Kangla Fort
Fortified Palace in Manipur, India
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Through Fortification, Palace and Manipur
Kangla (Imphal) was the ancient capital of pre-modern Manipur. The Kangla is a revered spot for the people of Manipur, reminding them of the days of their independence. It is a sacred place to the Meiteis.
The Kangla is being proposed to be declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for which there are discussions ongoing in the Indian Parliament.
History
The Kangla was the seat of administration of the Meitei rulers of the Ningthouja dynasty (33 CE to 1891 CE).
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Museums
There are two museums inside Kangla Fort: the Kangla Museum and Archaeological Museum.
The Kangla Museum showcases mapmaking, the artistic and cultural heritage and Manipur, and the lifestyles of Meitei rotalty.
The Archaeological Museum includes Stone Age tools found in the Tharon and Kangkhui Caves and artefacts collected from the excavations of Sekta, Khangabok and the Kangla itself.
Gardens
The Kangla possesses a sobriquet, "Lungs of Imphal" as it is heavily forested, providing oxygen in the heart of the metropolis of Manipur. Unfortunately, due to construction activities in the last few years, some deforestation occurred inside the Kangla.
In the year 2019, the 3.5 acres (1.4 hectares) Kangla Herbal Garden was planted, in order to bring medicinal plants inside the Kangla. The botanical garden is the responsibility of the Lamphelpat-based branch of the North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat (NEIST). The Government of Manipur provided ₹6.16 lakh (equivalent to ₹15 lakh or US$16,000 in 2026) out of ₹13.46 lakh (equivalent to ₹33 lakh or US$34,000 in 2026) to NEIST to carry out the task. It planted around 131 different plants, (including around 20 medicinal plant species), includung, iheigru (Phyllanthus emblica), kihori (Phyllanthus acidus), agar (Aquilaria agallocha), neem (Azadirachta indica), tera (Mobax malabathricum), singairei (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) and leihao (Michelia champaca).
In June in 2019, around 700 indigenous fruit-bearing tree saplings were planted inside the Nura Heikol (Minangkabau for 'women's orchard'), formerly known as "Biodiversity Park" as part of the Governmenkt Green Manipur initiative.
In September in 2019, the newspaper Sangai Express celebrated 20 years in print by adding around 120 trees, including mayokfa, agar, uningthou, teak, chahui and samba, planted by its editorial board and management team.
The Kangla Fort Board, under the leadership of Nongthombam Biren, the Chief Minister of Manipur plan to eventually plan some 10,000 trees inside the Kangla.