Loktak Lake

Loktak lake is considered to be the lifeline of the State of Manipur due to its importance in the socio-economic and cultural life of the people. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in the north - eastern region of India and plays an important role in the ecological and economic security of the regio.

A large population living in and around the lake depends upon the lake resources for sustenance. The staple food of Manipur is directly linked to Loktak lake. The lake is rich in biodiversity and was des ig nated as a Wetland of International Importance under Ramsar Convention in 1990.

Justification for Designation as Ramsar Site
It is covered extensively by naturally - occuring phoomdis (mass of floating vegetation) which are a specialized habitat for many biota, besides being useful to the local people in many ways.
The Keibul Lamjao National Park, in the southern part of the lake, is a unique floating wildlife reserve and the only home of the endangered Manipur brow - antlered deer or sangai, with an estimated population of 106 (in 1991).
It has been the breeding ground of a number of riverine migratory fishes from the Irrawady - Chindwin river system and continues to be vital as a fish habitat.
It is of enormous socio - economic importance for the inhabitants of Manipur valley.

The lake also supports a signfi cant population of resident and migratory waterfowl.

Biodiversity Values

Flora
The Loktak lake with its numerous floating lands covers a variety of habitats which sustains rich biological diversity. The aquatic macrophytes comprising 233 species belonging to emergent, submergent, free - floating and rooted floating leaf types have been reported in the lake.

Fauna
A total of 425 species of animals (249 vertebrates and 176 invertebrates) have been recorded from the lake, which includes some rare animals such as Indian python, sambhar and barking deer. The lake provides refuge to thousands of birds which belong to at least 116 species. Of these, 21 species of waterfowl are migratory, most migrating from different parts of the northern hemisphere beyond the Himalayas. Keibul Lamjao National Park is the natural habitat of one of the most endangered deer, the brow - antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi) which is represented by about hundred individuals and was once thought to be extinct.

Social & Cultural Values
Loktak lake has been considered to be the lifeline for the people of Manipur due to its importance in their socio-economic and cultural life, besides influencing the climate of the State. The socio - economic values of the lake include hydropower generation (Loktak Hydel National Project), irrigation of 24,000 ha of agricultural land, fisheries, control of floods, supply of drinking water, production of aquatic organisms of food and of commercial importance, and the many uses of phoomdi and water transport. More than 100,000 people, on and around the lake, depend for their livelihood to a great extent on the lakefishery, which is now a mix of capture and culture systems. The lake yields about 1,500 tonnes offish per year.

Threats
The root-cause problems can be traced to loss of vegetal cover in the catchment area and construction of Ithai barrage.
The degradation of the catchment area has led to the problems of siltation and increased flow of nutrients.
The construction of Ithai barrage has led to:

Changes in hydrological regimes thereby affecting ecological processes and functions of the wetland;
Inundation of agricultural lands and displacement of people from flooded lands; and.
Loss of fish population and diversity; and decrease in the thickenss of phoomdis in the Keibul Lamjao Naitonal Park thereby threatening the survival of Sangai deer.


Conservation Measures
State Government of Manipur constituted Loktak Development Authority (LDA) in 1986 "to check deterioration of the lake and to bring improvement in the areas of power generation, fisheries,tourism and siltation control." The main activities carried out by LDA include survey and demarcation, removal of silt, removal of phoomdis, control of water hyacinth through release of weevils, construction of silt detention structures, afforestation of critical catchment area by plantation of appropriate species of plants and fruit-bearing trees and soil conservation through engineering measures.

Manipur-Polo- Its origin and rules

Polo is a game played from the horseback. The players who are good equestrians strike the wooden ball by long handled mallets from the horseback in galloping speed to score a goal. This is one of the fastest equestrian games which one could play exhibiting all of his qualities of good horsemanship. Its popularity has been flourishing since last few decades all over the world. India, UK, USA, Germany, Argentina, Kenya are the top polo playing countries today.

Earlier it was believed that the game was originated from PERSIA during the period of some 525 years B.C. but according to the latest findings of the English Guinness Book of World Records it has now been declared that MANIPUR is the real place from where the game had actually originated, and therefore she has been named as the “Home of Polo”.

