Yahoo LifestyleIma Keithel - Manipur’s warm-hearted Mothers’ Market
1/49Travel Imphal Manipur Ima Market
Khwairamband Bazaar in Imphal, Manipur. Ima Market, also known as Ima Keithel or Nupi Keithel, is Asia's second-largest women's-only market.Bijoy Venugopal![Early morning in Ima Market in Khwairamband Bazaar, Imphal. Women ready their stalls for a day's business. Every man you see here is probably a curious tourist, passer-by or customer -- only women run the stalls.]()
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Early morning in Ima Market in Khwairamband Bazaar, Imphal. Women ready their stalls for a day's business. Every man you see here is probably a curious tourist, passer-by or customer -- only women run the stalls.Bijoy Venugopal![A view of the section selling cloth and textiles in Ima Market in Imphal, Manipur.]()
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A view of the section selling cloth and textiles in Ima Market in Imphal, Manipur.Bijoy Venugopal![This elderly Ima has been selling phaneks and shawls for many years at the Ima Market, long before it moved to these spacious galleries of concrete.]()
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This elderly Ima has been selling phaneks and shawls for many years at the Ima Market, long before it moved to these spacious galleries of concrete.Bijoy Venugopal![Women sell farming and kitchen implements and other hardware in Ima Market, Imphal.]()
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Women sell farming and kitchen implements and other hardware in Ima Market, Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![Anyone who messes with these women won't get away looking pretty, that's for sure. Just look at those knives!]()
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Anyone who messes with these women won't get away looking pretty, that's for sure. Just look at those knives!Bijoy Venugopal![Armed soldiers patrolling the lanes outside Ima Market order me to stop photographing. Often, ethnic differences can come to a boil in these public spaces.]()
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Armed soldiers patrolling the lanes outside Ima Market order me to stop photographing. Often, ethnic differences can come to a boil in these public spaces.Bijoy Venugopal![A woman hawks dried fish in the fish market at Ima Keithel in Imphal, Manipur.]()
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A woman hawks dried fish in the fish market at Ima Keithel in Imphal, Manipur.Bijoy Venugopal![This adorable grandmother comforts a furry companion as she sells her ware in Ima Market.]()
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This adorable grandmother comforts a furry companion as she sells her ware in Ima Market.Bijoy Venugopal![Women sell lotus flowers outside Ima Keithel in Imphal, the market traditionally run by mothers.]()
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Women sell lotus flowers outside Ima Keithel in Imphal, the market traditionally run by mothers.Bijoy Venugopal![Water lily flowers on sale at Ima Market in Imphal.]()
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Water lily flowers on sale at Ima Market in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![The Raja Mircha or the Bhut Jalokia, boasts 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). In other words, it contains the highest naturally occurring amount of capsaicin. If that didn't make sense to you, it's one of the fieriest chillies in the world. Approach with caution.]()
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The Raja Mircha or the Bhut Jalokia, boasts 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). In other words, it contains the highest naturally occurring amount of capsaicin. If that didn't make sense to you, it's one of the fieriest chillies in the world. Approach with caution.Bijoy Venugopal![Fruit-sellers at Ima Keithel in Imphal, Manipur. Bananas, melons, citrus fruits and pineapples are a major part of the Manipuri diet.]()
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Fruit-sellers at Ima Keithel in Imphal, Manipur. Bananas, melons, citrus fruits and pineapples are a major part of the Manipuri diet.Bijoy Venugopal![Fried egg pakoras beckon temptingly at lunchtime. We were spoiled for choice.]()
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Fried egg pakoras beckon temptingly at lunchtime. We were spoiled for choice.Bijoy Venugopal![Puffed-rice and jaggery sweets similar to chikkis, with a disc of candied sugar atop, look very inviting.]()
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Puffed-rice and jaggery sweets similar to chikkis, with a disc of candied sugar atop, look very inviting.Bijoy Venugopal![The fish market is a visual (and olfactory) spectacle that boggles the mind. The sheer variety of fish for the table is amazing.]()
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The fish market is a visual (and olfactory) spectacle that boggles the mind. The sheer variety of fish for the table is amazing.Bijoy Venugopal![River fish -- both fresh and dried -- are a big part of the diet of Manipur's Meitei people, who are Hindus and do not eat pork or beef.]()
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River fish -- both fresh and dried -- are a big part of the diet of Manipur's Meitei people, who are Hindus and do not eat pork or beef.Bijoy Venugopal![Thangjing is a water plant with a spiky rind. The seeds or nuts inside are eaten with morokmetpa, a paste of fiery chillies mashed with small fermented fish called ngari.]()
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Thangjing is a water plant with a spiky rind. The seeds or nuts inside are eaten with morokmetpa, a paste of fiery chillies mashed with small fermented fish called ngari.Bijoy Venugopal![These catfish were still alive and twitching.]()
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These catfish were still alive and twitching.Bijoy Venugopal![Small freshwater edible snails called Tharoi are a delicacy in many local recipes. Pity I didn't get to try any.]()
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Small freshwater edible snails called Tharoi are a delicacy in many local recipes. Pity I didn't get to try any.Bijoy Venugopal![This cheerful Ima at the fish-market smiles for the camera.]()
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This cheerful Ima at the fish-market smiles for the camera.Bijoy Venugopal![Earthenware on sale in Ima Keithel in Manipur.]()
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Earthenware on sale in Ima Keithel in Manipur.Bijoy Venugopal![We stopped for lunch, charmed by these adorable ladies. Though we could barely understand each other's tongues, their good humour and lovely food -- rice and lentils with fried and curried fish -- won our hearts. Our host even threw in a complimentary fistful of pakoras.]()
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We stopped for lunch, charmed by these adorable ladies. Though we could barely understand each other's tongues, their good humour and lovely food -- rice and lentils with fried and curried fish -- won our hearts. Our host even threw in a complimentary fistful of pakoras.Bijoy Venugopal![Lunchtime draws a steady crowd into the market.]()
