Shirui travel guide: the Shirui Lily and peak, Manipur

Shirui is a hill peak and village near Ukhrul town, in Ukhrul district, Manipur, and the only place in the world where the Shirui Lily grows. The peak, written Shirui Kashong (also Siroi or Shirui Kashung), rises above grassland in the Tangkhul Naga homeland and draws walkers for a day-trek and, each early summer, for the Shirui Lily bloom. This guide covers the flower, the trek, the festival, the permit and how to plan a trip.

Shirui refers to both a village and a peak about 18 km east of Ukhrul town in Ukhrul district, Manipur, reached on National Highway 150. The Shirui Kashong peak stands at 2,835 metres and is the only habitat of the Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), Manipur’s state flower, which blooms in May and June.

About Shirui and quick facts

Shirui is a village and hill peak in Ukhrul district, in the eastern hills of Manipur, close to the state’s border with Nagaland. The Ukhrul district administration places Shirui village about 18 km from Ukhrul town and 97 km from Imphal, reached along the Ukhrul-Jessami road, which it lists as National Highway 150.

The headline feature is the Shirui Kashong peak, which the district site records at 2,835 metres (about 9,300 feet) above sea level. Some press reports give higher or different figures, so treat 2,835 m as the official number and other figures as estimates. The district notes that most of the area’s major rivers rise from the slopes and crevices of this peak.

The area is part of the Tangkhul Naga homeland, and Ukhrul town, the district headquarters, sits at about 5,453 feet. For how Shirui fits into a wider state trip, see our Manipur travel guide.

The Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae)

The Shirui Lily is a rare terrestrial lily, Lilium mackliniae, that grows only on the Shirui Kashong peak and its surrounding grassland, and nowhere else in the world. According to the Ukhrul district administration, the flower blossoms on the hilltop during May and June, which is why those two months draw scientists and visitors to an otherwise quiet hill.

The bloom is a pinkish, bell-shaped flower that nods on a short stalk above the grass. Manipur Tourism states the lily was declared Manipur’s state flower in 1989. Its scientific name honours the British botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward and his wife, Jean Macklin: Manipur Tourism notes that Macklin first spotted it in 1946 and that the Royal Horticultural Society later gave it an award of merit. The district site adds that the plant’s local Tangkhul name is Kashong Timrawon.

The flower is under pressure. Press and conservation reporting describes the Shirui Lily as endangered, with threats from habitat loss, forest fires, climate shifts and the plucking or uprooting of plants by visitors. The Manipur Forest Department has run protection projects that involve local Tangkhul Naga volunteers and restrict access to the most fragile parts of the habitat. The practical takeaway for a traveller is simple: look, photograph, and leave the plants alone.

The Shirui Kashong peak trek

The Shirui Kashong trek is a day-walk from Shirui village up open grassland to the 2,835-metre peak, and it is popular rather than technical. Manipur Tourism describes the hike to the top of the Shirui hills as a walk for “nature lovers and adventurers” and pairs it with camping and biking during the festival season.

Be honest with yourself about the terrain. This is a grassland climb with little shade and exposed ridges, so the main challenges are weather, wind and the steepness of the final stretch rather than altitude sickness, which is uncommon at this height. Mist can roll in quickly, and the grass is slick after rain, which is likely in the May-to-June bloom window.

Start early, carry water and a windproof layer, and allow most of a day for an unhurried return. Local guides and village arrangements are easiest to find during the festival; outside it, ask in Shirui village or in Ukhrul. Stay on established paths to avoid trampling the lily habitat, and do not count on mobile network on the hill.

• Type: Day-trek on grassland from Shirui village to the peak.
• Difficulty: Moderate; steep, exposed final section, weather-dependent.
• Main risks: Mist, wind, slippery grass after rain; limited shade and network.
• What to carry: Water, windproof and rain layer, sturdy shoes, sun protection.

The Shirui Lily Festival and Tangkhul culture

The Shirui Lily Festival is an annual tourism event in Ukhrul, timed to the lily’s bloom and run by the Government of Manipur’s Department of Tourism. According to Manipur Tourism, the 2025 edition was the 5th State-Level Shirui Lily Festival, held from 20 to 24 May, commemorating what it called the flower’s 75th anniversary. It was the first state-level edition after a two-year gap.

The festival opens in Shirui village and uses venues including the TNL Ground, Phangrei and Bakshi Ground in and around Ukhrul. Manipur Tourism lists live music (the SHIROCK festival), folk dances, indigenous games, a literature festival, craft and textile exhibitions, food stalls and the hill trek among the programme. Dates shift each year with the bloom, so reconfirm them with the Department of Tourism or the district administration before planning a trip around the festival (as of October 2026).

