It may come as a surprise but Manipur is a dry state. And the pretty village of Andro is of the rare places where you can drink the locally brewed rice beer, Sekmai. Rice beer is made and sold by villagers at little stalls inside Santhei Natural Park. With a backdrop of Baruni hills and a lovely pond in the middle, it is an ideal place for travellers who are looking for an unbeaten track in North East India.
The name of this village is believed to have originated from the word ‘handro’, which, translates to ‘the village of the people who returned’. According to local folklore, the Lois (the majority community in Andro) were some of the earliest settlers of Manipur. Driven away by a local ruler, they returned later to establish their settlement that gradually came to be known as Andro.
There is the artisans’ village which houses the Mutua museum where you can get a glimpse of how Manipur’s 29 tribes used to live. It has homes of the main tribes of Manipur like Kabui, Meitei and Kuki. They have lovely pottery work as well, as the married women of Andro keep the traditional pottery alive. The women have to undergo a ceremony called Thou Chanba before they are allowed to make pottery.
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Unlike a conventional museum housed in a concrete building, the Mutua Museum is a constellation of traditionally built, thatched huts that displays a multitude of locally-made handicrafts.
From pretty paintings and handcrafted tribal dolls (that depict the traditional attires of the 29 recognised tribes of Manipur) to stone figurines and wood carvings of local legends, this museum is a stunning display of Andro’s cultural legacy.
A unique feature of the culture here is pottery. The craftsmen use a uniquely shaped wooden bat to mould the clay instead of a pottery wheel.It is then sun-dried for four days before being baked in the fire. The pots are then given a special shine by using a natural dye made from barks of a local tree.
Another interesting place in Andro is the Mei Mutaba. A place the village residents deeply revere and are inherently proud of, this ancient temple is dedicated to the governing deity of the village, Panam Ningthou, and houses a sacred fire that has been burning since it was first lit nearly a thousand years ago.
You can reach Andro after a short ride to the east of Imphal.
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