Imphal, April 19 2009: As a part of the ongoing Manipur Tourism Festival, 2009, around 39 tourists including media persons went on an expedition to Khangkhui Cave and Shirui Hill in Ukhrul district on April 17 and 18 last organised by the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA) under the auspices of the Tourism Department of Manipur.

The expedition team was led by Senior Instructor of MMTA, L Dhaneshore and three technicians of the MMTA.

Foul and inhospitable weather forced the tourists' team to hike the track nine kilometers on foot by fits and starts from Khangkhui Lamkhai to Khangkhui Khullen on April 17 .

Spending the night at Khangkhui Khullen, the tourists visited the Khangkhui Cave by strolling down two-kilometre long road leading to the cave the next morning with assistance from some youths of the village who acted as tourist guides.

According to a Tangkhul's epic, as narrated to the tourists by village elders, a King named Mangsorwung had a lovely queen and built for her a separate chamber which still is remembered as first wife chamber inside the Khangkhui Cave.

Another room inside the cave has been christened as Second Wife Chamber, which the king erected for his second wife.

Other cavities of the cave were said to have made by the king to accommodate his sons.

'Shirata' (in Tangkhul dialect) meaning 'falling star hole' inside the cave was another attraction.

The hole is around 15 foot big and the depth measured around 30 foot.

According to the epic, one of the two sub-caves inside the hole leads to Thoubal River while the other leads to Loktak.

A 150-kilometre long tunnel is another delight for the visitors.

The villagers who accompanied the tourists said that the last Manipur king, Budhachandra had also visited the Cave in 1942 and erected a memorial stone which has been now demolished by visitors of the cave.

It may be mentioned that a research study of the Khangkhui Cave had already been done by Dr OK Singh way back in 1969.He discovered various hair-treatment items like comb, kettle, plates, etc curved out of stone inside the cave.

He also believed that skeletal remains of human beings may be discovered if further extensive research is done inside the cave by digging the soil.

Dr OK Singh traced the origin of the people of the state as Mongoloid origin as artifacts found inside the cave have similarities with that ones found at caves in China.

The tourists' team then headed towards the Shirui Hills after exploring the Khangkhui cave.

Reaching the foothills of Shirui around 4.30 in the evening, the team travelled around the hills.

However, the tourists' expectation to get a rare treat with the delightful sight of the Shiroi Lily was shattered as there was no single Shiroi Lily found blooming at this time to the utter dismay.

The tourists, nevertheless, consoled themselves with the sight of the buds of the Shiroy Lily.

At the same time, the ongoing Tourist Fair at the southern extension of Mapal Kangjeibung draws large crowds cutting across various affiliations today.

The flow of humanity thronging the festival venue was witnessed till late Sunday evening.

Stalls displaying different indigenous products like 'Kauna' and 'Atingba' to Thai jewelry items and dishes were put on show.

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