Locally the game is of course, known as “Sagol-Kangjei”, sagol for Horse and Kangjei for hockey stick. It has a very ancient origin which is traced to a period as early as some 3100 years Before Christ. According to the Mythology of Manipur the Sylvan gods (the Umang Lais) headed by Marjing, Thangjing, Wangbrel, Khoriphaba etc. played the game in the beginning and then had been handed down to the people from generation to generation.

It was from the time of NONGDA LAIREN PAKHANGBA (JABISTA), the great who was coronated as the first Meitei King and ruled Manipur from 33 A.D. to 153 A.D. from Kangla, the most sacrosanct place for the Manipuris that the divine and the indigenous game had been one of the customary and National major games played traditionally on all the occasions of the State functions (coronations of the kings and other customary and religious festivals like Lai Haraoba etc.) till very recently.

It has been under keen patronage and supervision of the ruling kings that the game had been progressing over the centuries. It was during the time of the king KHAGEMBA (1597 to 1652) that the game had flourished into a very active Military game. The system of playing the game “Pana-wise” was also introduced during his time the word pana in Manipuri is for an administrative unit, there were 6 Panas at the time of Khgemba-1) Ahallup, 2) Laipham, 3) Khabam, 4) Naharup, 5) Hidakphaba, 6) Potsangba, and ever since the game became known as “Pana Sagol Kangjei”.

Khagemba’s victory over the Chinese column under one CHAUFA-HONGDEI in the eastern arena (for which he was given the name Khagemba, Khagi for Chinese and Ngamba for victor) and his series of successful Military campaigns far into the South upto Anglo Hills and Chindwin river of Burma, and later on of the most successful victories of PAMHEIBA (GARIBNIWAZ) in 17 A.D. over the Burmese columns, particularly of the victory over their 46th Division and annexation of his dominion right upto IRRAWADY river where the Burmese capital at YEWA (Ava) was situated was mainly due to the most gallant and matchless might of the Manipuri Cavalrymen who were all very skilled Polo and “Arambai” (Poisoned arrow) throwing players.

For leaving an everlasting memory of his amazing and most revengeful victories over the Burmese Pamheiba left a cross-mark cut with his royal sword on the golden door-still of the Burmese Temple known as “Kaumudo-Faya” (the name of Burmese god) at Yewa (Ava).

Then a great landmark in the history of the game took place when the modern form of Polo initially known as “English Polo” and later on as the International style of Polo (IP) had been originated at SILCHAR, CACHAR (Assam) in the year 1859 – the event happened had been the result of the efforts of a group of British officers and Tea Planters headed by one Captain Robert Stwert, Lt. Sherer etc. who took on the game as learnt from the Manipuri Militia-men then living in Cachar along with their king, Maharaj Chandra Kirti Singh, in a form much modified from that form of the indigenous Manipuri Polo, the Sagol Kangjei which being a game rather too vigorous, wild and risky to play.

The Britishers also established a Polo Club at six Silchar in the same year which stands to-day as the oldest Polo Club in the world. The English style of Polo thus originated was later on introduced into England by the cavalrymen of the 10th Hussars who served in India with its first game played in public in 1869. It was then introduced into North America in 1883 and later on into other parts of the world, and by now it has become an International Game.

Manipuri Sagol-Kangjei was introduced into India by a game played by two Manipuri Teams at Calcutta who were sent by Maharaj Chandra Kirti Singh in 1863 via Shylet and Dacca and it was after this event that the modified form of Polo was introduced into England. The first Polo Associated was also formed in Hurlingham, England. With the modified Polo rules framed based on Manipuri Rules the Association has become today the Controlling Board for the International game of Polo.

According to the rule the game has to be played by two teams consisting of 4 players on 4 horses on a ground having a / length of 230 to 275 meters and width of 146 to 180 meters. Goals are scored into the goal posts placed at both the ends of the field. The distance between the goal posts is seven and half meter and the height of each of the posts is 7 feet. There should be side and goal lines marked around the field. The four corners of the field are also to be indicated by red and white color flags. Yellow and Blue color flags are also to be fixed at the side lines to indicate 30 and 60 yards’ free hit lines respectively. The two centers of the side lines should also be marked with flags of white color. The duration of the game is usually 4 to 6 rounds of play, each round being of seven and half minutes and after two or three chukkers’ play there is a half-time break of 5 minutes during which the horses are changed.

