Sangai Festival Begins in Manipur

The Sangai Festival, Manipur’s biggest annual cultural event, began on November 21, 2025, but witnessed reduced attendance due to protests by internally displaced persons (IDPs) and NGO groups. Demonstrations highlighted continuing displacement issues in the state.

About the Sangai Festival

• Manipur’s premier cultural showcase

• Launched in 2010, the Sangai Festival is the state’s most awaited tourism and cultural festival.
• Named after the Sangai, the brow-antlered deer—Manipur’s state animal.
• The festival promotes Manipur’s indigenous traditions, cultural heritage, handloom, handicrafts, dance, music, and cuisine.

The Sangai (Brow-Antlered Deer)

• Habitat and distribution

• The Sangai is found only in Manipur, primarily in the Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP).
• The deer’s preferred habitat is the “phumdi”, a floating biomass in the southeastern part of Loktak Lake.

• Unique characteristics

• Globally known as the Dancing Deer because it moves with delicate, mincing hops on its hind pasterns over floating phumdi.
• The home range of the species in KLNP is just 15–20 km², within the park’s 40 km² area.

Keibul Lamjao National Park

• World’s only floating national park

• Located on Loktak Lake, Manipur.
• Known for its floating phumdi ecosystem, which supports the Sangai and other biodiversity.
• Plays a critical role in conserving endemic species, wetlands, and the lake’s ecological health.