The history of Manipur before the advent of the British had been a story of struggle for supremacy between the people of Burma known to the Manipuris as Awa after the Ava dynasty that ruled Burma from Mandalay in upper Burma.

In the fluctuating fortune between the two sides, the Burmese had shown the might and thrusting power of the famed Manipuri Cavalry who, armed with the deadly Arambais, forced the Burmese to retreat. When the Burmese took their revenge and occupied Manipur they returned home with members of these famed horsemen and they formed the advance thrust when king Alungopaya attacked Thailand in Chiangmai. The British, eager to save their interest from growing French influence in the Bay of Bengal, saw an ally in Manipur. Thus was born the Manipur Levy under charge of Maharaj Gambhir Singh, which drove the Burmese away. But the Manipuris, who were taken as war captives to meet the Burmese requirements of skilled artisans, soldiers and scholars settled down in and around Mandalay and became part of the mosaic of Burmese people, treated a one and equal. Now all these have merely become the story of the past and the hatred, animosity and all hostilities have been swept away by the powerful force of time, the greatest healer. Today, very hospitable, cheerful and friendly Awas our immediate neighbor received us. For the border areas, trade and commerce have already come of age and friendly ties appear deepening day by day. These sights and thoughts have made me more determined to penetrate further and further behind the Teak curtain.

The old saying if there is a will there is a way came my way as I, along with two of my friends, joined the team visiting Mandalay for a seven days tourist package organized by one Moreh based organization called "Indo Myanmar Friendship Association". Such tourist package forms part of a mutual agreement between the Indian and Myanmarese Governments. The Burmese are allowed to travel upto Bodh Gaya; the holy shrine of the Buddhists and from the Indian side visitors can precede upto Mandalay. This provision lies in one of the articles of the border free trade agreement. As such altogether 72 people, mostly Meiteis left Imphal for Moreh on 12th October 2001 in two buses. After crossing Moreh, the gateway of Manipur to Burma and Southeast Asia, we checked in at the Immigration hall in Tammu, located by the riverside just across the border. It was already noon by then. We were checked-in one after another by the immigration and went through the Customs formalities and checked for items, which the Burmese Military Junta would object to. The entire tourist complied as directed. When the final check-in was over, it was quarter to four in the evening. We then switched transport, boarding two air-conditioned buses provided by the Myanmarese side and we soon left Tamu. A well-dressed motorcycle outrider along with a security team escorted us. As for the most Meiteis the people and land beyond Tamu is still unknown and a mystery. As the bus accelerated through the stillness of the silent valley, my heart became heavy. The long sleeping ranges of the Ango Mountains and the Molcham Hill ranges came into view one after another. At a far glance lay the exotic sight of the "Kabow Valley" the land Manipuri still adores.

After few hours drive, we halted at Shikhanji, which interestingly is walking distance to Molcham Village on the Manipur or Indian side? Molcham is quiet long way if one has to go via New Samtal and that is only the route for the Indians. We left Shikhanji after 15 minutes break and this time the bus sped up in an ever-accelerating speed towards Kalewa, which we reached at about 7.50 in the evening and was almost dark. The long winding hill road had really been tiresome and had fallen fast asleep and woke-up in a quiet charming and scenic land. The beautiful small houses made out of the teakwood in almost all the same pattern were indeed fascinating. Right at the back of my hotel, there stood a big and tall Buddhist Pagoda, which is believed to have built during Emperor Ashoka's time. The small town had a 'Magic' of its own and people seemed to be simply busy in their own timeless lifestyle cycle. This small lovable town is comparatively humble when we observe the advance cities and towns. It somewhat depicted the image of a country township elsewhere in the Manipur 50 years back. Kalewa had stood the test of the time since the Second World War, and it was a very important Trade Center between Manipur and Myanmar. As we loiter around the town, many of the passerbies stared at us in amazement. We then proceeded towards the shipyard of Kalewa coming across a small school with around 30 minors crouching on traditional Burmese mats and listening to their teacher.

