Home to the state flower of Manipur – Shirui Lily, Ukhrul is all set to host the first edition of ‘North East Autumn Festival (NEAF)’ a cultural extravaganza aiming to promote eco-tourism in Northeast India, from October 20-26.
Organized by the Chiko Adventures and supported by the Manipur Tourism, this event will be held at the Jorcheng Meadow in Lunghar Village of Manipur’s Ukhrul. Jorcheng is a scenic grassland, located 21 kms away from Ukhrul town.
Let’s have a brief introduction about the serene landscape of Ukhrul :
Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Manipur, the Jeweled Land, is home to the Tangkhul Naga tribe. The people here are know for their rich and vibrant culture and their hospitality. The little pretty Ukhrul town is endowed with unique and beautiful landscape, abundance of flora and fauna. Easy accessibility from the capital Imphal to the venue; location— the highest hill station in the state, famous for state Shirui Lily Festival has no doubt, made Ukhrul the most desirable tourist destination in Manipur in recent times.
Ukhrul is popularly known for hosting one of the biggest rock concerts and band competitions ShiRock, part of the main Shriui Lily State Festival attraction. ShiRock, the festival of music, many would call, has proven its worth drawing fans in the thousands from across the region and beyond. To cite a few, without bragging, American glam metal party-starters Extreme band’s signature number– More than words, and Scottish hard rock veterans Nazareth took stage here in Ukhrul, charting ShiRock as one of the most popular music gatherings in the North East India.
The list of the giants does not stop there–American heavy metallers Queensryche, and American glam metal band Steelheart that took the audience by storm with She’s Gone number in the past editions of ShiRock, as well as the latest opening act of the Monuments, a British progressive metalcore djent for ShiRock 2022 have put Ukhrul truly in the map of music powerhouse in the region, if not in the country. But of course, you be the judge.
It will incorporate of several activities, commencing from – Music concert by artists from all the northeastern states, ranging from (Rock Bands, Pop music, Folk artist and contemporary folk, Indigenous music instruments and EDM); Indigenous Tournaments like – Tug of war, Wooden go kartrace, bamboo stilt race and art and crafts like the famous longpi pottery making, bamboo basket making and weaving will also be showcased; Budget experience travel itineraries will also be made available to the guest for seamless and value travel experience; Adventure activities like – MTB Downhill race, outdoor camping, ziplining, paragliding and activities such as zorbing, trampoline, spider net and Burma bridge to be installed at the campsite for families and the kids; Exotic food from the northeast and multi-cuisine food stalls and cafes will be also be available at the site.
The 1st edition of BRING IT ON! North East India, the one stage to showcase Northeast India, only eligible for the bona-fide residents of the North East States (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura).
Winners gets to audition for Ameirca’s Got Talent a.k.a. AGT.
Echoes – School of Music Tuning Arts will conduct a talent hunt competition. Audition will be conducted via online, stage show. The final live round will be conducted during the last day of the fest. For more information on this, visit NEAF Facebook Page.
Apart from the must check list to draw your itinerary visiting Ukhrul, few things to keep in mind :
Accommodation options include camps, homestays and hotels.
Tent Accommodation : Comfortable tent accommodation to be made available at the festival venue.
Hotels : Let’s begin with Imphal. There are several Hotel ranging from budget to 4 star Hotels in Imphal. In Ukhrul town, there are good number of mid range hotels.
Manipur Inner Line Permit : Basically an official travel document to enter the state, or the Protected Area Permit if you are a foreigner. As much as we hate it, Manipur like most of the North East states is a protected area. This would include Indian citizens too. The good news is that you can apply your permit for ILP seamlessly by just clicking HERE.
Connectivity
The journey to Ukhrul town and scenic Jorcheng grassland.
By Air : Imphal, the capital city of Manipur is the most well connected airport in the North East after Guwahati. Imphal Airport has 15+ direct flights from most of the Major Cities of India.
By Rail : The nearest railway station from Imphal is Dimapur and Guwahati Railway station which is 220 kms and 400 kms away respectively from Imphal.
By Road : There are Buses and Taxis available troughout the day from Imphal to Ukhrul. 2 hrs 30 mins drive. 83 Kms.
Source : Ukhrul Times (https://ukhrultimes.com/north-east-autumn-festival-2022-all-set-at-ukhruls-picturesque-jorcheng/)
