The Kangla,^[1] officially known as the Kangla Fort,^[2] is an old fortified palace at Imphal, in the Manipur state of India.^[3][4][5] It was formerly situated on both sides (western and eastern) of the bank of the Imphal River, now remaining only on the western side in ruined conditions. Kangla means "the prominent part of the dry land" in old Meetei.^[6] It was the traditional seat of the past Meetei rulers of Manipur.^[7][8]

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Kangla

From top, left to right: the sacred images of God Pakhangba and his consort, the Kangla Sanathong, the holy Hiyang Hirens inside the Hijagang, the Pakhangba Temple, Kangla, the statue of Meidingu Nara Singh, the Sanggai Yumpham and the dual statues of Kangla Sha dragon, the emblem of Manipur
Alternative name	Kangla Fort Kangla Palace
Location	Imphal West district
Region	Kangleipak (Meitei for 'Manipur')
Coordinates	24.808°N 93.940°E / 24.808; 93.940
Type	capital city (historical)
Part of	Kingdom of Manipur (historical)  India (present)
History
Periods	Classical Antiquity
Cultures	Meitei culture
Associated with	Ningthouja dynasty British Army Assam Rifles (Indian Army) Government of Manipur
Events	Anglo Manipur War
Site notes
Condition	protected
Ownership	Government of Manipur
Management	Kangla Fort Board
Public access	yes
Architecture
Architectural styles	Meitei architecture

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Kangla (Imphal) was the ancient capital of pre-modern Manipur.^[9] The Kangla is a revered spot for the people of Manipur, reminding them of the days of their independence. It is a sacred place to the Meiteis.^[10]

The Kangla is being proposed to be declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for which there are discussions ongoing in the Indian Parliament.^[11][12]

The Kangla was the seat of administration of the Meitei rulers of the Ningthouja dynasty (33 CE to 1891 CE).^[14]

The Kangla possesses a sobriquet, "Lungs of Imphal" as it is heavily forested, providing oxygen at a massive level in the heart of the metropolis of Manipur.^[15][16][17] Unfortunately, due to some developmental construction activities in the last few years, some minor but significant deforestation occurred inside the Kangla.

In the year 2009, the Kangla Herbal Garden was set up by the Kangla Fort Board, in order to carry out the plan of planting medicinal plants inside the Kangla into action. The responsibility for bringing up the botanical garden was held by the Lamphel based sub-branch of the North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat (NEIST).^[18] In the year 2010, the Government of Manipur financed ₹6.16 lakh (equivalent to ₹14 lakh or US$17,000 in 2023) out of ₹13.46 lakh (equivalent to ₹30 lakh or US$38,000 in 2023) to the NEIST to carry out the task. It planted around 131 different plants, (including around 20 medicinal plant species) in the garden. Notable plant species nurtured in the Kangla Herbal Garden include "heigru" (Phyllanthus emblica Linn), "kihori" (Phyllanthus acidus Linn), agar (Aquilaria agallocha Lamp), neem (Azadirachta indica A Zuss), tera (Mobax malabathricum Linn), singairei (Nyctanthes arbotristis Linn) and leihao (Michelia champaca Linn). An area covering 3.5 acres of land was allocated for the development of the botanical garden by the Manipur Government.^[19]

During the month of June in 2019, around 700 indigenous fruit-bearing tree saplings were planted inside the Nura Heikol (Meitei for 'Women's fruit garden' / 'Ladies' orchard'), formerly known as "Biodiversity Park" of the Kangla) of the Kangla by the Government of Manipur, under the initiative of Green Manipur Mission.^[20][21][22]

During the month of September in 2019, around 120 trees, including mayokfa, agar, uningthou, teak, chahui and samba, were planted inside the Kangla by the editorial board and the management team of "The Sangai Express" (TSE), a newspaper daily of Manipur, on its 20th foundation day.^[23][24]

There's another garden named "Engellei Leikol" (formerly known as "Rock Garden" of the Kangla) located in the southern part of the Kangla.^[25][26][27]

During the month of May in 2022, around 50 fruit-bearing plants were planted inside the Kangla by the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).^[28][29][30]

There's a plan for planting 10,000 saplings of fruit bearing trees inside the Kangla by the Kangla Fort Board, under the leadership of Nongthombam Biren, the Chief Minister of Manipur.^[31][32]

• Kangla Nongpok Torban
• Museums in Kangla