All posts tagged: Imphal

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Meet The Sisters Behind Crochet Doll Venture “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur.

Published by Shanmi

Meet the crafty sister-duo behind the crochet doll venture “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur. Both the sisters are trained nurses, who initially started their crochet venture as a hobby. Despite the challenges they face in a world where people’s expectations have been significantly altered through factory-made goods – in terms of speed and low price, these sisters are motivated more than ever to bring people back to appreciating artisanal handmade goodies through their humble yet ambitious motto of “One doll at a time, one smile at a time and one happy customer at a time.” We had a chat with the sister duo of “Handmade Cottage” from Manipur. They talk to us about how their hobby turned into a profitable business venture and the challenges they face along the way. Hello, please introduce yourself. Hello R&L, thanks for having us. We’re two sisters running this venture, “Handmade cottage” from Manipur. I’m Yungyung Ragui (29) and my sister’s name is Sovi Shaiza(27). We’re based in Ukhrul and Imphal. Professionally, we are both trained nurses but we have …

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“I Want to Put North East India on The Global Fashion Map” – Fashion Designer Reena Ahanthem from Manipur Talks About Her Fashion Aspirations and Next Moves

Published by Shanmi

Fashion and North East India found each other as though they were always meant to be. Folks from this region and their aesthetics have pretty much guided the fashion direction of the country. With colorful cultures and customs that foster the revival of trends from the past – that are constantly being recycled by the young trendsetters to ensure that design influences from this region stay in vogue for a long long time – and into the future. Fashion designer Reena Ahanthem from Manipur is an exemplary figure whose own style and work seek to revive and reinvent traditional wear from North East India – and manages to put keep them fashionable even in modern times. Born with a natural taste for fashion, she decides to pursue her passion by joining a fashion school, and later teaming up with a friend to start their fashion label “Deepankshi and Reena.” After running the label for almost a decade and dressing many celebrities with their creations, Reena is nor ready to move forward with her own individual …

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A Chat With Mahelal Pukhrambam, Owner of Cafe “Steamin Mug” in Imphal – Famous for Its Cosy Space and Perfect Coffee

Published by Shanmi

Cafes and restaurants are gradually sprouting up in almost every corner of Imphal city in Manipur. Besides the menu, it’s also the little creative touches that the owners put into the space to make the ambiance attractive to customers. As is rightly said, “a cozy cafe is pretty much an ultimate happy place”, cafe Steamin Mug in Imphal radiates a super comfy and friendly vibe. It’s the perfect place to dissapear for a couple of hours for a well deserved coffee break, away from the busy or the mundane everyday life. Today, we chat with the owner of Cafe “Steamin Mug” Mahelal Pukhrambam, who is an enthusiastic chef, curious traveler and a football fanatic from Manipur. Read on to know more about him, his life and his cafe. Hello Mahelal! Tell us a little about yourself. Hello R&L! My name is Mahelal Pukhrambam from Manipur and I am the owner of “Steamin Mug” cafe. I am currently residing in Imphal but I have spent most of my adolescent age in Delhi. I am an enthusiastic chef, curious traveler, …

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A Chat with Rashingam Ngoruh, Wedding Photographer And Owner of “Cafe Timber” Imphal

Published by Shanmi

With Northeast India fast becoming a traveler’s hotspot, leisure and business activities in the region are picking up visibly. Especially with the young enterprising folks leading from the front, there is certainly much more excitement, creativity and noise – which is definitely a good thing! Amongst these new age activities, eating out is fast becoming a favorite past time, which is a drastic change from earlier days, where meeting with friends was usually limited to the house or the neighborhood. Imphal, the capital city of Manipur has seen a host of interesting food ventures with an aim to introduce global cuisines to the local folks, and authentic traditional fare to travelers from outside. Add to that, the creative minds of the young local entrepreneurs – and the ever demanding consumers, the cafe and restaurant ecosystem is fast becoming as interesting as is competitive. Today we chat with a young food entrepreneur cum photographer, who runs a cafe called “Timber Cafe” in Imphal, which is known for their simple and tasteful interiors and food.  Today we chat …

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“Time Stood Still As We Came Across These Beautiful Row of Sunflowers in Langol Peak Garden in Tengnoupal District in Manipur” – Shanmi

Published by Shanmi

“It was a beautiful August afternoon around 3 pm .. here we are enjoying the beautiful landscapes at Langol Peak Garden – located in Tengnoupal district in Manipur. It was only recently opened to the public in 2017. It’s a short hour-and-a-half-long drive from the capital city of Imphal along the Indo-Myanmar road. It is undoubtedly one of the most sought out tourist destinations in Manipur, so I was super thrilled to finally visit the garden with two of my friends that day. The garden is maintained so well by the local folks; it is so clean and refreshing. And as we were walking up to the peak, we were totally mesmerized by the scenic view of the whole area created in part by these beautiful row of sunflowers. We spent a good half an hour just soaking in the beauty, and taking pictures. Behind us, you can also see the tower on top of the peak. Watching the view from up there was another breathtaking experience – you can literally get a good glimpse of the surrounding valley with …

