DiannaGariepy5 at 03:03, 21 March 2026

2026-03-21T03:03:38Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Hijagang
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| image = {{Multiple image|perrow = 1|total_width = 300
| image1 = Front view of two "Hiyang Hiren" watercrafts (boats of the royalties) in the middle and two "Tanna Hee" watercrafts (boats of the commoners) in the sideways, kept inside the "Hijagang" (Boatyard) in the Kangla Fort in Imphal.jpg
| image2 = The Hijagang (Boatyard) of the Kangla Fort in Imphal.jpg
| size = 280
| spacing = 1
| position = centre
| border = 0
| color = white
}}
| image_size =
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = Two ''hiyang hiren'' watercraft flanked by two ''tanna hi'' inside the Hijagang in the [[Kangla Fort]] and an eastern view of the Hijagang.
| pushpin_map =
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| coordinates = 
| former_names =
| alternate_names = Hiyang Hiren Thampham
| etymology =
| status =
| cancelled =
| topped_out =
| building_type =
| architectural_style = [[Meitei architecture]]
| classification =
| location = [[Kangla Fort]], [[Imphal West district]], [[Manipur]]
| address = [[Kangla Fort]], [[Imphal West district]], [[Manipur]]
| location_city = [[Imphal]]
| location_country = {{IND}}
| grid_name =
| grid_position =
| altitude =
| current_tenants =
| namesake =
| groundbreaking_date =
| construction_start_date = 2010<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |title='Hijagang' inaugurated: 22nd aug13 ~ E-Pao! Headlines |url=http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=28..220813.aug13 |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=e-pao.net}}</ref>
| construction_stop_date =
| topped_out_date =
| completion_date = 
| opened_date = 2013<ref name="auto3"/>
| inauguration_date = 2013<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Kangla boat-yard: 22nd aug13 ~ E-Pao! Headlines |url=http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=7..220813.aug13 |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=e-pao.net}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Imphal Free |title='Hijagang' inauguration on August 21 – KanglaOnline |date=19 August 2013 |url=http://kanglaonline.com/2013/08/hijagang-inauguration-on-august-21/ |access-date=2022-09-27 |language=en-US |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929204524/http://kanglaonline.com/2013/08/hijagang-inauguration-on-august-21/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite book |last=Rastogi |first=Priyanka |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdmYDwAAQBAJ&dq=hijagang&pg=PT107 |title=Early Sunrise, Early Sunset: Tales of a Solo Woman Traveler Across North East and East India |date=2019-05-13 |publisher=[[Partridge Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-5437-0523-2 |pages=107 |language=en}}</ref>
| relocated_date =
| renovation_date =
| closing_date =
| demolished_date =
| cost =
| ren_cost =
| client = [[Government of Manipur]]
| owner = [[Government of Manipur]]
| governing_body = Kangla Fort Board, [[Government of Manipur]]
| affiliation = [[File:The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg|30px]] Meitei religion ([[Sanamahism]])
| height =
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| awards =
| designations =
| known_for = ''[[hiyang hiren]]s'' and ''tanna his''<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>
| ren_architect =
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| ren_engineer =
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| parking =
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| embed =
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}}
The '''Hijagang''' ([[Meitei language|Meitei pronunciation]]: hī-ja-gāng) is a [[boathouse]] inside the [[Kangla Fort]] in [[Imphal]], India. It houses four traditional Meitei [[watercraft]], including two ''[[hiyang hiren]]s'' (Royal racing boats) and two ''tanna his'' (commoners' racing boats).{{efn|Terms like [[canoe]] and [[dugout (boat)|dugout]] are also used besides [[watercraft]] and [[boat]] to refer to the "[[Hiyang Hiren]]"s and the ''"Tanna Hi"''s.}}<ref name="auto3"/> According to [[Sanamahism|Meitei religious]] beliefs, the ''hiyang hirens'' are used by the male ancestral deity ({{langx|mni|Ibudhou}}) and female ancestral deity ({{langx|mni|Ibendhou}}) and are sacred to the [[Meitei people|Meiteis]], the major ethnic group of [[Manipur]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/>

