Surrounded by nine hills with an oval-shaped valley at the center, a naturally made Jewel ,Manipur is rightfully called as ” the Jewel of India ” of India.. The term was given by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Embellished with breath-taking locations, Manipur is a promising tourist destination. Manipur has a rich culture dating back to centuries. Known to be the birthplace of Raas Lila- a renowned form of classical dance which was created by Maharaja Bhagyachandra. Manipur is also the birthplace of Modern Polo which is called as Sagol Kangjei’ locally.
But this is not just all, when it comes to talk about Manipur , there stands a 500 year old market which is located in the capital, Imphal. The market is known as Ima Keithel or Nupi Keithel(mother’s market), India’s All-Female Market. Symbolising women empowerment , Ima Keithel is the largest all-women market in Asia, with around 5,000 women in charge of all stalls selling offering visitors various items like textiles, handcrafted items to local produce, dried fish and the famous Morok chilli and what not , the list goes long.
This All-Female Market is not just a commercial centre but also a tourist attraction in Manipur. It was established in the 16th century with 5,000–6,000 only women vendors who sell a variety of products.
Looking back at its history , it shows that the market’s only female workforce started as a result of the enforcement of the Lallup-Kaba, an ancient forced labour system took effect in Manipur which required male members of the community to either join the army or go cultivate lands far from home. And the women stayed back and remained in the villages and working on their own at home and paddy fields , selling farm produce etc. So basically without the men, the women of Manipur played the prime role since they became self-sufficient, working on their own and weaving textiles as well . This led to the creation of the largest market -Ima Keithel.
Now men are only allowed in the market to do shopping but not selling. This market is exclusively for women.
During the colonial period , the British administration tried to impose unacceptable commercial reforms in Manipur. Without considering the requirements of the locals ,the British started exporting locally grown rice to other countries & various British battalions stationed near Manipur. These strict new laws were not accepted by the women of Manipur who opposed and decided to fight against the British in 1939, the women of Ima Keithel decided they would instead fiercely. And that’s how the conflict called Nupi Lan, or Women’s War led by the women traders of the market begun . In an effort to fight back, the Britishers attempted to sell off the Ima Keithel market’s buildings but the women strongly and successfully defended their market . Studies say that the war of the british government and women of Ima Keithel ended only when the Second World War broke out .
Now women of Ima Keithel have formed an union. From managing the market and determining its rules and practices the union of women does it all. The union runs a credit system for women traders who can borrow money from the union to purchase goods and pay it back to the union later.As per the rule by the union ,only married women are allowed to trade and run the stands — a tradition that dates back to the 16th century.
Interestingly when we are so used to patriarchal practices , Ima Keithel stands tall as “Matriachal Markets” challenging the male dominated directions. Giving out a rare picture with an unique experience this market is the best example of women empowerment .
