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About Keibul Lamjao
Wildlife Sanctuary
Cervus
eldii. Eld’s deer. Thamin deer. Brow-antlered deer. Sangai.
Dancing deer. A whole lot of names for
 a
single species, but that’s how it is for this unusual deer, a graceful
animal which is found only in one state of India- Manipur. A highly
endangered species, the brow-antlered deer is found exclusively in a
small area which stretches across the extreme north-eastern corner of
India; Myanmar and part of Thailand. In India, the place to see this
beautiful creature is the Keibul Lamjao National Park.
Keibul Lamjao is famous not just because of the brow-antlered deer;
its other claim to fame is the fact that this is one of the very few
`floating’ protected areas in the world.Approximately 50 km from the
state capital, Imphal, Keibul Lamjao lies on an island on the fringes
of the Loktak Lake.
Gazetted a sanctuary in
1969, Keibul Lamjao officially became a national park in 1977. It
today stretches over an area of about 40 sq km, surrounded by marshes,
hillocks, and the lake itself. A number of streams too crisscross
Keibul Lamjao, which, combined with extensive marshes, make the park a
typical wetland. The Loktak Lake, which is really what the park is all
about, is covered almost completely by floating mats of the dense
aquatic grass known locally as `phum'. Other wild grasses,
including a variety of wild rice, form the bulk of the vegetation,
which supports an astoundingly large and diverse fauna.
The most prominent- if not the most easily spotted- of Keibul Lamjao's
many denizens is the brow-antlered `sangai' deer. A much-loved
creature in Manipuri folklore and dance tradition (so much so that
it's even known as the `dancing deer'), the sangai had been
reported extinct in 1951, but after being re-discovered, has finally
become Keibul Lamjao's prime attraction. Other animals in the park
include otter, civet, wild boar and hog deer, besides a number of
small reed-dwelling birds. The Loktak Lake is home to a large piscine
population.
Entry Requirements
All foreigners visiting Manipur are required to obtain special
Restricted Area Permits (RAPs), which are valid for entry to Keibul
Lamjao National Park as well. Permits valid for a period of ten days
are issued to groups of four or more people travelling together on a
tour arranged by a recognised travel agent. Entry permits are issued
by Indian missions abroad; by the Ministry of Home Affairs; FRROs; and
the State Government of Manipur.
Indians visiting Manipur are required to obtain an Inner Line Permit,
also available from the offices listed above. Like the RAPs, these too
are valid for visits to Keibul Lamjao.
Access
The
 closest
major town is Manipur's capital Imphal, about 50 km from Keibul Lamjao.
Imphal has good air connections to major cities in India, through its
airport, which is served by Indian Airlines. The nearest railhead is
at Dimapur, about 230 km away in Assam and linked to Imphal by road. A
motorable road connects Imphal to Keibul Lamjao, and although public
transport between the two places is infrequent and undependable,
vehicles can be hired in Imphal to do the trip to Keibul Lamjao.
Alternatively, opt for one of the day tours conducted by Manipur
Tourism to Loktak and Keibul Lamjao. The best way to see Keibul Lamjao
is by boat- and that too in the early morning or in the evening, when
the lake's at its loveliest. The sangai, which live in small
herds, lie low through most of the day and come out to feed either
around dawn or at dusk, which makes a circuit at this time even more
satisfying for wildlife-watchers. Local boatmen acting as guides can
be engaged to take you around the lake. Within the park are
observation towers which offer a good view of sangai habitat,
and for the more adventurous, a guided walk through the park is
possible. Look out for the somewhat shaky floating phum,
though- a wrong step and you could end up in rather a lot of water!
Best time to visit
The winter and spring- approximately October to February- is the best
time to visit Keibul Lamjao. Visits are possible up to May too,
although it may be a trifle too hot for some people, and the lake
shrinks by almost a third because of evaporation in the summer heat.
Beyond May, heavy monsoon showers hit Loktak, making visits here
extremely difficult.
Accommodation
Two resthouses- one at Phubala and the other at Sendra (the main
island of Loktak Lake) -are about the only accommodation options
available in Keibul Lamjao. However, Keibul Lamjao's proximity to
Imphal means that it's possible to visit the park on a day trip.
Imphal itself has a number of good hotels where rooms are available;
rates for a single room start at about Rs 100 per night and can go up
to Rs 1,000 or so.
Further information on Keibul Lamjao is available from the Assistant
Conservator of Forests, Keibul Lamjao National Park, BPO Kha-Thimungei,
Manipur, or from the Director of Tourism (Hotel Imphal Complex), Near
Raj Bhavan, Imphal (Tel: 0385-224603 / 220802 / 222705). |
