Sanggai Yumpham

This article is about a historic royal residence in the Kangla Fort. For the village in Thoubal district, see Sanggaiyumpham, Thoubal.
Meetei Mayek
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Sanggai Yumpham
ꯁꯡꯒꯥꯏ ꯌꯨꯝꯐꯝ
Former namesOld Manipuri: Sangkai Empham
General information
Statuspartially demolished
Architectural styleMeitei architecture
Locationinside the Kangla Fort
Town or cityImphal
CountryManipur Kingdom
Construction started1611 A.D.
Demolished
ClientNingthouja dynasty
OwnerGovernment of Manipur
Governing bodyKangla Fort Board
Height14 to 20 feet (4.3 to 6.1 m)
Technical details
Materialbrick
Size600 by 600 feet (180 m × 180 m)
Other information
Parkingno

The Sanggāi Yumpham (Meitei: ꯁꯡꯒꯥꯏ ꯌꯨꯝꯐꯝ), (Old Manipuri: Sangkai Eempham) was the citadel, a fortified royal residence within the Kangla Fort, Imphal.[1] It is preserved as an archaeological site as well as a tourist attraction.[2][3][4][5]

History

The construction of the Citadel of the Kangla Fort in Imphal started in 1611, during the era of reign of King Khagemba.[6][7]

The Kangla Fort was destroyed and abandoned multiple times during Burmese invasions, especially during the Chahi-Taret Khuntakpa, or Seven Years' Devastation (1819-1826). Later, the citadel was re-constructed during the reign of Chandrakirti Singh in 1873.[7]: 580 

As a result of the Anglo Manipur War of 1891, on 27 April 1891, General Maxwell annexed the Kangla and the citadel was demolished simultaneously.[7]: 742 [8]

Features

The citadel is inside the fort's inner brick wall. It measures around 600 by 600 feet (180 m × 180 m), and its walls are 14 to 20 feet (4.3 to 6.1 m) high. There are four guarding pillars in the 4 corners of 4 directions. The southern passageway door leads to the Govindajee Temple.[9][6] It built of bricks. It houses many holy sites, including the coronation site of Pakhangba.[a] It has three main entrance gates, two on the western side, one facing the Royal Coronation Hall and one facing the darbar hall, and one on the southern side that leads to a passageway to the Shree Govindajee Temple.[6][9][7]

The southern exit passage way to the outside of the citadel of the Kangla Fort in Imphal. From Sanggai Yumpham, the enclosure of the citadel (royal residence), the passage way leads to the Shri Govindajee Temple and Lord Wangpulen Shrine (Sacred site of Lord Wangbren) of Kangla.

It is surrounded by five walls of the Kangla Fort. The innermost wall is the only one that is standing still today. There is one octagonal watchtower at every corner of the wall, serving as sentry posts. Its entire perimeter has military installations (emplacements) of around 500 defender soldiers.[10]

There was an old bridge built over the Imphal River from the passageway between the Sanggai Yumpham and the Govindajee Temple inside the Kangla. Later, it got deteriorated in 1891. During the 28th meeting of the Kangla Fort Board, on 15 December 2018, Nongthombam Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur, took a decision that a new bridge will be constructed similar to the features of the old bridge.[11]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ It may refer to the coronation site of Meitei king Nongda Lairen Pakhangba or of divine God king Pakhangba.

References

  1. ^ Brara, N. Vijaylakshmi (1998). Politics, society, and cosmology in India's North East. Delhi ; New York : Oxford University Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-0-19-564331-2.
  2. ^ India, Archæological Survey of (2002). Indian Archaeology. Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India. p. 182.
  3. ^ Sabha, India Parliament Rajya (13 December 2007). Parliamentary Debates: Official Report. Council of States Secretariat. p. 130.
  4. ^ "INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 2011-12 - A REVIEW" (PDF). asi.nic.in.
  5. ^ Traditional Customs and Rituals of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Assam. Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture. 2002. p. 126.
  6. ^ a b c "Kangla The ancient Capital of Manipur". www.e-pao.net. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Lisam, Khomdan Singh (2011). Encyclopaedia Of Manipur. Gyan Publishing House. p. 581. ISBN 978-81-7835-864-2.
  8. ^ Civic Affairs. P. C. Kapoor at the Citizen Press. 1977. p. 22.
  9. ^ a b "Special features of Kangla - Naoroibam Indramani". Pothashang News. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Kangla The Living Historical Symbol of Manipur". easternpanorama.in. Eastern Panorama. The Citadel, which housed the royal residence, was the nerve administration. Five walls surrounded the royal palace. The innermost wall is the only structure that remains standing today. Each corners of the wall were interspersed with octagonal shaped watchtowers, serving as sentry posts. The entire perimeter of the Citadel had emplacements for upto 500 defenders.
  11. ^ "Eastern Kangla bridge to be reconstructed: 04th jun19 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
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