volume no. 01 | issue no.

05 | 100

RediscoveR life in the comfoRt

of noRtheast hospitality | P10 |

38 manas national
park: one of the
most pristine wild-
56 the menhirs of
mizoram: the story
behind these senti-
74 retracing the silk
route: an exciting
trip to kupup villAge
life spots of AssAm nels of A pAst erA of sikkim
 Still Stuck in
an Ordinary Life?
contents

48 heikru hiDongBa:
The highlight of this festival of

38
Manipur, which began in 984

ronel seram
AD, is the boat race
the city

shillong

62 revisited
why the capital of
meghalaya is so
attractive

raw assamese
beauty dishes
60
food

try out some

manas national park in assam does recipes that figure
not have hordes of tourists lining its in a starred hotel
entrance. But the park looks like what
this earth was supposed to look like
beautiful and lively

Discover inDias northeast

 china 1

7 Bhutan

2 6

4
3
BanglaDesh

myanmar
5

the region comprising the

8 wonders of the country.
the gateway to southeast
asia. the final frontier for
nature lovers and those
with itchy feet

80
ArunAchAl PrAdesh
1 capital Itanagar

AssAM
2 capital dIspur

3 MAniPur
capital Imphal

MeghAlAyA
4 capital shIllong

MizorAM
5 capital aIzawl

6 nAgAlAnd
capital kohIma
running on aDrenaline:
7 sikkiM
When man, machine and nature capital gangtok
satadal payeng

74
meet at Tawang, Arunachal, you get triPurA
8 capital agartala
to know what Aching Bliss is

darjeeling bhutan

90 94
our neighBours

the toy train a peek at taktsang

continues to monasterythe
weave its charm tigers nest

silk
route
A trip to Kupup village in Sikkim is
a journey laden with history and
the rich culture of the people who
reside along the fabled route

july-august 2016
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 07

You Can Check

editor kishore seram
dePuty editor prabanee sarmah
contributors

in Any Time
Gaurav Kataria, Charanjiv Kalha,
Ronel Seram, Aditya, Adam Saprin-
sanga, Bhaskar Datta, Rupaparna
Sarkar, Rajib Chowdhury, Sanjib

Gohain Baruah, Oken Jeet Sand-
ham, Caesar Singh Ch, Indraneel
Dasgupta, Pralay Lahiry, Munindrajit
Aribam, Nirdesh K Singh, Anu Boro,
Satadal Payeng, Sushobhan Roy,
Indranil Sarkar, Freddie M Majaw
design Rainbow Ink Design
Publishing consultant
mt Creating tomorrow
All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or part without written permission is
prohibited. We take care in fact checking all
articles and regret any error inadvertently
done. All opinions expressed by freelance
writers are their own and not necessarily
those of Discover Indias Northeast.
Editor : Kishore Seram. Printed and pub-
lished by Kishore Seram for and on behalf
of Outdoorpeople Tourism Promotion
Pvt Ltd. Printed at G.H. Prints Pvt Ltd,
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Phone: +919810699771
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Volume 01 Issue 05
July-August 2016
Total No. of pages 100
FOR quERiES
AND FEEDbAcK
feedback@outdoorpeople.in
Ph. No: +91 9810699771
S
O faR, we have been talking about the adrenaline rush, the splen-
did isolation, the colours of culture and all that nature has gener-
ously gifted the Northeast region as the reasons why you should
be there. This time, we offer you an additional incentive to expe-
rience the final frontier. For those who are tempted to step out into the
wild but with a comfort suffix, or need to spike those business routines
with leisure, this issue is a good starter to a larger main course of North-
eastern hospitality. We have an intimate review of four prime properties
located in Meghalaya and Assam. The list is not exhaustive by any means;
however, they are representative of a good range of hosts in the region.
The unassuming small sample includes representations of both new and
seasoned players, and both the city and the outdoor experiences.
Check out why Ri Kynjai deserves its tag line Serenity by the lake,
and how come Britains royal couple Prince William and Kate Middleton
decided to put up at the rather reclusive Diphlu River Lodge on their
maiden visit to the Northeast. You have to check into the spanking new
Guwahati Address and the Vivanta By Taj to appreciate the distinc-
tive Northeast flavours these hosts have infused in all aspectsfood to
dcorto ensure an otherwise luxury stay remains in your memory as a
wonderful sojourn of discovery.
Do remember, theres plenty more where that came from!
As committed, this issue also covers all the eight statethe enig-
matic menhirs of Mizoram, the puzzle of the 99,99,999 carved images of
Unakoti in Tripura, the Netaji Connection of a small village in Nagaland,
the very popular Ambubachi Mela of Kamakhya in Assam, the colourful
Heikru Hidongba festival of Manipur, the historic silk route in Sikkim,
and the ever beautiful Shillong. For adrenaline rush, we have a crazy
bike ride to Tawang in Arunachal, and for wildlife buffs, theres Manas
National Park. And that, we believe, is a substantial number of options to
choose from to plan your next outing.
Indeed, there is no dearth of great spots to explore and discover
in the region. On top of that, in another month or soas soon as the
monsoon trickles awaythe region is going to be a profusion of festivals
and events. There will be calendar events like the Ziro Music Festival
in Arunachal Pradesh in September, the Sangai Festival of Manipur in
November and the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland in December, over and
above the plethora of traditional festivals across the states. It also goes
without saying that winter opens the gates to every nook and corner of
the Northeast.
I would suggest visitors to start the countdown for a Northeast out-
ing, now. Book your presence early; why miss out and wait another year?

