Monday, June 13, 2016

The Artisans Village- Andro


Known for its pottery skills, Andro Village, 25kms from Imphal is an upcoming lovely little artisans village. The star attraction of the village is an age old temple, Panam Ningthou, which is considered to be one of the most sacred sites by the locals. Inside the temple is a small fire that has continued to burn for years and the source is unknown. Responsibility of ensuring that the flame does not die is entrusted to each family in the village. The villagers believe that if the fire dies it would be the end of the world.


The village is also known for is scenic beauty and one such attraction is Santhei Natural Park which is around a lake. This beautiful park is more like a lovers park. It is disheartening to see alcoholic beverages being sold right outside the park. Instead of developing it into a family park all we could see were broken alcohol bottles and cigarette buds. Such a scenic place with amazing backdrops should ideally be a peaceful environment but it gave us a eerie feel and we left in a couple of minutes.



The Village also has an artisans corner called the Mutua Cultural Heritage Complex that displays their traditional tribal homes and carvings on artifacts. This complex is open only on weekends as there is not much tourist activity on other days.