Bird's eye-view of Kakching town seen from the garden
Photo by JK
Kakching today is proud of its beautiful garden located on the spur of a hillock popularly known as Uyokching Garden. Situated forty five km south of Imphal along the Indo-Myanmar road, surrounded by pine trees, adorned with colourful flowers of different shapes and sizes, the garden is one of the most visited spots in Manipur. The nature lovers, students, picnickers, worshippers, sight-seers, in short people from different spectrum of lives used to throng the place every day.
"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air"- Thomas Gray.
Photo by JK
The garden is unique by itself
for its two well known idols of different faiths consecrated separately. One is
that of Mahadev while the other is a pre-Hindu sylvan deity popularly known as Haoreima Shampubi. The devotees used to
pay obeisance to both the idols simultaneously. This may perhaps be the only
place in the entire country where believers of two religious groups co-worship
peacefully within a calling distance -- a unity in diversity indeed.
The footpath inside the garden.
Photo by JK
Watching the Kakching town below,
at the base of the hill or Tengnoupal village hill-top, towards Moreh at
Indo-Myanmar border, at the end of the horizon, is rather panoramic. The Hotel
Classic has opened one unit, catering refreshments to visitors. Flowers like
dianthus, tulip, marigold, chrysanthemum, hibiscus, dahlias, red rose etc.,
bloom all the time in turn. A rare flower, ingellei
(hedychium coccineum), along with exotic
orchids are here.
The Sun and the Silhouette.
Photo by JK
The need of a beautiful garden in
Manipur, where blockades and bandhs have become a recurring social phenomenon,
has long been felt by one and all. The desire of the hard working local people
to get a respite from the grinding realities of daily lives, probably on the
lap of Mother Nature, has resulted in the form of this garden. Started in June
1997 on the initiative of local MLA, Y. Surchandra Singh, the garden has been
taking shape slowly yet steadily since then. One of the best places to see
flowers in its natural environ and serene surrounding, the Garden is literally
jammed with endless streams of visitors on holidays. Local clubs usually are
seen helping regulate the traffic on these occasions. The area in fact is the
rice bowl of Imphal valley. Indigenous fish and delicacies like Soibum, Yongchak, U-morok (king chilli),
Kakching bora, are popular items at
the nearby market.
Konjengbam Kameshore
Konjengbam Kameshore