the mi
ghty |
2
kishore seram
ers in ther | P3
ahse
high
altoge Editor
100

e
of th :
seat lt
4 ti cu le
shak yA temp At
kh
kAmA chAl pArv
lA
cOVEr PhOtO Join us on www.facebook.com/discoverindiasnortheast
on ni
A sit-out ArrAngement At Diphlu river
loDge, KAzirAngA
Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016
08
coming soon
hereS A liSt of eventS to
help you mAximiSe your
trAvel experience
m an i pur
janmastami
august this year, Janmastami (Lord
Krishnas birthday) falls on 25th
august. it is celebrated by the
Meitei hindus. Many devotees keep
a fast on that day, aside from visiting temples. the
main rush is seen at the Mahabali temple, where a
large festival is regularly organised. in many other
temples as well, the priests recite stories of the
birth and life of Lord Krishna.
heikru hidongba
septemBer this festival is visually very appeal-
ing as the ceremony has many ele-
ments to it, such as vaishnavism,
as well as traditional Meitei ele-
ments. there is also a communal boat race. this
year, the celebration will be on 13th september.
Before the start of the boat race, the idols of Lord
Govinda are placed on boats and are taken on a
procession along a designated moat. Devotees
offer garlands of heikru (gooseberry), flowers and
aarti to the deities. a recent addition to the festival
is boat racing for female rowers as well.
july-august 2016
s ikk im
drukPa teshi
July/ the festival is celebrated by the
august Buddhists of the state. on this
day, the Buddha preached his first
sermon of the four noble truths
to his five disciples at Deer Park in Sarnath. The
first Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of suffering,
the second is the truth of the origin of suffering,
Karma and Delusion, and their causes, and the
third noble truth is the cessation of the suffering
or the attainment of nirvana. the fourth noble
truth is the truth of the eight Fold Path leading to
nirvana. this day is celebrated on the fourth day
(teshi) of the sixth month (Drukpa) of the tibetan
calendar in the month of July or august every year.
in Gangtok, prayers are held at the Deer Park and at
Muguthang, in extreme north sikkim. a Yak race is
also held during the festival.
n agal an D
metumniu
august the Yimchungers celebrate Me-
tumniu festival from 4-8 of august
every year after the harvest of millet.
the festival is connected with the
prayers for the departed souls. For four days the
community cleans up the village, water points and
roads. once everything is spruced up, the village
invites friends and relatives for food prepared with
millet, gifts are exchanged and dance troupes go
round the village to charm the young and old. During
Metumniu, boys and girls get engaged and those
already betrothed exchange presents for newborns.
mizoram
mim kut
august/
Mim Kut is a very significant fes-
septemBer
tival of Mizoram which celebrates
the harvesting of maize in the
state. it usually falls in the months
of august and september. Mim Kut is also a time
when people come together and give respect to
the dead by erecting a memorial platform. it is
believed that the souls of the ancestors come and
visit during this festival. Maize, bread, clothes, and
other accessories that are usually required for a
living are offered to the deceased souls.
tripura
boat festival
august/
septemBer the Boat Festival of tripura is an
annual festival in the state. this
year it will be organised during
the last week of august or the
first week of September on Rudrasagar
Lake in Melaghara, about 38 km from
agartala. it is a popular event that
draws people from all across the
state and tourists from other
parts of the country. Partici-
pants cutting across all castes
and creed take active part in
the competition, which is why
the carnival is appealing to one
and all. Prizes are given at the
end of this pulsating boat race.
Discover inDias northeast

