One of the structures within Kangla Fort under renovation

Imphal, July 31: Its pride was restored when the Assam Rifles vacated it after five decades. Now, Manipur?s historical Kangla Fort is getting back its grandeur and an old faithful ? the mythical, fire-spewing dragon ? as its sentinel.

In less than a year after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh handed over the erstwhile Meitei seat of power to the people, the Manipur government has made considerable progress in restoring the Kangla?s original glory. One of the two dragon gates that were bombed by the British will be back in place soon, the flames emanating from the creature?s snout symbolising the Meitei community?s protectiveness about a legacy they lost and regained after much struggle.

?It is only a matter of time before the Kangla will be almost exactly like the structure that stood here in 1891,? said Sapam Bheigya Singh, superintendent of the state archaeology department.

Restoration of the Govindajee temple within the campus is under way under the supervision of the Paris-based International Council of Monuments and Sites.

A 26-member group of construction workers from West Bengal is on the job and restoration of the southern wall is nearing completion.

?Instead of cement, we have been using brick powder and lime to make the structure similar to the old one,? Bheigya Singh said, struggling to be heard amid the sound of chisels at work.

The Govindajee temple, constructed by King Chandrakirti in 1869, the Vrindavanchandra temple and the Uttra Sanglen, which is the king?s court, were all in ruins when the Assam Rifles vacated the campus. But the signs of decay are vanishing fast with the restoration project making headway. ?The government intends to convert some of the buildings constructed by the British and used by the paramilitary force into museums and offices,? an official said.

The Kangla Fort Board, headed by chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, is in charge of both reconstruction and maintenance. Visitors are allowed into Kangla for a fee of Rs 2 per adult and Rs 1 for a child. ?I come here almost everyday to take a walk and feel the touch of history,? said K. Rajen Singh, a retired government employee.

The gates remain open between 9 am and 3 pm, except on Wednesdays.

The coronation of the first Meitei king, Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, is believed to have taken place at the Kangla about 2,000 years ago. Till the British took over the fort in 1891, all Meitei kings ruled Manipur from there.

The Assam Rifles moved into the 236.62-acre campus after the British left India and remained there until last year, when the custody death of a woman named Thangjam Manorama triggered a public uprising against the paramilitary force.