Shirui sits in the Tangkhul Naga homeland, and the festival is also a showcase of Tangkhul culture, from weaving and textiles to dance and food. Treat the culture with respect: the festival is a living community event, not a staged show. Ask before photographing people or ceremonies, follow your hosts’ lead, and remember that the hill and the flower carry local meaning as well as scientific value.

Best time to visit Shirui

The best general time to visit Shirui is October to March, which the Ukhrul district administration calls the ideal window for the area, when the weather is dry and roads are most reliable. The district notes the region receives rain from April to August and that temperatures across the year range from about 3°C to 33°C.

There is a trade-off, though. The one thing Shirui is famous for, the lily, appears only in May and June, which falls in the rainy stretch. If the flower is your reason to go, accept the wet weather and slippery trail that come with it; if you want clear skies and comfortable walking, choose the October-to-March season and treat the hill itself, not the bloom, as the draw.

Temperatures are planning guidance from the district site, not a forecast; the yearly range quoted is 3°C to 33°C.

How to reach Shirui

You reach Shirui by road from Ukhrul town, after flying into Imphal, since there is no working railway near Ukhrul. The Ukhrul district administration names Imphal as the nearest airport and Dimapur, in Nagaland, as the nearest railway station; from either, the final leg to Ukhrul and then Shirui is by road.

By air: The nearest airport is Imphal (Bir Tikendrajit International Airport), which has regular flights to Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi and other hubs. From Imphal, hire a cab or take a shared vehicle to Ukhrul, about 84 km on NH150, which the district site puts at roughly a three-hour drive.

By rail: There is no useful railhead at Ukhrul. The district lists Dimapur in Nagaland as the nearest station; Imphal’s own railway link is still developing. Most travellers treat Imphal as the practical arrival point and continue by road.

By road: From Ukhrul town, Shirui village is about 18 km east on the Ukhrul-Jessami road (NH150). Shared vehicles and hired cabs run from Ukhrul; during the festival, extra transport is arranged. Carry your ILP, as it is checked on the way into Manipur.

Hill road times are weather-dependent; reconfirm vehicle timings locally and keep a buffer, especially in the rainy months.

Where to stay

Accommodation around Shirui is simple, centred on Ukhrul town and a small number of homestays in Shirui village. Expect guest houses, modest hotels and family-run homestays rather than resorts, and book well ahead for the May-June bloom and festival, when rooms in Ukhrul fill quickly.

The bands below are planning estimates for a double room, not quoted tariffs; reconfirm directly with the property, as rates move with season and festival demand (as of October 2026).

• Budget (indicative ₹800-₹1,500): Basic lodges and guest houses in Ukhrul town.
• Mid-range (indicative ₹1,500-₹3,500): Better hotels and comfortable homestays with hot water and meals.
• Shirui homestays: A handful of homestays in or near Shirui village put you closest to the trailhead and the Tangkhul community; arrange meals in advance.

Staying in Shirui itself saves the early-morning drive from Ukhrul on a trek day, which matters most during the festival crush.

Food to try

Food around Shirui is Tangkhul Naga and broadly Northeast Indian: rice-based, built on fresh and foraged greens, smoked or boiled meat, and fermented flavours rather than heavy masala. In homestays you will eat simply and well. A few things to look for:

• Smoked meat (pork or beef dried and smoked over the hearth, then cooked with greens or chillies).
• Boiled and foraged greens (seasonal hill vegetables, often simply boiled and served with a chilli-and-herb side).
• Fermented preparations (fermented soybean and bamboo shoot, used to flavour stews and chutneys).
• King chilli (the local raja mircha, very hot, used sparingly as a condiment).
• Nilai green tea (local green tea from the Ukhrul hills; see the nearby places section).

If you stay in a homestay, ask your hosts to cook a Tangkhul meal; it is usually the best food you will find in the area.

Budget breakdown

A short trip to Shirui is inexpensive once you reach Ukhrul, with road transport and rooms the main costs. The figures below are planning estimates per person for a three-day, two-night trip based in Ukhrul or Shirui, assuming budget-to-mid accommodation and shared or hired transport; they exclude flights to Imphal and should be reconfirmed before you travel (as of October 2026).

The ILP fee is left open deliberately: the official portal does not publish fees on its information page, so confirm the current amount when you apply.

Permits and rules: the ILP

Yes, most visitors need a permit: Indian citizens who are not permanent residents of Manipur require an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter the state, Shirui included. The permit is applied for on the official portal at manipurilponline.mn.gov.in, and it is checked on the way into Manipur. Foreign nationals follow a separate process and should verify current rules before travelling.

