Ima Keithel

Ima Keithel Mothers' Market, Women's Market
Neighbourhood
One of the three buildings of the Ima Keithel (Women's Market).
Nickname:  Queen of Markets
Ima Keithel Location in Manipur, India Show map of Manipur Ima Keithel Ima Keithel (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 24°48′29″N 93°56′06″E / 24.808°N 93.935°E / 24.808; 93.935
Country	India
State	Manipur
District	Imphal West
Languages
• Colloquial	Meitei
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	795001
Management	Ima Keithel Union

Ima Keithel (English: Mothers' Market), also known as Nupi Keithel (English: Women's Market), or Khwairamband Keithel (English: Khwairamband Market^[1]), is a market in the middle of Imphal in the Indian state of Manipur.^[2][3] It is the only market in the world run entirely by women.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]} Men are not allowed to sell anything.^[10] The Manipur Government has announced that the male shopkeepers will be punished if their shops are found inside the market.^[10]

The market has around 5000-6000 shopkeepers. Women sell many kinds of things, like vegetables, clothes and many others. These are mostly local made of the state. The market was established in the sixteenth century AD. It has three large buildings. These are named after the three goddesses of Meitei religion. The goddesses are Leimarel Sidabi, Emoinu and Phouoibi.^{[1][2][3][11]}

Ima Keithel is a perfect example of the long-lasting tradition of business management done by women in Manipur. Traditionally, Meitei women always enjoyed high status in the economy of the society. Women lead the trade and commerce in food and vegetables, household things and clothes in Manipuri society.^[12] In history, it is the symbol of the empowerment and the leadership prospects of women in Manipur.^[13]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Singh, Amita; Punia, Milap; Haran, Nivedita P.; Singh, Thiyam Bharat (2018-06-15). Development and Disaster Management: A Study of the Northeastern States of India. Springer. ISBN 978-981-10-8485-0.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "India's Mother's Market run by women". BBC News. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "Manipur's historic women's only market damaged in earthquake". The News Minute. 2016-01-04. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
4. ↑ Gupta, Om (2006). Encyclopaedia of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8205-389-2.
5. ↑ Shivhare, Vishal (2016-08-17). Vyapar Shastra. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8495-898-0.
6. ↑ Singh, Dr Th Suresh (2014-06-02). The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Visious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India. Quills Ink Publishing. ISBN 978-93-84318-00-0.
7. ↑ Sahu (IAS), Barun Kumar (2020-01-01). AN INQUIRY INTO VIGILANCE AND CORRUPTION. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-5322-856-9.
8. ↑ Patra, Jayanta Kumar; Das, Gitishree; Kumar, Sanjeet; Thatoi, Hrudayanath (2019-08-05). Ethnopharmacology and Biodiversity of Medicinal Plants. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-429-67537-9.
9. ↑ Deshpande, Abhijeet (2017-12-19). Backpacking North East India: A Curious Journey. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-946556-80-6.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Rastogi, Priyanka (2019-05-13). Early Sunrise, Early Sunset: Tales of a Solo Woman Traveler Across North East and East India. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5437-0523-2.
11. ↑ Kumar, Payal (2016-06-22). Indian Women as Entrepreneurs: An Exploration of Self-Identity. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-60259-6.
12. ↑ Minahan, James (2012). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-659-1.
13. ↑ Shivhare, Vishal (2016-08-17). Vyapar Shastra. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8495-898-0.