5+ Most Famous Personalities of Manipur You Should Know

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Manipur is called the “jewel of India” for its scenic beauty and also because of the famous personalities of Manipur. From Mary Kom, the boxing queen to the Iron Lady of Manipur Irom Chanu Sharmila, these people have conquered heights of success in fields such as sports, activism, cinema, literature, and art. These individuals have not only made Manipur proud but have also garnered respect across India and the world. Let us talk about more of such personalities in this blog and get to know their inspiring journey!

List of Famous Personalities of Manipur

The famous personalities of Manipur have one thing in common, they all came from a place that was mostly unheard of, yet they made their name through hard work, dedication and precision. Let us get to know these personalities in detail below – 

NameFieldAchievements
MC Mary KomBoxing6-time World Champion, Olympic Bronze Medalist
Dingko SinghBoxingAsian Games Gold Medalist, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri
Irom Chanu SharmilaActivismKnown for the world’s longest hunger strike
Bijou ThaangjamCinema/TelevisionActor, Art Director, Entrepreneur
M Kirti SinghLiterature, EducationPadma Shri, Bharat Excellence Award
Saikhom Mirabai ChanuWeightliftingOlympic Silver Medalist, World Champion
Sarita DeviBoxingArjuna Awardee, World Champion
Kunjarani DeviWeightliftingArjuna Awardee, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee

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MC Mary Kom – The Boxing Queen

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom also lovingly called Mary Kom, is one of India’s greatest boxers. Born in Churachandpur, Manipur, she made history by becoming the only female boxer to win a medal in every World Championship. She gained international recognition with her gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

Famous Personalities of Manipur
Source: X.com
AchievementYearNotes
Olympic Bronze Medal2012London Olympics
Gold Medal, Commonwealth Games2018Made history for India
Padma Shri2006Government of India
Padma Bhushan2013Government of India
Padma Vibhushan2020Second-highest civilian award in India

Mary Kom’s boxing journey began in 2000 under the coach, K Kosana Meitei, and she has since gone on to inspire millions through her perseverance, passion, and achievements.

Dingko Singh – India’s most volatile pugilist

Ngangom Dingko Singh was an Olympic winner in Indian boxing who brought pride to the country with his gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok. His contributions to Indian boxing are recognised and was honoured with the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. Unfortunately, Dingko Singh passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer.

Famous Personalities of Manipur
Source: Wikipedia
AchievementYearNotes
Gold Medal, Asian Games1998Bangkok
Arjuna Award1998For excellence in boxing
Padma Shri2013For his contribution to Indian sports

Also, Read about the Famous Personalities of Assam Here!

Irom Chanu Sharmila – Iron Lady of Manipur

Known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur,” Irom Chanu Sharmila is a poet and a social activist who is famous for her 16-year-long hunger strike, the longest in world history. She protested against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, seeking its repeal due to its human rights violations. Irom’s selfless activism and tireless fight for justice have earned her global respect.

Famous Personalities of Manipur
Source: The Economic Times
AchievementYearNotes
World’s Longest Hunger Strike2000–2016Protest against AFSPA
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights2007For her fight for justice
Poet and AuthorUnbind Me and When the Curtains Go Up

Bijou Thaangjam – Jack of All Trades

Bijou Thaangjam is originally named Thangjam Biju Singh. He is a versatile actor, chef, and entrepreneur from Manipur. He gained fame through his appearances in films like Mary Kom and Shivaay and various television series and web shows. Bijou is also known for his creative talents as an art director and lyricist.  

Famous Personalities of Manipur
Source: India Today
AchievementFamous Work
ActorMary Kom (2014), Shivaay (2016), Jgga Jasoos, etc.
Web Series ActorThe Test Case, Typewriter, etc
Nominated for Art DirectorIII Smoking Barrels

Also Read – Famous Personalities of Arunachal Pradesh

M Kirti Singh – The Academician from Manipur

Moirangthem Kirti Singh is an Indian educationist, scholar and writer from Manipur. He is known for his in-depth studies of Meitei culture and history. He became the first person from Manipur to be awarded a PhD and DLitt too.

Famous Personalities of Manipur
Source: E-Pao
AchievementYearWorks
Padma Shri1992For his contribution to literature
Bharat Excellence Award1998For his work in Meiteilogy
Famous BooksReligion and Culture of Manipur, The Folk Culture of Manipur, The philosophy of Organism, etc

Do Read about – Saikhom Mirabai Chanu: Indian Weightlifting Champion

Famous People of Manipur in Different Fields

We cannot forget to name these personalities too, without mentioning them, this blog will be incomplete and will be an injustice to these great people. Hence, some of the famous personalities of Manipur from different fields are – 

Famous People from ManipurField of WorkContributions/Achievements
Saikhom Mirabai ChanuWeightliftingOlympic Silver Medalist, World Champion
Sarita DeviBoxingArjuna Awardee, World Champion
Kunjarani DeviWeightliftingMultiple international medals
Aribam Syam SharmaFilm and MusicNational Award-winning filmmaker
Guru Kalavati DeviDanceManipuri classical dancer
Lin LaishramActingPopular actor and model
Bala HijamCinemaRenowned Manipuri film actress
Ningombam Bupenda MeiteiWriter, PhilosopherWriter and thinker from Manipur

FAQs

Who is the famous personality of Manipur?

Some of the famous personalities of Manipur are – MC Mary Kom, Lin Laishram, Bala Hijam, Dingko Singh, Mirabai Chanu, etc.

Who is the hero of Manipur?

Bir Tikendrajit is the hero of the Manipur revolution of 1891. 

Who is the famous leader of Manipur?

Nongthombam Biren Singh is one of the famous leaders of Manipur and also the Chief Minister of Manipur.

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This was all about the famous personalities of Manipur. If you want to know more about other Famous Personalities then visit our General Knowledge page! 

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