== Construction and inauguration ==
The construction of the Hijagang watercraft storage building started in the year 2010 and completed in the year 2013.<ref name="auto3"/>

On 21 August 2013, with the performances of necessary religious rites and rituals by the {{langnf|mni|[[:simple:Maiba|Amaiba]]s|[[priests]]}} and the {{langnf|mni|[[Maibi|Amaibi]]s|[[Ordination of women|priestesses]]}} in the early morning, the Hijagang was inaugurated by [[Okram Ibobi Singh]], the then [[Chief Minister of Manipur]], who was also the then President of ''"Kangla Fort Board"''.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto1"/>

== Featuring watercrafts ==
=== Crafting processes and inaugural ===
According to RK Nimai, the then [[Commissioner]] of the [[Department of Arts and Culture]], [[Government of Manipur]], the two kinds of watercrafts were made from special kind of trees brought from [[Khamsom]] village in [[Senapati district]] of [[Manipur]]. The crafting processes were initiated in [[Khamsom]] in the year 2007.<ref name="auto3"/> Later, the woods for crafting the [[Hiyang Hiren]]s were brought to the [[Kangla]] on 6 June 2007, with the work of sculpturing getting commenced 2 days later. The watercrafts were made by a four-member team under the leadership of craftsman ''L. Thoiba''.<ref name="auto"/> Later, the watercrafts were inaugurated on 19 February 2010 (3 years before the completion of the building construction).<ref name="auto3"/>
=== Crafting materials used ===
The ''hiyang hiren'' are made of [[Phoebe hainesiana|uningthou]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=H. Surmangol |date=2006 |title=Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (Meaning of "Uningthou") |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/sharma_query.py?qs=uningthou&matchtype=default |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tamang |first=Jyoti Prakash |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HRHUDwAAQBAJ&q=uningthou+%28Phoebe+hainesiana%29&pg=PA353 |title=Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of India: Science History and Culture |date=2020-03-02 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-15-1486-9 |pages=353 |language=en}}</ref> and the ''tanna hi'' of [[Cedrela toona|tairen]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=H. Surmangol |date=2006 |title=Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary (Meaning of "Tairen") |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/sharma_query.py?qs=%EA%AF%87%EA%AF%A5%EA%AF%8F%EA%AF%94%EA%AF%A6%EA%AF%9F&matchtype=default |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto"/>

=== Lengths, widths and heights ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Types of Watercrafts
! Length
! Width
! Height
! Reference(s)
|-
| [[Hiyang Hiren]] of Ibudhou
| 64.2 feet
| 36 inches
| 63 inches
| <ref name="auto"/>
|-
| [[Hiyang Hiren]] of Ibendhou
| 60 feet
| 35 inches
| 57 inches
| <ref name="auto"/>
|-
| 1st "Tanna Hee"
| 52 feet
| 31.5 inches
|
| <ref name="auto"/>
|-
| 2nd "Tanna Hee"
| 51 feet
| 31 inches
|
| <ref name="auto"/>
|}

== See also ==
* [[Hiyang Hiren]]
* [[Hiyang Tannaba]]
* [[Heikru Hidongba]]
* [[Kangla Sanathong]]
* [[Statue of Meidingu Nara Singh]]
* [[Manipur State Museum]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Commonscat|Hijagang}}
* [http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=1&src=Landscape/Kangla/Hijagang20130821_2 Hijagang] at e-pao.net Gallery

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Meitei architecture]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Imphal]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials to Meitei royalty]]
[[Category:Museums in Manipur]]
[[Category:Public art in India]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Manipur]]

Hijagang - Revision history

DiannaGariepy5 at 03:03, 21 March 2026