Manipur was formed on January 21, 1972. Manipur foundation day is celebrated on January 21 every year to mark the formation of the state. It is one of the seven sister states of India. Manipur is also called as Sanaleibak or Kangleipak. Imphal is the capital and the largest city of Manipur.

In 1972, Manipur, along with Meghalaya and Tripura, became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Re-organisation) Act, 1971.

During British Raj, Manipur was one of the princely states. Between 1917 and 1939, the people of Manipur pressed for their rights. By the late 1930s, the Kingdom of Manipur negotiated with the British its preference to be part of India. These negotiations were interrupted due to World War II.

In 1949, Maharaja Budhachandra, the king of Manipur, signed a merger agreement joining India. On January 21, 1972, Manipur became a fully-fledged state.

The statehood day celebrations in Manipur involves a series of cultural events. However, this year celebrations will be low-key due to novel coronavirus pandemic.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 20, 2021 08:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).