arunachal praDesh
solung festival
July/ solung is celebrated by the adis, an
august agricultural community, and thus
this festival is connected with the
agricultural activities of the people.
various myths, stories, and beliefs are associated
with the origin of the solung festival. celebrated
in the mid-part of the year, during the monsoon
months of July/august, the date of celebration of
this festival is on different days of these months
depending upon different villages. once the date
is fixed, rice-beer or Apong preparation begins.
the people start storing fresh vegetables for the
occasion. The first day of the seven-day fest is
reserved for slaughtering a bison along with pigs
in the early hours of the morning. a family can
choose to sacrifice depending upon their financial
capability. the meat is preserved for the rest of the
days of the festival. on the second day, or Yegling,
the preserved meat is distributed among relatives.
a grand dinner feast is arranged for neighbours,
women and children. on the fourth day or oin-
nyad, a member of every family goes into the fields
and sacrifices a fowl.
A young conch
player readies for
the start of janmas-
tami celebration in
manipur
Discover inDias northeast
ziro festival of music
septemBer the Ziro Festival of Music is a
great outdoor festival for music
aficionados and amateurs with an
ear for music. as in earlier editions,
the four-day festival will be held in the Ziro valley,
one of the most picturesque locations in the state.
Perched at 5,500 feet, the valley is surrounded by
misty mountains. the festival will be held from
22-25 september, and promises some electrifying
performances from national and global artistes.
in the past years, the festival has hosted talented
figures like Steve Shelley, Lee Ranaldo, Indus
creed, Peter cat recording company, Barmer Boys,
Menwhopause, Louw Majaw, shaair and Func, Guru
rewben Mashangwa etc. visitors are treated to
some super music in those four scintillating days,
amidst verdant surroundings. camp accommoda-
tions near the venue make it easy for music lovers
to be near their favourite artistes and sessions.
ENtRY
pERmItS
*Entry permits are not required for Indians or
foreigners to visit Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya.
*Inner Line Permit (ILP) is required for Indian
citizens to enter Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
and Mizoram.
*RAP: To visit Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh,
foreigners must obtain Restricted Area Permit
(RAP).
*Foreigners are no longer required a RAP to visit
Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. However they
must register themselves at the local Foreigners
Registration Office (FRO) of the districts they
visit within 24 hours of arrival.
*ILP is not required for Indian tourists visiting
Sikkim or Manipur, but Indian tourists visiting
Manipur via Dimapur/Kohima require an Inner
Line Permit to pass through Nagaland. This is
available from any Nagaland House, or Govern-
ment of Nagaland office.
ronel seram
09
mountain
echoes 2016
Bhutan will celebrate the seventh edition
of Mountain Echoes 2016 from August
26-28. The festival is patronised by Her
Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji
Wangmo Wangchuck. The three-day festi-
val, set against the backdrop of the verdant
Himalayas in Thimphu, is an initiative of the
India-Bhutan Foundation in association with
Siyahi and is a confluence of art, music, lit-
erature and new media from both countries.
Set within a country renowned for its
sustainable democracy and proactive stance
on ecology, Mountain Echoes will open with
a conversation on climate change and its im-
pact presented by author Amitav Ghosh and
introduced by His Excellency Ambassador
Jaideep Sarkar (the current Ambassador of
India to Bhutan).
This year the festival also announces the
inaugural edition of Bonfire Tales: A cul-
tural journey that travels via motorcycle to
the Phobjikha valley in the impressive Black
Mountains of Bhutan and then onto the
warm climes of Punakha. Participants will be
led by actor Kelly Dorji, on a tour specifically
designed to provide an authentic experience
of Bhutanese culture, discovering sacred
religious sites, and centuries-old monaster-
ies and their art, while sampling delicious
local cuisine throughout the journey.
As well as exploring contemporary
issues facing Bhutan today, the festival
will span the countrys full history, with a
conversation on the 400th anniversary of
the arrival of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel
in Bhutan, the first ruler to unite Bhutan as
a single nation. Visitors to Mountain Echoes
2016 can also attend a variety of collateral
events, such as art and photography
exhibitions and a musical performance by
Indian fusion rock band, Indian Ocean.
For detailed itineraries and costs,
contact: tamanna.siyahi@gmail.com
july-august 2016
10
56
90

prabanee sarmah

A spectacular view of
umiam lake seen from
the patio of ri kynjai
resort located in the
khasi hills of meghalaya

