Loktak Lake

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, in the Bishnupur district of Manipur, about 45 km south of Imphal. Loktak Lake is known for its phumdis, floating mats of vegetation, soil and organic matter that thicken over the years until they can carry huts and people. The lake was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1990.

The largest mass of phumdis forms Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world and the last natural home of the sangai, the brow-antlered deer that is the state animal of Manipur. Fishing families live on smaller phumdis in thatched huts, and cut circular fish enclosures called athaphum into the floating mats. Since the Ithai barrage was built for a hydroelectric project in the 1980s, water levels have been held higher, which has thinned the phumdis and changed the lake, and its health is a continuing concern. Moirang, on the lake shore, is where the Indian National Army raised its flag on Indian soil in 1944.

What to see

• Sendra Island, with its viewpoint and cafe over the lake
• Circular athaphum fish enclosures and phumdi huts from a boat
• Keibul Lamjao National Park, with watchtowers for spotting sangai deer
• The INA Memorial Complex at Moirang
• Waterbirds in winter, including migratory ducks

What to wear

Loktak Lake is sunny and exposed, so wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and bring a light jacket for boat rides in winter mornings. Light, quick-drying clothes and sandals or shoes that can get wet suit the boats. Dress modestly in villages. Meitei women wear the phanek, a striped wrap skirt, with the innaphi shawl, and the elaborate potloi skirt is worn by Ras Leela dancers.

Local food to try

Manipuri cooking is fresh, herby and chilli-hot. Try eromba, mashed vegetables with fermented fish (ngari) and chilli, singju, a crunchy salad, and kangshoi, a light vegetable stew. Fish from the lake is served fried or in curry at small eateries at Moirang and around Sendra. Chak-hao kheer, a pudding of black rice, is a sweet worth seeking out. Vegetarian dishes are common because many Meitei households are Vaishnavite.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March, when skies are clear and migratory birds arrive
• Visit in daylight, roughly 6am to 5pm; sangai are best seen early morning
• Boat rides and national park entry are charged separately
• Allow half a day, or a full day with Keibul Lamjao and Moirang
• About 45 km south of Imphal, around 1.5 hours by road
• Foreign visitors need a Protected Area Permit for Manipur, reinstated in December 2024; check current travel advisories

Nearby places

Loktak Lake is a day trip from Imphal, where Kangla Fort and the women-run market of Ima Keithel sit in the centre of town. To the north, Dzukou Valley on the Nagaland border is a longer journey via Kohima.