Angling Festival 2026 to be held at Barak River in Manipur's Tamenglong

The second edition of the Angling Festival 2026 is set to take place at Kagiujai along the Barak River in Rianglong, Tamenglong district of Manipur.

 

The festival is being jointly organised by Rianglong village in Manipur and Ntu village in Nagaland. Participants will arrive on March 25, with the main festival activities scheduled for March 26 and 27, followed by departure on March 28.

 

The opening ceremony on March 26 will be attended by Awangbow Newmai as Chief Guest and Namsinrei Panmei as Guest of Honour. The closing ceremony on March 27 will be graced by C. Dory Yanthan as Chief Guest.

 

Following the inauguration ceremony, a one-hour open angling session will be held, where participants must use rods and hooks provided by the organisers. Winners will be decided based on the largest fish caught by weight, regardless of species.

 

The registration fee has been fixed at Rs. 500 for open angling, Rs. 2,000 for professional, and Rs. 1,000 for amateur categories. Attractive cash prizes have been announced, with the professional category offering up to Rs. 50,000 for the first prize.

 

Organisers informed that rules for professional and amateur anglers will be provided during registration. Visitors can bring their own tents, while homestay and food facilities will be available at affordable rates.

 

Officials and dignitaries including T. Phulen Meitei, L. Angshim Dangshawa, and other senior officers are expected to attend the event.

 

Notably, a one-kilometre stretch of the Barak River at Rianglong has been preserved for over seven years to protect indigenous fish species. The area now hosts a large population of fish, which are known to be unusually friendly and approachable, adding a unique attraction to the festival.