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This 18-Year-Old Photographer Has a Unique Talent of Capturing People in Their Most Beautiful Element | Meet Richard Pao From Manipur

Published by Vilina

They say, ‘we take photographs as a return ticket to a moment gone otherwise’ but it is more than that for this young and talented aspiring photographer from Manipur, who hopes to click portraits of people to remind them how beautiful they are in their most natural and candid self. 18-year-old Richard Pao said this was his first time sharing his story with a stranger and that he felt privileged for the opportunity. We think that this marks the beginning of an era and a start to a successful career as a photographer. Read on to know more about him, about his passion for photography, what sparked his interest in this profession and more. We would love to know more about you – Where are you from and what are you up to? Hello, I’m Richard Pao from Imphal. I’m 18 years of age and just completed 12th grade. I love coffee and traveling. I am currently taking a year off to focus on photography and writing. I hope to take up cinematography professionally along with photography. How …

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A Chat with the Owners of Forage Cafe in Manipur – Your Destination for Local Food and Mediterranean Cuisine

Published by Kumti

“We chose these cuisines out of our own preference as well as with the consideration that we can make healthful hearty food using fresh ingredients and traditional techniques avoiding artificial flavors and condiments.” The hunt for delectable cuisines never stops; even better when it doesn’t compromise with our health. True to its name, Forage, here’s this lovely couple, Korou Khundrakpam and Kundo Yumnam, from Imphal that after much quest and research, came up with this aesthetically pleasant restaurant that not only serves different kinds of food with a local twist, but also teaches the benefits of healthy and sustainable living through the items and things used in their restaurant. Hi, would you like to tell us a bit about yourselves? We are a couple, Korou Khundrakpam and Kundo Yumnam, from Imphal. We were professionally trained in Fine Arts and we saw our creative pursuits lead us from Delhi to Imphal and from paintings to food! Tell us a bit about the restaurant and when was it launched? After trading our arts practice in Delhi for …

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Learn The Art Of Sketching Faces From Daksha Salam

Published by Asmita Das

A journey of art to profession. A journey of realization of how art has transformed him to be passionate about sketching faces of people. Today we present to you a soft conversation with Daksha Salam (@dksha__) – a Textile Student from National Institute of Design who believes change is natural. Share a little detail about yourself and what you have been up to? My name is Daksha Salam and I’m 22 years old – a student of Textiles from the National Institute of Design. I am a Meitei, born in Imphal and grew up in Assam and I love cats. What initially sparked your interest in this field? I’ve always loved to create, since I was a child. I remember when I would get bored of using fabrics, I would use scraps like old tires and balloons and make dresses and garments for the Barbie dolls. This helped me to extend my imagination of playing with dolls to another new level. I slowly branched out into other forms of creating art as I grew older – …

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Defying Society’s Beauty Standards with Art: Thokchom Sony | Visual Artist | Imphal & New Delhi

Published by Shweta Rao

  There is a common saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  That idea is further complicated when we look at it through the eyes of different cultures that exist today. In today’s globalized world, culture, race, and media intersect to create an idea of beauty that is admired by a collective and not an individual. Pop media and artists today have a bigger responsibility to open the world’s eyes to what today’s beauty standards are and what they need to be. We speak with visual artist Thokchom Sony on the importance of showcasing cultural importance in art. Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m a 29-year-old visual artist from Imphal and am currently based in New Delhi.  I have lived in the south of Delhi for the last 10 years, where my career has continued to grow. This is where I’ve regained a sense of self-assurance. I have attained a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Jamia Millia Islamia Institute and I have a postgraduate diploma in visual effects and animation …

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Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – An Inspirational Manipuri Folk Performer.

Published by Shweta Rao

Indian classical music has reached international fame and recognized at a global level. But, the Indian folk culture, talking of the existing in predominantly rural communities today, does not enjoy the same celebratory status. Partly, because tribal and folk music is not taught in disciplinary formats similar to Indian classical music. Fortunately, that’s changing today, as Indian youths are picking up folk music to express themselves on various platforms and sustaining their roots and culture for the ages to come. Today at R&L, we showcase an important folk performer, Mangka, who’s a musical revolution that state youth forums are rejoicing over. She has put Manipuri folk singing on the international map and is the voice that has popularized Manipuri folk song form, Pena. Meet Mangka Mayanglambam – Folk Song Artist and Performer at the Laihui Ensemble from Imphal, Manipur. Mangka acquired the knowledge of folk music from her father, Mangangsana, a renowned Pena artist and recipient of Ustad Bismilah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2008. Mangka started learning Moirang Sai and Basok (a rare traditional female performing …