The steamer, which would ferry us upto Monywa, is said to be one of the best and used only for tourist that can accommodate around 100 passengers at a time. As we all settled in the boat we were welcomed by Mr. Harpal a Punjabi Burmese citizen who had been accompanying us as interpreter. He spoke fluent Burmese and a communicable level of English language. According to him the distance between Kalewa to Mandalay is about 150 miles and will take around 10 hours. As we departed the people of the small town who had all been keenly watching us bade goodbye and we too reciprocated. I had never been in such a big river boat before nor have had experience of a river or water journey save for joy ride in one of the small canoes in the Loktak lake, that enchanting water body known as the Mirror of Manipur. All the people in the steamer seemed to be excited and took a lot of photographs. As we sailed down stream for about 5 minutes the vast and beautiful tri-junction of the three rivers i.e. Chindwin, Mithi and Manipur River comes our way. The Manipur River was once an important waterway for the Awas and Manipuris and trades were mostly carried out through the passage of this river. Floating on a historic river like the Ninghthi evokes a sensational feeling that perhaps our forefathers who had forayed upto here were watching over us. Suddenly my heart filled with great pride and happiness. We have heard quiet a lot about the Ningthi Turel during my childhood and I can recollect the poem I recited on "Nigthi Turel" during my schooldays. Next came the images of the Manipuri king Gambhir Singh, washing his bloodstained sword in the Ningthi having driven the Burmese out of Manipur. As the river stretched out straight, the steamer sped-up touching 50 Km per hour. Though it gives little uneasy feeling it was indeed interesting and memorable. By the time we reached Tindaw the only stoppage between Kalewa and Monywa, it was already noon and it was a thirsty and tired load of Manipuri tourist that disembarked for a much-needed break. The food at the hotel was superb. There was however a big problem while communicating with the waiters, as they spoke no Manipuri nor English and we spoke no Burmese. Somehow sign language made for the deficiency. We left Tindaw for Monywa by 12 Noon.

The heavy lunch at Tindaw and the gentle rocking of the steamer soon sent us snoozing off. We reached Monywa at around 4.30 in the evening. Monywa has a touch of gentleness and all round development. The neat and tidy township reflected the civilization and discipline of the citizens of the Country. The well maintained clean roads and vegetable farms showed how industrious the people are. To my surprise yet, the big town had a thin population and hardly experienced any crowded part in the entire journey.

After about four hours drive from Monywa we finally reached Mandalay and it must have been around 8 pm. We were accommodated in a hotel called Tuang Zalak and as we already had a long journey, I soon hit the sack. Mandalay city has a charm of its own. It is a well-planned ancient city with wide streets and a number of internationally recognized business houses with its well sand neatly stacked show rooms glittering and visible in and around the city. The well-designed houses reflecting Burmese architecture are a sight in itself. The famous Royal Palace in the heart of the city was indeed a fascinating sight with a moat encircling it like the one around Kangla. Mandalay was also the last Capital of Burma before the British took over, and for these reasons it is still a great important cultural center. There were three other sister cities in and around Mandalay but they have all been ravaged by time and neglect ultimately becoming deserted and ghost cities. During World War II, the Royal Palace was burnt down, but luckily many structures had been preserved for historical prosperity and can be seen in all the deserted cities as well as in the Royal Palace. The Burmese team took us all around Mandalay including the Pagodas (Buddhist Monasteries) after which Burma came to be known as the Land of the Pagodas. Amongst the Pagodas we were taken to, the Mahamuni Pagoda is one of the best, lying in the Southwest of the City. This Pagoda is famed for its highly venerated Mahamuni image, which was brought to Burma from Myohuang in Arakan in 1784. The four-meter high Buddhist image is cast with metal and over the years hundred of thousands devout Buddhist covered it with heavy layers of gold leaf. There were a lot of pagodas like Kyauktawgi Pagoda, Sadmuni Pagoda, Suituang Pagoda etc., which has a marvelous architectural touch.

What makes every Manipuri go crazy after Mandalay? The answer is so simple that they would like to see their own people who had never returned home after the historic seven years devastation". This is nothing bad or hatched-up conspiracy against the interest of a neighboring country. Leading with these thought in mind, I along with two of my friends came to the place where most of the Meites had settled. The place was popularly known as Pyi Kyaw Bazar. As I set my foot in the interior by lanes of that unknown locality, I suddenly became emotional for the reasons unknown. As I look around I saw a small temple "Hare Krishna Hare Ram" inscribed in Bengali. With much excitement I rushed to the spot but no one was to be seen in sight. With a firm confidence I knocked at the door of a nearby house and a middle-aged man opened the door for me. I asked in Manipuri whether he was a Meitei. Definitely he was but his tearful eyes simply answered the question for he couldn't speak Manipuri.

He took me to another house where lot of elderly Manipuri came and received us. Then followed a heart breaking discussion, in almost broken Manipuri. It was indeed a shock to me that the Manipuris couldn't speak Manipuri as their own mother tongue? But who are to be blamed? Over the years they had never spoken their mother tongue, their own language, while keeping with up the changing situation of the different areas, which had become their home for the last three hundred years almost.

