BharatSangraha

Imphal Valley · Northeast Hill Massif

Terrain and eco-zones

Subtropical, moderated by altitude — the valley sits high enough that summer rarely passes 33 °C and January nights fall to 3–5 °C. Rainfall runs about 1,400–1,800 mm, well below the Northeast average, because the encircling hills take much of it out of the air before it arrives. The result is a valley considerably drier and cooler than the plains to the west, with a long clear winter.

Landforms

A flat lacustrine plain at about 790 m, silted over the bed of a much larger former lakeLoktak — the largest freshwater lake in the Northeast, its area varying sharply with seasonPhumdi — floating mats of vegetation, soil and decaying matter, some thick enough to bear a houseIsolated hillocks standing out of the flat floor, most of them ritual sitesThe enclosing hill rim, rising 300–1,500 m above the floor on all sides

Rivers and waters

Imphal (Turel) — the central river, running past KanglaIril and Thoubal — the eastern rivers, joining the Imphal on the valley floorNambul — draining Imphal town into LoktakSekmai — the north-western riverManipur river — the single outlet, carrying the whole basin south and east into the Chindwin

Through the year

SeasonMonthsTypicalWhat it is like
WinterNovember–February3–24 °CDry, clear and cold at night. Ningol Chakouba and Emoinu fall here, the rice is in, and the fish drying and ngari packing of the year is done.
SpringMarch–April12–30 °CYaoshang and Cheiraoba, the two biggest calendar events of the valley, and the start of the Lai Haraoba season.
MonsoonMay–September20–33 °CTransplanting, and the annual rise of Loktak. Kang, the July chariot festival, runs through the wettest weeks.
Post-monsoonOctober17–29 °CClearest month of the year, with Mera observances and the tail of the harvest.

Best time to visitOctober to March, with Yaoshang in March and Ningol Chakouba in November as the two calendar events worth planning around. Sangai are most reliably seen at Keibul Lamjao between November and March, when the phumdi is firm and the grass is short. Non-residents require an Inner Line Permit, reintroduced in 2019.

The climate, landforms, rivers and seasons of Imphal Valley, and the best time of year to visit. (4)