The , shortly known as the , is the Eastern Gate Bridge) may refer to

door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security b ...

or bridge. of the Kangla Fort of Imphal, . With the re-opening of the modern Eastern Gate of the

Kangla The Kangla Palace ( mni, /kəŋ.la/), popularly as well as officially known as the Kangla Fort, is an old fortified palace at Imphal in the Manipur state of India. It was formerly situated on both sides (western and eastern) of the bank of the ...

, the

Kangla Western Gate ) , native_name = , native_name_lang = , logo = , logo_size = , logo_alt = , logo_caption = , image = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_ca ...

( mni, Kangla Nongchup Thong) was closed forever, under the leadership of Nongthombam Biren, the then

Chief Minister of Manipur The chief minister of Manipur is the chief executive of the Indian state of Manipur. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following ele ...

, due to the traditional Meitei belief that the western gate is regarded as the gate of the dead and it is ominous to enter the

through the western doorway.

History

The antique Kangla Nongpok Thong was dismantled by the British Army after their victory in the

Anglo-Manipur War The Anglo-Manipur War was an armed conflict between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Manipur. The war lasted between 31 March and 27 April 1891 and ended in a British victory. Background In the First Anglo-Burmese War, the British helped p ...

of 1891 AD, as the Assam Rifles was stationed inside the western side of the

Modern re-construction

During June 2019, a decision to reconstruct the old Kangla Nongpok Thong was taken in a meeting session of the Kangla Fort Board (KFB) with the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the chair inside the premises of the Kangla Fort. The re-construction of the modern Kangla Nongpok Thong was done by the Manipur Police Housing Corporation Limited (MPHC Ltd). It was financed by the Imphal Smart City Limited (ISCL). The timing of the reopening of the Nongpok Thong was expected to be around October of the year 2021, as planned by Chief minister Biren. But due to some reasons, it got delayed.

Re-opening

On 6 January 2023, the Kangla Nongpok Thong was officially inaugurated by

Amit Shah Amit Anil Chandra Shah (born 22 October 1964) is an Indian politician currently serving as the Minister of Home Affairs since 2019 and the first Minister of Co-operation of India since 2021. He served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata P ...

, the then Minister of Home Affairs of the Union Government of India. Later, on 10 January 2023,

Government of Manipur The Government of Manipur ( mni, Manipur Leingak; /mə.ni.pur lə́i.ŋak/), also known as the State Government of Manipur, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Manipur and its 16 districts. ...

led by Chief minister Nongthombam Biren, handed the Eastern Gate over to the public of Manipur, in the presence of

Leishemba Sanajaoba Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba is the current titular king of Manipur, India, and a politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party from Manipur. In 2020, he was elected as the member of Rajya Sabha from Manipur. Debates on bills Leishemba ...

, after performing a religious ritual ceremony with the help of the and . On the occasion of inauguration, Nongthombam Biren, the then

, said: On the same occasion, Narendra Modi, the then

Prime minister of India The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...

, replied to Manipur Chief Minister's speech as:

Development

According to the plans of Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren, the Nongpok Thong will be guarded by Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) policemen, wearing traditional Meitei uniforms, instead of modern formal ones, the Nongchup Thong (

Western Kangla Gate ) , native_name = , native_name_lang = , logo = , logo_size = , logo_alt = , logo_caption = , image = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_ca ...

) will be closed afterwards, vehicles will only be allowed to enter from the Northern Gate of the

, the roadway from the Eastern Gate towards the office of the District collector (DC) of Imphal East district, will be made as a double lane one.

Eviction

The

performed eviction of the illegal encroachers from the areas near the historic Kangla Nongpok Thong after its opening program. The departments concerned used heavy machinery to bring down many residential and commercial buildings built encroaching the place near the eastern-most area of the Kangla Nongpok Thong.

Interpretation of the event

The incident of the reopening of the ''"Nongpok Thong"'' was mentioned in the old Meitei chronicles. In modern times, it is interpreted in many ways by many scholars. Among the various interpretations, one is that the reopening of the Nongpok Thong refers to the overturning colonial disruptions in . Another interpretation is that it refers to the opening of trade relations with

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

and other Southeast Asian nations.

Notes

References

External links

Kangla Nongpok Thong
at
Kangla Nongpok Thong
at {{Authority control Meitei architecture Monuments and memorials in Imphal Monuments and memorials to Meitei royalty Public art in India Tourist attractions in Manipur