HOME to the state flower of Manipur, Shirui Lily (Kashong Timràwon in local dialect), this October, Ukhrul welcomes you to another thrilling adventure to the scenic Jorcheng grassland for the first edition of North East Autumn Festival.
NEAF is all set to be held from October 20 to 26 organised by the Chiko Adventures, a trusted one-stop-shop private limited with proven track record of over six years in adventure and outdoor recreation sector based in Manipur, North East India. Manipur Tourism department is the supporting partner of this festival.
But first, a little introduction about Ukhrul
Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Manipur, the Jeweled Land, is home to the Tangkhul Naga tribe. The people here are know for their rich and vibrant culture and their hospitality. The little pretty Ukhrul town is endowed with unique and beautiful landscape, abundance of flora and fauna. Easy accessibility from the capital Imphal to the venue; location— the highest hill station in the state, famous for state Shirui Lily Festival has no doubt, made Ukhrul the most desirable tourist destination in Manipur in recent times.
Ukhrul is popularly known for hosting one of the biggest rock concerts and band competitions ShiRock, part of the main Shriui Lily State Festival attraction. ShiRock, the festival of music, many would call, has proven its worth drawing fans in the thousands from across the region and beyond. To cite a few, without bragging, American glam metal party-starters Extreme band’s signature number– More than words, and Scottish hard rock veterans Nazareth took stage here in Ukhrul, charting ShiRock as one of the most popular music gatherings in the North East India.
The list of the giants does not stop there–American heavy metallers Queensryche, and American glam metal band Steelheart that took the audience by storm with She’s Gone number in the past editions of ShiRock, as well as the latest opening act of the
1. Rhythm Night: A music concert by artists from every northeastern state of India. Rock Bands, Pop music, Folk artist and contemporary folk, Indigenous music instruments and EDM Nights.
2. Indigenous Tournaments, Art and craft: Indigenous Tournaments like tug of war, Wooden go kart race, bamboo stilt race and art and crafts like the famous longpi pottery making, bamboo basket making and weaving will be showcased and made available for the tourist to get a hands on experience.
3. Experiential tour:Budget experience travel itineraries will be made available to the guest for seamless and value travel experience to the festival.
North East Food Court of various North East Cuisine and also other cuisines to cater to the needs of the tourist.
4. Outdoor Camping: Provide a high-quality outdoor camping accommodation for the guest.
________________________________BRING IT ON! Northeast India
The 1st edition of BRING IT ON! North East India, the one stage to showcase Northeast India, only eligible for the bona-fide residents of the North East States (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura).
Winners gets to audition for Ameirca’s Got Talent a.k.a. AGT.
Echoes – School of Music Tuning Arts will conduct a talent hunt competition. Audition will be conducted via online, stage show. The final live round will be conducted during the last day of the fest. For more information on this, visit NEAF Facebook Page.
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Apart from the must check list to draw your itinerary visiting Ukhrul, few things to keep in mind:
Accommodation options include camps, homestays and hotels.
Tent Accommodation: Comfortable tent accommodation to be made available at the festival venue.
Hotels: Let’s begin with Imphal. There are several Hotel ranging from budget to 4 star Hotels in Imphal. In Ukhrul town, there are good number of mid range hotels.
Manipur Inner Line Permit— Basically an official travel document to enter the state, or the Protected Area Permit if you are a foreigner. As much as we hate it, Manipur like most of the North East states is a protected area. This would include Indian citizens too. The good news is that you can apply your permit for ILP seamlessly by just clicking HERE. ____________________________________
Connectivity
The journey to Ukhrul town and scenic Jorcheng grassland.
By Air: Imphal, the capital city of Manipur is the most well connected airport in the North East after Guwahati. Imphal Airport has 15+ direct flights from most of the Major Cities of India.
By Rail: The nearest railway station from Imphal is Dimapur and Guwahati Railway station which is 220 kms and 400 kms away respectively from Imphal.
By Road: There are Buses and Taxis available troughout the day from Imphal to Ukhrul. 2 hrs 30 mins drive. 83 Kms. ______________________________________
And of course, apart from the many diverse festivals of North East India that you have been to, when it comes to North East, you might want to overthink the “Don’t go there” stereotypes to visiting the region’s best tourist destinations in general. Mind you, these are at best labels. So pack your bags, do your homework well. QR code works like magic too. However, one piece of advise, do carry cash.
If you are thinking of shortlisting Ukhrul as your travel destination after that nasty pandemic, give Ukhrul and the upcoming North East Autumn Festival a go.