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 11

1 Hospitality
by PrAbANEE SArmAh

CHECKING r I KyNJAI in Meghalaya and Diphlu River Lodge in Assam have been around
for quite a while. One is on a hill overlooking a pretty lake, while the
other on the periphery of the Kaziranga National Parkwith bamboo fences and
thatched roof cottages on stiltscould well be mistaken for an Assam hamlet.
The Guwahati Address By Centre Point, a boutique hotel right in the centre of
Guwahati city, opened earlier this year, while Vivanta by Taj brought its leisure
and business hotel chain to the fringes of the city last December.
Heres an intimate and personal review of these four properties that
represent the new kids on the block and the evergreen old players of
Northeast hospitality.

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

 Serenit
y
12
56
90

Ri Kynjai

by the Lake

prabanee sarmah

the advantage of booking a

lake facing superior room
at ri kynjai

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


By mid may
when Delhi is a furnace, the rain is pleasant in
the Northeast (however, do note that rainfall can
be quite heavy during the mid-June to August
season). This is a good period to see that region
and escape the heat in the north of the country.
Personal testimonial: Before my trip, I was advised
by family membersmy folks belong to Assamto
pack some light woollens. The car from Ri Kynjai,
our host resort, was punctual, and we literally got
a rain carpet welcome on the drive from Guwahati
airport to the resort. The drive itself, from Assam
to Meghalaya along the hilly NH 40 was smooth
and pleasant.
After two and half hours of travel, the Umiam
Lake (popularly called Barapani) made an appear-
ance and the wooden gates of Ri Kynjai (or land of
serene environs in Khasi language) parted to re-
veal the stone steps at its entrance. I disembarked
and looked around, but could see only pillars and
roofs, with no faade. It was then that I realised
that the resort was built on the slope of a hill; the
stone steps led down to a wooden staircase, which
further led to the lobby and reception desk below.
Though the architecture is borrowed from tradi-
tional Khasi thatched hut style, the use of glass
walls provided an interesting boundary between
the inside and the outside. The sheer open space
in the lobbywith pine wood beams crisscrossing
the ceilingwas both beautiful and welcoming. The
log cabin feel with magnificent views of the lake
was appealing as well.
We had arrived on a weekend, and soon met
another family that were vacationing, with children
in tow. The wife, Kajal answered simply when I
asked why they had come all the way from Kochi to
this part of the Northeast: To escape the heat and
meet the rain. Her wide smile and happy children,
who were already running about the grounds with
my son, said a lot about that decision.
My room had a clear view of the lake, and
opened up to a wide balcony on a lower level than
the room itself. From the resorts lobby, another
stairway ended at the patio which is flanked by
a garden overlooking the lake and the Sao Aiom
(Four Seasons in Khasi) restaurant; further ahead
was a conference room. On the opposite side, the
stone patio led up to the spa and the emporium
shop selling ethnic ware, from table mats, and
pouches to tea cosies and hats, among others.
The cosy restaurant and bar were filled with
Discover inDias northeast
13
light that was streaming through the sliding glass
doors that opened to the patio. After placing an
order from the Northeastern section of their fare
(they serve Indian and Chinese as well), I ambled
out to the patio and clicked pictures. I could not
resist taking the stone steps down to a gazebo in
the garden. It had panoramic views of the lake, and
I remember thinking that a sun-downer drink over
there would be a wonderful way to end the day. At
Sao Aiom you do not wait for food; the food awaits
you. The waiter came looking for me, so lost was I
in its prime featurethe lake view.
Coming up to my table, the Jagtem (Khasi
steamed rice cooked in locally sourced turmeric),
Bai or vegetable stew and Chicken Do Pura (cooked
with powdered rice and mustard leaves) looked
very inviting with their aroma and colour palette.
The flavourful fare scored well on my palate as
well. For spice lovers, I would recommend the
Bastenga or smoked pork/chicken (cooked with
FEW ExPERIENCES
COMPARED tO thE
quIEt MEAL, WIth
thE WINDOWS FOrm-
ING A ScrEEN FOr thE
SPEEd bOAtS cuttING
AcrOSS thE LAKE
bamboo shoots, tomatoes, red chillis and garlic) or
the aptly named Cherrapunjee Chicken. An aside:
the resort is located in the Cherrapunjee (Sohra)-
Mawsynram belt, the worlds rainiest area. I can
confidently say that few experiences compared to
the quiet meal, with the huge windows forming a
natural screen for the speed boats cutting across
the faraway lake and rain drops dripping down
from the sky.
My next occupation that evening was to pamper
myself with a traditional massage, Khem Tynrai.
Entering the hut-like Khem Janai Spa, I was led to a
july-august 2016
14
56
90

