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Manipur is situated in India’s North East. Manipur was formed on 21st January 1972 (became a full-fledged state). Manipur’s capital is Imphal, and it has 16 districts.
Manipur has a total of 66 seats in the legislative assembly. It covers an area of 22,327 sq km (which constitutes 0.68 % of India’s territory) with a population of around 2.9 million and a density of 130/km sq.
The state shares its physical boundaries with the state of Nagaland to the north, the state of Mizoram to the south, the state of Assam to the west, and an international border with Myanmar to the east.
The various state symbols of Manipur have been summarised as follows:
The state animal of Manipur: The Sangai or the dancing deer
The Sangai’s scientific name is Rucervus eldii eldii.
It is a mid-sized deer with unusual antlers (horns with branches on the head of the deer) and a long brow tine which is why it is also known as brow-antlered deer. There are around 200 Sangais in Manipur.
The male Sangais have a height of around 115 – 130 cm and a weight of around 90 – 125 kg, while the female Sangais have a height of around 90 – 100 cm and a weight of around 60 – 80 kg.
The Sangai is an endangered species as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, which was supposedly extinct in 1950. The Manipur Government is consistently involved in the conservation of Sangais.
The state bird of Manipur: Mrs Hume’s Pheasant
Mrs Hume’s Pheasant’s scientific name is Syrmaticus humiae.
This bird is also known by other names like Nongin( in Manipuri) and Hume’s bar-tailed pheasant. It is a long bird with a greyish brown head and a reddish facial patch.
Male species of Manipur’s state bird Nongin have a height of around 90 cm and weight of around 900 – 1080 g, while the females have a height of around 60 cm and weight of around 650 – 850 g.
Manipur’s state bird Nongin can be mainly found in India, China, Myanmar, and Thailand. Their habitat consists of evergreen forests with a wide-open area. It has been marked as a “Threatened Species” as per the IUCN’s Red List.
The state fish of Manipur: The Pengba or Tharak
The scientific name of the fish is Osteobrama belangeri.
This species of fish has an excessive recognition among fish meal lovers. It is mainly found in Myanmar, India (in eastern parts of Manipur), and China (in some parts of Yuhan).
Their habitat consists of wetlands. The population of Pengba fish in Manipur is very small due to the degradation in the quality of their habitat. It has been marked as a “Threatened Species” as per the IUCN’s Red List.
The state flower of Manipur: The Shiroi Lily
This flower’s scientific name is Lilium mackliniae Sealy.
This majestic lily was identified by Kingdon Ward, for which he was honoured with an award of Merit of England in 1950.
This flower generally grows from May to June, its peak season. They grow in either pale yellow or pink colour.
The height of the Shirui Lily plant is around 1 – 3 ft. It is a rare species of flower found only in Manipur. It grows in hilly areas, around 1750 – 2550 m above sea level.
The state tree of Manipur: The Bonsum (or Uningthou)
Manipur’s state tree’s scientific name is Phoebe hainesiana Brandis.
It is also known as Uningthou (in the Manipuri language) because timber obtained from bonsum is economically valuable and used in manufacturing a variety of wooden articles.
The habitat of these trees consists of low elevated areas.
The state song of Manipur: The Sana Leibak Manipur
“Sana Leibak Manipur” translates to “Land of Gold, Manipur”.
It was written by B Jayanta Kumar Sharma(1935-2015), and the music was composed by Aribam Syam Sharma in 1965.
The state emblem of Manipur: The Kanglasha statue or Nongsaba
This symbol depicts a half lion and a half-dragon, somewhat resembling a unicorn.
It was formally embraced as such by the Government of Manipur in 1980.
Conclusion
Manipur is a very rich state in terms of its biodiversity and its flora and fauna. This article is a quick guide to state symbols of Manipur. This article has provided an insight into various state symbols of Manipur like its state animal – Sangai, state bird – Mrs Hume’s Pheasant, state fish – Pengba, state flower – Shirui Lily, state tree – Bonsum, state song – Sana Leibak Manipur, and its state emblem – Kanglasha. Every symbol has its uniqueness and cultural significance that depicts the history, culture, biodiversity, and regional richness of Manipur.
