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Loktak Lake
Loktak Lake
The Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in South Asia, covering an area of 250 km2 which may increase up to 500km2 during the monsoon season. Located in Moirang, Manipur, the name loosely translates to “the end of the stream” in Meitei. The size of the lake is not its only novelty, as every year, 15th of October is celebrated as Loktak Day, as an evidence of the rich natural and cultural heritage it nurtures.
What makes the lake so extraordinary is the floating biomass called Phumdi. Phumdi, Phumthi or Phum form a unique archipelago of floating islands, made up of a heterogenous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter which are in various stages of decomposition. These have low gravitational pull and high buoyancy, which cause them to float up to the surface of the water, giving them the name ‘floating meadows’. Declared as a Ramsar site, the Southern phumdis of the Loktak Lake is where the only floating National Park in the world, Keibul Lamjao National Park is situated. The park’s most elite residents include the Brow-antlered Deer, famously known as Sangai. It gets its local name for its characteristic of stopping and checking when it feels anxious. The graceful leaps and hops by which the Sangai elegantly treads atop the otherwise wobbly phumdis earns it the sobriquet, “The Dancing Deer”.
Based on the thickness of the phumdis, the Keibul Lamjao National Park is divided into administrative zones. The Pabot and Toya hills located on the Northern and Southern parts of the Eastern Zone of the park, act as a refuge for the Sangai, Hog Deer and other wildlife inhabitants during times of floods. Believed to be near extinction in the 1950s, the Sangai has seen a steady increase in number through mediated conservation efforts. The tall grasses and small bushes that grow on the Phumdis are a wellspring of food for the deer. Wild Pig, Otter, Indian Civet, migratory birds like Baer’s Pochards, multiple species of amphibians, reptiles, and fish, also call the pulsating ecosystem of Loktak Lake their home.
Home on Loktak Lake
The local human population also lives on these floating biomasses. Their dwellings are usually a modest bamboo hut, such as the ones seen in Champu Khangpok village. Bamboo poles and wooden planks are laid on the soggy phumdis to make walking on it easier. Long, slender canoes are the preferred mode of transportation for the inhabitants of Loktak. Using these canoes, they use pieces of cut up phumdis to make circular Athaphums used for fish farming. Needless to say, fish forms an important part of the local diet.
The Loktak Lake, and the biosphere it harbors, has long served as an inspiration for songs, poems, dances, and other expressive renditions of the emotions its serenity evokes. One popular example is the “Khambha Thoibi” dance. The dance recounts the legend of the hero, Khambha, and heroine, Thoibi, who danced in front of the Moirang deity, Lord Thangjing. The two protagonists danced so that the Lord may be pleased and bestow peace and prosperity upon the land. Sangai, the binding soul between humans and nature, also has the Sangai Festival named after it. This is celebrated every year from 21st to 30th November with an aim to promote the cuisines, culture, textiles, and overall richness of the bountiful state of Manipur.
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