The portal lists several categories. For tourists, the relevant one is the Temporary permit, which the portal says is for tourists and short-term visitors and is valid for 30 days with no renewal. The official information page does not publish fees, so confirm the current fee at the time you apply (as of October 2026). You apply online by choosing the permit type, filling the form and submitting it; approval is notified and payment is made through the portal’s status-check page, after which you download and print the permit.

Beyond the permit, treat Shirui as a fragile, protected landscape. Do not pick or uproot the lily or any plants, stay on marked paths on the peak, carry out all waste, and avoid single-use plastic. Access to parts of the lily habitat is restricted for conservation, so follow local guidance and any Forest Department signage. For the wider state picture on permits and planning, see our Manipur travel guide.

Practical tips

Plan Shirui as a short, weather-sensitive hill trip where roads, rain and the bloom calendar are the main variables. A few practical notes:

• Connectivity: Mobile network is patchy around Ukhrul and unreliable on the peak; download maps and your permit offline before you set out.
• Cash: Carry enough cash. ATMs are in Ukhrul town but can be unreliable, and UPI or card acceptance thins out in the village.
• Health: Ukhrul town has district-level medical facilities; for anything serious, Imphal’s larger hospitals are the fallback. Carry a basic first-aid kit and personal medicines.
• Trek safety: Start early, watch the weather, and turn back if mist closes in. The grass trail is slippery after rain, which is common in the bloom season.
• Solo and women travellers: Ukhrul and Shirui are generally quiet and friendly; the usual precautions apply, and homestays are a good way to have local contacts.
• Packing by season: Warm layers for October-to-March mornings; a rain shell, quick-dry clothes and grippy shoes for the May-June bloom; sun protection and a power bank year-round.

Nearby places

Shirui pairs naturally with Ukhrul town and a short list of sights nearby, with Imphal the obvious anchor on the way in or out. The table lists the main options with district-cited distances where available.

Khangkhui cave and the tea estate make easy half-day additions from Ukhrul; Imphal deserves a day or two in its own right, and the wider state is covered in our Manipur travel guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shirui famous for?

Shirui is famous for the Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae), Manipur’s state flower, which grows only on the Shirui Kashong peak in Ukhrul district and nowhere else in the world. According to the Ukhrul district administration, the pinkish, bell-shaped flower blooms on the hilltop in May and June, and the area also hosts the annual Shirui Lily Festival.

When does the Shirui Lily bloom?

The Shirui Lily blooms in May and June, according to the Ukhrul district administration and Manipur Tourism. The flower appears on the Shirui Kashong hilltop for these two months only, which is why they draw scientists and visitors despite the rainy weather. Outside this window you can still trek the peak, but the lily will not be in flower.

Do I need a permit to visit Shirui?

Yes. Indian citizens who are not permanent residents of Manipur need an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter the state, including Shirui. Apply on the official portal at manipurilponline.mn.gov.in; the Temporary permit for tourists is valid 30 days. The portal does not publish fees on its information page, so confirm the current fee when you apply (as of October 2026).

How do I reach Shirui?

You reach Shirui by road from Ukhrul town, about 18 km away on NH150. The nearest airport is Imphal, about 84 km from Ukhrul (roughly three hours), and the nearest railhead is Dimapur in Nagaland, as there is no working railway near Ukhrul. Most travellers fly to Imphal and continue by shared vehicle or cab.

When is the Shirui Lily Festival held?

The Shirui Lily Festival is held during the lily’s bloom; the 2025 edition, the 5th state-level festival, ran from 20 to 24 May, according to Manipur Tourism. It is organised by the state Department of Tourism in and around Ukhrul. Dates shift each year with the bloom, so reconfirm with the tourism department before planning a trip around it.

Is the Shirui Kashong trek difficult?

The Shirui Kashong trek is a moderate day-walk, not a technical climb. It runs on open grassland from Shirui village to the 2,835-metre peak, with a steep, exposed final stretch. The main challenges are mist, wind and a slippery trail after rain rather than altitude. Start early, carry rain and wind layers, and allow most of a day.

Last updated and sources

Shirui suits travellers who want a quiet hill, a rare flower and a window into Tangkhul Naga culture. Go in May or June for the lily and the festival, or October to March for clearer weather and the peak alone, and carry your permit either way.

Last updated: 23 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change – reconfirm with official sources before you travel.

Sources: Ukhrul district administration, Shirui Hill and Tourism pages (ukhrul.nic.in); Manipur Tourism, Shirui Lily Festival (manipurtourism.gov.in); Manipur Inner Line Permit portal, About ILP (manipurilponline.mn.gov.in); EastMojo reporting on the Shirui Lily and festival (eastmojo.com); Incredible India, Nillai Tea Garden (incredibleindia.gov.in). Accessed October 2026.