Manipur : Thailand Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Visited Historic Kangla Fort

Guwahati:Thailand Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who is on a two day visit to Manipur, as a part of her maiden visit to northeastern state visited the historic Kangla fort, an ancient capital of Manipur in Imphal on Wednesday.

The Princess is in Manipur to attend the 10-day Manipur Sangai Festival organised by the state government at three main venues in the state since Nov. 21.

The Sangai Festival, named after the state animal, the Sangai, a critically endangered brow-antlered deer found in Keibul Lamjao, about 50 km from Imphal, is a tourism festival to promote Manipur as a world class tourism spot, aims to save the Sangai.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Art and Culture Minister L Jayantakumar and Titular King of Manipur Leishemba Sanajaoba accorded a warm reception when the Thai Princess arrived at the Kangla Fort and had a brief interaction before they went on a sightseeing tour of the fort in two battery operated vehicles. The Princess was accompanied by Thailand's Ambassador to India Chutintorn Gongsakdi ,officials of Royal Thai Embassy,and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A Thai media team and officials of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India was also present during her visit at Kangla fort wherein the Princess visited Kangla Museum, Shri Shri Govindaji Temple and Ibudhou Pakhangba Temple.

the Princess on Thursday morning, visited Sendra, a tourist spot at Loktak Lake and the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, and Keibul Lamjao, the country’s only floating national park, both located in Manipur’s Bishnupur District.

Stating that the Princess enjoyed the ambience of the Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world and natural habitat of state animal Sangai during her visit to the park, official from the Manipur Department of Forest said, "She enjoyed the ambience of the national park and its entire habitat. She watched Sangai, Hog deers and wild boars from the watch tower. She took a boat ride from Chingmei to Toya Ching and experiences the floating phumdi biomass by standing on it,”

The princess arrived in Imphal on a special flight on Tuesday evening. She along with state chief minister N Biren Singh and other dignitaries of Thailand and Manipur witnessed cultural evening of the ongoing Manipur Sangai Festival at Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre (BOAT) on Tuesday night.

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