The players drive the ball to-wards the goal post by executing free strokes, and willful obstruction to it by an opponent player is awarded free hits towards the goal post of the defaulting player. Similar free hits are also awarded for other foul plays like criss-crossing the horses, hitting down or hooking or hitching up opponents sticks. For very dangerous foul plays free hits from the 30 yards lines are awarded.

The mounted Umpire starts the game by throwing down the bell on the ground towards the players who line up at the center facing him. There are two Mounted Umpires assisted by 4 goal judges who signal by Red flag for a goal and for a no goal by white flag. They are also assisted by 4 Line judges who signal by red flags for the outside of the ball. A referee also sits outside the field along with a Time Keeper and controls the game. Serious and very complicated cases of the game are settled by a Board of Juries of five who also sits outside and watch the game.

As regards the rules of the traditional Manipuri Polo the Sagol-Kangjei – two teams consisting always of seven players a side on indigenous ponies and saddleries with locally made cane sticks and bells carved out to seasoned bamboo root play the game. The players shall have to wear tight-dhotis tucked-up above the knees with halve sleeved jacket like shirts. Wearing of thick white turbans strongly tied by a piece of cloth of the same color of the team from above the head down the chin known as “khadang-chets” as protective gear is a must for all the players. Only Red and Yellow colors are prescribed for the two teams.

There are no fixed sizes of the field for the Manipuri game of Sagol Kangjei. So also there are no goal posts as such. The duration of the game is approximately half an hour at a stretch, and there is no chukker system of play in Manipuri Polo. A goal scored when the ball crosses the end lines of the field and immediately after which the two teams change their sides. There is no mounted or unmounted umpire or any judge except of an official on foot known as “Huntre-Hunba” in local white dhoti and kurta dress with a light turban. His function is only to start the game by throwing up the ball high-up in the air over the heads of the players loudly calling out a word “Huntre”. The players position themselves at the center of the filed facing each other.

While in the air any player is free to catch it and gallop with it to score a goal by hitting it from the air. This may be considered as a very peculiar and dangerous style of play allowed in Manipuri Polo but such a performance by any player is appreciated as the most outstanding and heroic on his part. A player can also pick up the ball from the ground and gallop with it and score a goal in the same manner as described above.

In fact, Manipuri game of Polo is a game open to all sorts of wild and robust forms and styles of play. The players are as free as to do anything that they can do against their opponents for the victory of their team. The “war-like” nature of the Manipuri Polo was perhaps adopted by the Manipuris earlier for keeping them ever fit as the fearless militia- men for their active participation in the “wars” with their neighbors, particularly with the Burmese people with whom they were constantly engaged for the upkeep of their territorial integrity.

It has been a tradition to play the game on State occasions (coronations of kings and other annual customary and religious functions) before the Royal audience between two Teams selected from Ahallup and Laipham panas on one side in red color representing the king’s side and from Khabam and Naharup panas on another side in yellow color representing the queen’s side.

With the abolition of kingship in the State the Royal patronage and command over the game have been ended but it continues to exist till today as one of the indigenous major games proudly inherited by the people of Manipur from their heroic forefathers.

There are as many 35 polo Clubs in Manipur today who actively participate in the tournaments in both the styles conducted regularly by the All Manipur Polo Association and the All Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association. Manipuri Women’s Teams have also started participating in the local tournaments showing that they are also as capable to play the heroic game as the ladies of other foreign countries like UK, USA, Australia etc. do.

Very recently under the auspices of All Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association two series of classic International Polo tournaments were very successfully organized at Imphal Polo ground in which teams from USA, England, Australia, Germany and Kenya had participated. India was represented by two teams, one by the Indian Army and another by Manipur. In both the tournaments the Manipur team excelled themselves and came out with flying colors as the Champions.

Outside Manipur the game has become a very costly game because of the high prices of the horses and the very high expenditure of their maintenance. As such the game is rather confined as a game for the aristocrats and the rich people living in the cities whereas in Manipur it is played exclusively by the common people both of the Urban and Rural areas.

The foreign players and other visitors from abroad were really amazed and thrilled when they saw the unprecedented huge crowds that had turned up at Imphal Polo ground and had witnessed the International matches conducted with all the zeal and interest which is rare thing to be seen in any other places of the world.

Truly in this regard also Manipur is very much in the forefront and therefore it is no wonder that she has been named as the real “HOME OF POLO”.