Khangabok is a village located about 25 km south of Imphal, in the state of Manipur, India. Its jurisdiction falls under the Thoubal District Division. Khangabok is one of the largest villages in Manipur in terms of area coverage and total population.
The Meiteis are the only ethnic groups in the village. The language spoken is Meiteilon (also known as Manipuri), which is recognized as one of India's national languages in 1992.
Khangabok Info
| District | Thoubal |
| State | Manipur |
| Assembly Constituency | Khangabok Assembly |
| Loksabha Constituency | Outer Manipur |
| Pin Code | 795138 |
| Phone Code | +91-3848 |
| Population | 8967 (Adult Population) |
| Area | NA |
| Sex Ratio | 1146 Females/1000 Males |
| Literacy Rate | NA |
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Little is known about the history and origin of Khangabok. The excavation[1] found underneath Khangabok Maisnam Leikai Boys' Primary School suggests that there could have been settlement as early as 100 AD. Researchers and scholars are studying into the past remains and artifacts to reveal and throw some lights into the history of Khangabok.
The myth surrounding the origin of the name "Khangabok" is that a long time ago there existed a (mythical) lake called the Ikop Pat (lake). It was very vast and the banks of this lake spread across acres of land during rainy seasons. Most of the agricultural areas near Ikop Pat were mostly covered under thick forest mainly consisting of a special kind of tree which could stay alive in deep water, and thus the trees were called Khangra (a tree which cannot be washed away by water). Gradually, as population increased in the early settlements around the lake, the Khangra were razed to make way for civilization. People from neighboring villages used to come to Khangabok and collect the fallen Khangra for firewood and building material. Gradually people started calling the place as Khangrapokpi (place where Khangra grows). With time, the word Khangrapokpi was shortened to Khangrabok, later to Khangabok. The name is sometimes misspelt as Khangbok, instead of Khangabok.
The main economy is the agriculture. The main agricultural products include rice, maize, various other green-leafy vegetables and fruits. Khangabok is also one of the largest producers of sugar crop in Manipur state.
Khangabok is famous for manufacturing and marketing handicrafts. Some of the native exotic handicrafts are bamboo baskets (thumuk) and harvesting mats (yenna phak) made from Arundo Donax (yengtou). Khangabok is famed throughout Manipur for kouna phak [2][3] too. Kouna is also used to manufacture stool (mora), chair, mattress and various other crafts.
The only sugar factory[4] of Manipur is located at Khangabok.[5] Other economy comes from fishery, trade, handloom products etc.
The detail Population of Khangabok as per the Voter-List available from Thoubal District database[6] is given below. Please note that this figure does not cite the exact population of Khangabok since the voter list is only for age 18 and above.
| Name of the Polling Station | Male Voter | Female Voter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khangabok Mayai Leikai Boys L.P. School | 556 | 667 | 1223 |
| Khangabok Khundol Primary School | 307 | 344 | 651 |
| Khangabok Maisnam Balika L.P. School | 377 | 427 | 804 |
| Monteshwari L.P. School | 375 | 417 | 792 |
| Khangabok Awang Boys L.P. School | 270 | 343 | 613 |
| Khangabok Mayai Girls L.P. School | 580 | 704 | 1284 |
| Khangabok High School | 854 | 962 | 1816 |
| Khangabok Maisnam Leikai L.P. School | 859 | 925 | 1784 |
| Total | 4178 | 4789 | 8967 |
Khangabok is bounded in the north-west by Athokpam village, in the north-east by Charangpat village, in the east by Hayel-Labuk village, in the south by Wanjing village and Tentha village, and in the west by Ikop Pat (Lake). It lies between 24-55 North latitudes and 94-98 East longitudes. Khangabok represents the features of flat plain topography. The soil is of the type alluvium and contains small rock fragments, sand and sandy clay.
The rivers that run through Khangabok are Karong River, Arong River and Nongdambi River. The Ikop Pat, which is situated in the western side of Khangabok, is one of the largest lakes in Manipur.
The vegetation consists of a large variety of plants ranging from short and tall grasses, reeds and bamboos to trees of various species. Arundo Donax (yengtou), Leihao, Bamboo, Cane, Eucalyptus etc. are important forest resources growing in plenty.
The climate of Khangabok is largely influenced by the topography of the hilly region which defines the geography of Manipur. This village is blessed with a generally amiable climate though the winters can be a little chilly. The maximum temperature recorded in the summer months is around 32 degree Celsius. In winter the mercury often falls to sub zero temperature. The coldest month is in January and July experiences the maximum summer temperature. The weather remains bright and sunny without the scorch of the sun during the period from October to March. The village is also drenched in rains from the months of May and continues till the middle of October. The downpour ranges from light drizzles to heavy showers. The normal rainfall enriches the soil and helps in agricultural processes and irrigation.
The National Highway Number 39 which connects Numaligarh, Assam to the end of Indo-Myanmar Border runs through Khangabok.
The lake is situated in Khangabok, at a distance of about 40 km in the south-eastern direction of Imphal and is located at an altitude of 772 m above MSL is 7.5 m in length and 1.8 m in breadth during the rainy season. The surface area measures 13.5 sq km while the depths in the different areas range between 0.93 and 1.59 m. The depths have become much shallower currently. The volume of the lake is estimated as 0.013 cu m .The Lake is physiographically characterized by a saucer shaped basin with gentle slope and a much silted bottom.
The lake has been the life line of thousands of people of Khangabok as the source of fish. The Ikop Lake is currently under great human pressure due to heavy encroachments due to the development of farms by a number of fishing co-operative societies.
Physico-chemical analysis of the water samples from the lake reveal highly polluted condition. There occurs rise in the water temperature while the turbidity rate also stands high. The water in many areas is found to be highly acidic (pH-3.6) while in other areas high alkalinity (pH-9.3) has been noticed. Observation of high concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide coupled with lower values of dissolved oxygen in different seasons reveal the deteriorating quality of water.[7]
The Ikop Pat is also a part of the famous epic play based on the legendary lovers-Khamba and Thoibi of Moirang. As the tale goes Ikop Pat is where Khamba nabbed a wild bull and pacified it into submission!
The Department of Archaeology, Government of Manipur, carried out excavation[8] at Khangabok with a view of ascertaining the cultural sequence and studying the ethno-archaeology of the site also called Morali Lampak, in the campus of Khangabok Maisnam Leikai Boys' Primary School.
Worker came across the site while leveling the mould for the school building. Many goods comprising beads, bronze rings and plates, bones, potsherds were recovered from burial graves. The excavation revealed only the secondary pot burials with fragments of skull and bone with one to three pots from each burial. In addition, pot of medium size covered with ring-footed bowls were also unearthed. At least four to six thin bronze plates were found with each burial, perhaps used in ceremonial offerings.
Today Khangabok has become a major destination hub in Manipur for Pre-College Education, thanks to the many prominent schools being established in the village. Some of the schools in Khangabok are:
Khangabok houses many important government institutions such as
Past and Present MLAs elected from Khangabok.
Main sport of the Khangabok are Football, Cricket, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, Horse Racing, Boxing, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Mukna (indigenous wrestling) etc. Khangabok have produced many national level sportsmen in the field of Kho-Kho and Kabaddi. The Basu Ground is one of the most well-known sporting venues in Manipur. It has hosted Kho-Kho in the 5th National Games. It is also the ground where Devala Memorial Trophy (Cricket Trophy) is hosted annually in the month of January.
Sport and Social Clubs of Khangabok
Indigenous Games