prabanee sarmah

dimly-lit massage room, softly serenaded by Khasi
music. Here, the masseuseSentinawas clearly
an expert; and sixty minutes later, I felt alive, both
body and soul. Though I skipped the Khasi bath,
or hot water fomentation, which is recommended
after the massage, I felt all the resfeber dissipate.
I dont know whether it was the spa or the at-
mosphere, but I woke early the next morning, and
took my cup of self-made tea (an electric kettle
leaping from one strand of grass to another on the
trail. My own serendipitous moment was when I
noticed some pink orchid-like flowers sprouting
wild in the shrubs. Later, I saw the same flower
growing on just a stalk without a plant support-
ing ithanging out from the rocky
slopes of the hills leading to Umiam
Lake.

and beverage pouches were available in the room)
to the balcony. The blue lake and hills, and the
birds on the various trees in the garden below gave
me company that morning. When my son woke up
some time later, we walked down a pathway cut-
ting through pine trees to reach a part of the lake
where the water made a lagoon. On the way back,
my son was thrilled to see extremely tiny rain frogs
(Above): the generous
use of glass walls
along with pine wood blur the
distinction between the outdoor
and interiors in ri kynjai, and
the 'floating' reading room
above the lobby is a winner;
(facing page): the hybrid cot-
tages come with a cosy fireplace
and a loft that serves as auxil-
iary space, and can accommo-
date 2 adults with 2 children
A
FtEr thE buffet breakfast
of the usual suspectsidli,
aloo puri, aloo paratha,
toast, eggs and fresh fruits;
do not miss the pineapples here,
they are luscious I walked around
the hallways of the resort, admiring
the Khasi and other Northeast arti-

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 15

courtesy: ri kynjai

facts and garments tastefully decorating the walls.

The traditional instruments on display in another
corridor were nothing short of remarkable, and The 'floaTing' read-
were a testament to the regions love for music. I
met Kajal again, and learned that they had decided ing room had a dis-
TincT charm; The
to head to Cherrapunjee and its waterfalls and
rain. For my own part, I decided to take my son

gRandfatheR almi-
on a boat ride on the lake; but Susan, at the front
desk, suggested that we wait out the rain, which by
mid morning was a downpour. She was more than
apologetic; yet the sights and sounds of the rain
were all I needed to relax, with a book in the float-
Rah that seRved as
ing reading room above the lobby.
Earlier, coming across a reading room in a
a booKshelf was
resort had taken me by surprise. But as I entered
the welcoming space, I found that it had a distinct
well stocKed
charm. The grandfather almirah that served as a

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

16
90
bookshelf was well stocked with Rowling, Dahl,
Blyton and Tolkien, among others, as well as some
coffee table books on the regions geography
and culture. But how long can you curl up with a
book when you have a restless son at your elbow
and speed boats beckoning from beyond the tall
glass windows?
As soon as the rain had slowed to a trickle, the
front desk arranged a cab for us, and on the way to
the lake we met with heavy showers; the crescen-
do was an all time high for son. For me it was sau-
dade. I had been to the Barapani Lake for a picnic,
years ago, during my college days in Guwahati and
could never have enough of its wide expanse even
while taking numerous trips up and down that
same highway to and from the Barak valley where
my dad was stationed for a while.
july-august 2016
ri kynjai
The taxi dropped us at the entrance of the boat-
ing facility, managed by Meghalaya Tourism, and
thankfully, during the short walk to the counter
(make sure you are equipped with good shoes and
umbrellas), the rain began to abate. Having paid Rs.
400 for a five-minute speed boat ride for two, we
sat out until the drizzle stopped. There were also
jet skis and bigger boats for groups of people. The
lake and the hills wore a refreshed look after the
shower, and we spun around the lake
with the boatman humming a Khasi tune
from the back of the boat. Those five
minutes were heavenly, more so for me
the highlights of
the khem janai spa,
which has state-of-the-art
to see my son grinning from ear to ear.
hydrotherapy equipment, Arriving at the resort once more, we
are traditional khasi mas- headed straight for lunch. I ordered
sages and aqua therapy a mix of their Indian and Continental
Discover inDias northeast
 17

