina The biggest town of Thoubal district, Kakching is an important trade centre. Located just 70 km from the Myanmar border, Kakching is must see place in Thoubal. Variety of vegetables, fish and rice grow in the Kakching sub-division thus making it an important trading centre. It is well connected to the other parts of the state via the state highways. Apart from being an agricultural hub it is also famous for its temples such as the Shri Krishnachandra Mandir, Viswanath Mandir and Narasingha Mandir. During the Second World War, Kakching also had an airfield called Pallet Airfield covering an area of 100 acres.Photo Courtesy: Hemam Bishwajeet Among the places to visit in Thoubal is Sugnu, an important trading centre. It is well connected with the capital of Manipur through the Sugnu - Imphal State Highway. Apart from being an important trading centre, it is also a beautiful town with the Imphal River flowing past it. The river adds to the beauty of the place, enhancing the greenness of the surrounding. The small hillocks that are a characteristic of Thoubal district make Sugnu enchantingly beautiful.Photo Courtesy: Herojit th Pallel is an important stopover town en-route to Moreh, the commercial hub of Manipur. It is also the gateway to the Trans-Asian Super Highway. It is the meeting place between the Chandel hills and the Thoubal plains. The effect of this mix is that it exemplifies the beauty of the town. While en-route to Moreh, Pallel is a treat to the eyes. Many tourists prefer exploring the area around the town only because of its natural beauty. People from different communities have been known to live in harmony in Pallel for generations. Some of the prominent tribes here are Mariangs, Kukis, Meiteis, and Lamkangs.Photo Courtesy: Herojit th Thoubal is known for its many lakes and rivers with part of the famous Loktak Lake falling in the district. The Waithou Lake magnifies the scenic beauty of the place. The lake lies in the northern part of the district and has been formed by collecting the drained water that comes from the Waithou Hill and the many paddy fields on the west and east. Earlier the Waithou Lake was the breeding grounds for the endangered fish species called ‘Ngaton. However, after the Cheksabi barrage was constructed in the 1970s over the lake, the Ngaton vanished completely from the lake. In the land around the lake, pineapples grow and are quite famous.Photo Courtesy: Herojit th