Loktak Lake
Loktak Pat
The largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, carpeted in floating islands
About this place
Loktak covers about 287 sq km and is unlike any other lake in India because of its phumdis: buoyant mats of matted vegetation, soil and organic matter that drift across the surface. Seen from Sendra hillock the lake looks like a green honeycomb: thousands of ring-shaped athaphum fish enclosures built by the lake's fishing families. Sunrise over the phumdis, with mist lifting off the water and single-paddle canoes cutting through it, is the defining image of Manipur.
The history
Loktak was designated a Ramsar site in 1990 and placed on the Montreux Record in 1993 as the Ithai barrage altered its hydrology. It sustains around 100,000 people directly through fishing, phumdi farming and reed harvesting.
How to reach
48 km south of Imphal on NH-150 via Bishnupur and Moirang. Shared Tata Sumo from Imphal's Moirang stand costs ₹80–120 and takes 90 minutes; a return cab is ₹2,000–2,800.
Local tips
- Stay overnight at Sendra or a Thanga homestay: day-trippers always miss the sunrise, which is the point of coming.
- Agree the boat price and route (Sendra loop vs. Karang island) before boarding.
- Carry a windproof layer; the lake is 10 degrees colder than Imphal on winter mornings.
Gallery
On the map
Moirang–Sendra, Bishnupur district · 24.5231°N, 93.8038°E
Loktak Lake
Moirang–Sendra, Bishnupur district
24.5231°N, 93.8038°E
Nearby places
Within an easy detour of Loktak Lake.
HillBishnupur
Sendra Island
Sendra
Sendra, near Moirang, Bishnupur district
The hillock viewpoint that gives Loktak its postcard
- Distance from Imphal
- 57 km from Imphal
- Time to allow
- 2 hrs
Entry: Entry from ₹20
Photo: Shalu S / Google Maps
ParkBishnupur
Omba and Nurathel Garden, Takmu Lake
GQ4V+9RV, Bishnupur, Manipur 795133, India
About 45 km from Imphal on Loktak. Adjacent to the Loktak Aquamarine homestay site at Takmu.
- Distance from Imphal
- 37 km from Imphal
- Time to allow
- 2 hrs
Entry: Entry details on page
Photo: Achouba Maibam / Google Maps
ParkBishnupur
Takmu Water Sports Complex
Takmu, Loktak Lake, Bishnupur district
Where the boating on Loktak is actually organised
- Distance from Imphal
- 38 km from Imphal
- Time to allow
- 2 hrs
Entry: Entry details on page
Photo: Neeraj K Pandey / Google Maps
HillBishnupur
Loktak Lake View Point
Loktak Lake, Manipur
Loktak Lake View Point
- Distance from Imphal
- 31 km from Imphal
- Time to allow
- 2 hrs
Entry: Entry details on page