[4][5][6] The Sanamahi Kiyong is a religious destination and a pilgrimage site for the Meitei people, even for those living outside Manipur in other Northeast Indian states and also for the Kabui people and the Zeliangrong people living in Manipur, Assam and Tripura inside India as well as in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

It was built according to a 2002 resolution adopted at a public meeting having a goal to construct a university for Sanamahism,[2] with the aim to teach the future generations of people about the ancient Meitei culture of the Sanamahi religion, offering its students various subjects about indigenous art forms, dance forms, music, Thang-Ta and Sagol Kangjei (Meitei for 'polo') etc.

[2] The construction of the Sanamahi Kiyong started in the year 2006.

But it was postponed to 8 June 2019 because religious leaders advised that it should be done on Meitei month of Enga (Meitei: ꯏꯉꯥ, romanized: ī-ngā) and not on the month of Kalen (Meitei: ꯀꯥꯂꯦꯟ, romanized: kā-len) and 8 June falls on Enga, the favourable month.

The event was attended by N Hiyainu, wife of Nongthombam Biren, the then Chief Minister of Manipur.