All the Manipuris in Mandalay are strict and conservative Hindus and devout believer of Lord Krishna. For every Manipuri there are temples and Mandav and every household observed 'Aarti' in front of the idol of the lord Krishna every evening. The caste system was one of the systems, which affects the fabric of Meitei Communities among the inhabitants there. Bramhan, Kshetriya, Beisya and Sudra are the four different schools there. Anyone believed to be from Sutra castes are hardly allowed to step in the Mandav of the Bramhin. It may be because of all these troubling factors, any Meitei clans are reluctant to make known themselves as Manipuri Meiteis. It was obvious that everybody wishes to be Brahmin then to become a Sutra or Beisya, which made him or her so inferior to others. One of the elderly Manipuri citizens however took me to the Kshetri Leikai where I could meet only one household in the entire locality and it was the last household too. They belonged to the Phanjoubam clan and in that house I saw sketches and portraits of their forefathers being framed on the wall. On my return to hotel I was told that there were a lot of Manipuris earlier who all had been turned to other communities. No surprise indeed even in the nearby Nagaland and Mizoram lot of Manipuris had become Nagas and Mizos.

In the evening I had an opportunity to participate in the Aarti session in one of the temples. A lot of people had gathered in the Mandav and some of the local 'Nat Sankritan' singers performed the Aarti. All the Manipuris old, young and child alike deeply participated in the prayer. After the prayers we had a short time for interaction. They believed that they would be able to speak Manipuri as articulately as any Manipuri in Manipur does and for which they have started drawn-out programmes. As a matter of fact Hinduism has a role to tie up and keep the integrity of Manipuris in Burma. Had it not been so, the fragile community could have been banished from the soil of Burma and most likely to be seen as Burmese in the recent times? I came across many Manipuris who had been outcaste for having married outside the community.

There are 7 major Manipuri villages viz. Pyi Kyaw bazaar, Down Yoe, Mintai, Sagaing, Amrapura, Singar and Ninse Gyan in and around Mandaley City. Amrapura and Sagaing are little outskirt of the town and as we had a limited time we couldn't visit the two villages. In the short one and half day in Mandalay, I couldn't do much. There were lot of untold villages and lovely people whom we couldn't visit all. We left Mandalay with a lot of loving memories. On the way back we had an opportunity to have a look at the Kumodwa pagoda. This pagoda is about 15 Kms from the heart of Mandalay city. This is one of the notable pagodas in Mandalay city for it has the base of 812 and one and half meter high stone pillars, each with a small niche cut in it for an oil lamp Images of nats can be seen in 120 niches which also circle the base. And most seriously this is the pagoda where the Manipuri King Garibniwas (Gambhir Singh) left three notches striking thrice with his powerful sword leaving behind for history to record the suzerainty of the Manipuris over the lands beyond the nine hill ranges.

On reaching Kalemeyo we traveled around the town for sightseeing. Literally, Kalemeyo means the place surrounded by hills on four sides. Along the road, we saw the big statue of general Mahabdullah who played a major role during the seven years devastation. First, we visited Kale College, Kalemeyo and then 'Tahan' where the meiteis settled, hoping to enquire about them. We had been to a Meitei house known as Kaate House, but unluckily we could not meet him as he was in the prayer. We then visited the railway station and the airport. Kalemeyo is the biggest and the nearest town in Myanmar from Manipur. To our utmost surprise, we found that the airfare from Kalemeyo to Yangon is only about Rs 700 (9100 Kyat) at the most. After having lunch, we left Kalemeyo for Tamu at 1 pm. We reached Tamu at 5 pm and stayed at Royal Kabaw Hotel for the night.

On the way back home the smiling faces and hospitable Manipuris who bade farewell with tearful eyes comes in my mind. They pleaded to come back again. I couldn't hold back my tears as we drove back homeward, never sure when we will return. Who could say? I had been to different countries of South East Asia but the feeling is not the same. As far as I knew the Burmese in my short stay, they are very sincere and hard working people. The false image of the military junta in Myanmar needs to be retold. Rather we need to understand whether we are enjoying a life of free and fair democracy in my own soil. As a message extracted from my short experience to the public and people of this region is; The Door to the South East Asia is not that far-off. As one sails down the mighty Chindwin River there opens the door of fortune and prosperity. It is possible to connect any oriental cities at the lowest cost. This importance needs to be understood by all irrespective of what community one belongs to. The moment we digest this value altogether, the prosperous North East Region is in the reach of our hand. Back at Tamu in the Immigration hall the immigration officer and his staff warmly received us. On the wall of the Immigration hall there hangs a notice board which reads the simple-minded Myanmarese have no envy against those having fair complexion; nor hatred for the brownish; nor differentiate with the blackish; nor hostile to those of different faiths. They have brethren's love and affection and respect equally for all.

To view the images of the tour, captured through the lens of R.K Shiva  click here