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Lunchtime draws a steady crowd into the market.Bijoy Venugopal![One of the rare menfolk in the Keithel, this movie pirate is almost an outsider, but he draws a crowd.]()
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One of the rare menfolk in the Keithel, this movie pirate is almost an outsider, but he draws a crowd.Bijoy Venugopal![Bollywood films and music are banned by the underground militia, but that has only allowed the local film industry to thrive. Pirated DVDs are available in plenty. I was curious to try, but I was told they didn't come with subtitles.]()
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Bollywood films and music are banned by the underground militia, but that has only allowed the local film industry to thrive. Pirated DVDs are available in plenty. I was curious to try, but I was told they didn't come with subtitles.Bijoy Venugopal![Fresh greens on sale at Ima Keithel in Imphal.]()
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Fresh greens on sale at Ima Keithel in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![Betel nuts, adorned by a solitary water lily bud, on sale in Ima Market.]()
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Betel nuts, adorned by a solitary water lily bud, on sale in Ima Market.Bijoy Venugopal![For those who can't be accommodated inside the market, like this fish-seller, places are reserved outside.]()
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For those who can't be accommodated inside the market, like this fish-seller, places are reserved outside.Bijoy Venugopal![Idols of Keithel Lairembi, the traditional Manipuri deities that sanctify the marketplace.]()
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Idols of Keithel Lairembi, the traditional Manipuri deities that sanctify the marketplace.Bijoy Venugopal![Idols of traditional Manipuri deities in the market. Sanamahism is an ancient indigenous religion in Manipur.]()
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Idols of traditional Manipuri deities in the market. Sanamahism is an ancient indigenous religion in Manipur.Bijoy Venugopal![A woman sells dolls and trinkets at her stall in Ima Keithel, Imphal.]()
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A woman sells dolls and trinkets at her stall in Ima Keithel, Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![A view of the street outside the Ima Market in Imphal.]()
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A view of the street outside the Ima Market in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![Foundation plaque showing the date of inauguration of the new market in 2010.]()
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Foundation plaque showing the date of inauguration of the new market in 2010.Bijoy Venugopal![View of the narrow alley outside the market, where women sell vegetables, fruit and dried fish and shrimp.]()
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View of the narrow alley outside the market, where women sell vegetables, fruit and dried fish and shrimp.Bijoy Venugopal![Dried chillies look menacingly up from their sacks, flanked by dried shrimp and mushrooms.]()
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Dried chillies look menacingly up from their sacks, flanked by dried shrimp and mushrooms.Bijoy Venugopal![A staggering variety of dried fish on sale outside the Ima Market.]()
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A staggering variety of dried fish on sale outside the Ima Market.Bijoy Venugopal![An alley lined with shops selling dried, salted fish.]()
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An alley lined with shops selling dried, salted fish.Bijoy Venugopal![A woman in the fish market seems oblivious to the strong odour.]()
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A woman in the fish market seems oblivious to the strong odour.Bijoy Venugopal![Women sell their ware in an alley adjoining the Ima Market.]()
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Women sell their ware in an alley adjoining the Ima Market.Bijoy Venugopal![Along with dried fish and beans are water beetles, another local delicacy.]()
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Along with dried fish and beans are water beetles, another local delicacy.Bijoy Venugopal![Desiccated edible mushrooms of many varieties are also a part of the Manipuri diet.]()
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Desiccated edible mushrooms of many varieties are also a part of the Manipuri diet.Bijoy Venugopal![Women sell vegetables, among them yongchak or stinky beans. A favourite ingredient of Manipuri dishes, these oversize legumes are also used in Thai cooking.]()
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Women sell vegetables, among them yongchak or stinky beans. A favourite ingredient of Manipuri dishes, these oversize legumes are also used in Thai cooking.Bijoy Venugopal![These giant waterbugs are a great source of protein. As many as 31 kinds of insects are favoured for the pot.]()
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These giant waterbugs are a great source of protein. As many as 31 kinds of insects are favoured for the pot.Bijoy Venugopal![Edible herbs on sale in Ima Market in Imphal.]()
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Edible herbs on sale in Ima Market in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![A view of the bamboo bazaar in Imphal.]()
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A view of the bamboo bazaar in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![Baskets and fish traps made of cane and wicker on sale in Imphal.]()
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Baskets and fish traps made of cane and wicker on sale in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal![A pleasant-faced Ima obliges us with a photograph.]()
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A pleasant-faced Ima obliges us with a photograph.Bijoy Venugopal![Bamboo products and wicker baskets of every description are on sale in a separate market in Imphal.]()
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Bamboo products and wicker baskets of every description are on sale in a separate market in Imphal.Bijoy Venugopal
Yahoo Lifestyle
Wrapped in scarf-like innaphis and sarong-like phaneks, their foreheads marked with elegant streaks of sandal paste and their teeth stained from chewing kwa (betel), Imphal’s mothers get ready for another day of business. Their laughter rings out over the hubbub of haggling and footfalls, even above the sounds of vehicles gnashing in the street. Ima Keithel or the Mother’s Market has long been a part of Manipuri tradition, by some accounts dating back to the 16th century. Today, located in four concrete structures in Imphal’s Khwairamband Bazaar, it is one of the city’s unique travel experiences.
Yahoo India's Travel editor BIJOY VENUGOPAL explores Ima Keithel and returns basking in the warmth of maternal love.
