Andro must visit place for-
Tribal Museum
women Football
Scenic beauty,
Traditional handicraft
Indigenous brew
Unique pottery style
During my solo travel to Manipur, since a day I was landed in Manipur, I heard lot about Andro from locals . on 18th April 2021 before boarding the flight from Imphal to Bangalore , I decided to visit Andro as it is around 26kms away from Imphal .Andro is known for its scenic beauty, pleasant climate and warm hospitality, is inhabited by one of the Lois communities of Manipur .
Andro in many ways will remind you of The Shire (remember the Hobbits?) in J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’. It is known for the way its beauty has been preserved by the locals.
The Loi communities are known for their indigenous liquor. The mainstay of Andro is agriculture and is what the entire village survives on
The traditional pottery skills of its residents and the glimpses of their legacy depict the rich tribal traditions of the state.
Mutua Bahadur Museum, ANDRO
In 1993 (under the guidance of noted anthropologist, writer and numismatist Mutua Bahadur) the villagers established a cultural complex-cum-museum that has since become the heart of the village.
Museum houses various potteries, rare coins, rare manuscripts of the state, paintings. basketries, bell metals, jewelries, wood carving , musical instrument, a doll house.
There are exact replicas of the houses of different tribes and ethnic groups of the state such as Poumai, Kabui, Meitei, Kuki and Tangkhul.
Museum is not like typical concrete building with various sections rather thatched huts and houses , built in traditional style. How ecofriendly indigenous way of living without harming the nature.
. The wooden carvings and the paintings on display will offer you more insight into the cultural heritage as well as myths and legends of the people of Manipur. This museum is a stunning display of Andro’s cultural legacy.
The doll house of the complex displays 29 different types of dolls that represent the dressing style and fabric of cross cultural mix of Manipuri tribes across the region .
what a variety of styling up ....
when to visit the museum:
Chakpa Panam Ningthou Meithoupirol Shanglen or Mei Mutaba is another interesting destination that attracts large number of visitors.
It is an age old traditional Hindu temple where the sacred fire lit 1,000 years ago has been preserved and maintained till now by the local community.
Another interesting fact about the village is the sacred fire that burns in the temple of Panam Ningthou, the governing deity of the village. As per locals if this extinguish , it means there is going to be disaster . Every two households in the village is entrusted with the responsibility of managing the fire for one day. It is then passed on to the next two houses the next day and so on throughout the entire year until each household would have borne the responsibility at least once in a year.
Santhei Natural Park,Andro
The Santhei Natural Park is very scenic place. it has been developed around a water reservoir is a popular picnic spot for locals and tourists alike.
Entrance of scenic Santhei Natural Park
Unique pottery style :
In Andro, craftsmen use a uniquely shaped wooden bat to mold the clay instead of a pottery wheel. This flat-surfaced bat is used to deftly pound the clay into whatever shape or design the potter wants to create. It is then sun-dried for four days before being baked in the fire. The pots are then given a special shine by using a natural dye made from barks of a local tree.
Indigenous Brew:
Andro is also famous for its indigenous brews made from fermented rice.
Rice wine post all the traditional way processing
Indian women football History is getting created in Andro
with EMA Eche Laibi Phanjoubam visionary who is nurturing women's foot ball team in Andro and creating the history in the women's football in India
Eche Laibi Phanjoubam's is very passionate about football and she has a dream of girls from Andro playing FIFA 2027.
in the 90's . she established Andro Mahila Mandal Association football Club, encouraged local girls to play football. it was not easy task for her to convince the parents to ask the girls to persue football where the sources are limited to train the girls as well as provide them sufficient nutrients . These girls works in field , grow the local food which are their supplement and nutrients .
Manipur’s only all-girl football club is headed by Bikram Singh Thockchom, who quit as marketing head at a multinational infotech company and moved back home from Delhi to be here.
Over the last few years, this club has been instrumental in producing football champions like Rina Salam, who currently plays on the Indian women’s team, and Oinam Bembem, who has captained the Indian women’s team thrice.
Recently Ngangom BalavDevi will be playing with Rangers FC at UK. she is the only Indian women footballer to go pro.She was also recently named AIFF Women's footballer of the year 2020-21.
“It is time for our girls to shine in the world of football. Looking forward for FIFA 2027
How to Reach to Andro:
Most tourists prefer to visit Andro as part of a day tour from Imphal,
Imphal Airport is the nearest airport to Andro, which is only 21.4kms, and it hardly takes half an hour to reach Andro from Imphal. you can reach there by cab, car or two wheeler too.
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