photos: prabanee sarmah

(clockwise
from left):
the resort's architecture
is inspired by the original
khasi thatch huts with the
upturned boat roof form
to withstand the heavy
rain; the boating facility
managed by meghalaya
tourism lies bang op-
posite ri kynjai; the very
traditional chicken do
pura cooked with pow-
dered rice and mustard
leaves; and jagtem, which
is khasi steamed rice
cooked in locally sourced
turmeric
ri kynjai
faremutton rogan josh and a vegetable manchu-
rian with cauliflowersto toast the weather. Later,
we played badminton in the court by the gazebo.
Not even for a moment did I feel disconnected for
not being able to hook on to social media (I was
told that the broadband provider would fix the
anomaly in a weeks time) as I had enough to oc-
cupy myself with. Who needed connectivity when
you felt so connected with nature?
After two nights there, I found myself com-
pletely agreeing with Ri Kynjais taglineSerenity
by the Lake. However, my Austenesque mind also
threw up horse-drawn frenzied characters
emerging from the greens and slopes and dashing
into this hidden property in search of their captive
beaus. Looking for a romantic escapade? Heres
one you should try.
fact file
stay:
there are three room typesthe supreme
rooms come for rs 8,000, the superior rooms
with great views of the Umiam lake cost
rs 9,000 and the hybrid cottages with wooden
steps leading up to a loft comes for rs 12,500
(taxes applicable)
sPa:
of the many therapies offered at Khem Janai
spa, the traditional Khem tynrai massage
costs rs 2,500; Khasi bath comes for rs 1,500
and the relaxing massage is for rs 2,500 (taxes
applicable)
in and around the resort:
take a stroll through pine forests; try your
luck in fishing or kayaking; board games and
badminton; a reading room with books;
Meghalaya tourism runs the boating facility
on Umiam Lake where two-seater speed boats,
group speed boats and jet skies are available
at minimal costs. resort will arrange car
(rs 700). You can visit cherrapunjee, the abode
of clouds and waterfalls (resort car rental
rs 3,500); the car rental from the resort to
shillong (points coveredWards Lake, Lady
hydari Park, golf course, archery centre and
Police Bazar) is rs 2,600. From mid January
to March, the resort also arranges a picnic and
packed lunch and you can dock on the island
and boat house across the property.
transPort:
airport transfer starts from rs 2,400 (one way).
cross check details at www.rikynjai.com;
Ph: +91 98624 20300/98624 20301;
email: bookings@rikynjai.com

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

 Address
18
90

A Brand New
the guwahati addRess

the highlight of the corri-

dor from the entrance
with the leaves and
weaves restaurant on its
leftis the woodwork

photo courtesy: the guwahati Address

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 19

m
y NExt stop was The Guwahati Address,
an eponymous hotel in the heart of the
city which is sometimes known as the
Gateway to the Northeast. After navigating
mid-morning traffic, our car entered the gates of the
mansion-like hotel, which, incidentally, opened only
earlier this year. The one word that comes to mind
once inside this centrally-located boutique hotel
swank. The corridor leading to the reception is done
up in woodwork with an open glass ceiling. Assamese
Bihu dancers stared at me from a painting in the re-
ception area.
Having met with the friendly all-female staff in the
front desk, clad in colourful mekhala chadors or ethnic
two-piece saree-like outfit, I was shown to my room,
which was well appointed to say the least. The suites
come with a sitting room, a bedroom, walk-in dressing
area along the bathroom and a balcony decorated with
stone and wood work. The white and grey bathrooms
are neat and spacious with glass shower cubicles.
They were pretty quick in giving me Wi-Fi access too,
and I was happy to share some pictures online.
Taking the lift to the ground level, the Leaves and
Weaves restaurant is visible from the entry point as
it is separated from the corridor with a glass wall; as
I sat down, I noticed the glass roof again, and how

fact file
stay:
several types of rooms are
available, including Deluxe, ex-
ecutive classic, and suites. the
tariffs begin at rs. 4,800 (with
breakfast) (rates valid till sept
30, 2016); airport car transfer
starts from rs 1,200.
eat:
the Leaves and Weaves serves
delicacies from Gangetic plains. the cosy executive
classic room is well
Details at www.theguwaha- appointed for the
tiaddress.com; Ph: +91 361 modern traveller
2204115/2205115; email: book-
ings@theguwahatiaddress.com

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

20

much light it let in. Betel nut trees bobbed their heads
from above, and they, along with the potted plants on
a verandah separated only by a glass wall made up the
green quotient of this plush city hotel. The menu at
Leaves and Weaves is still under construction. Though
the Northeastern cuisines are yet to be dished out,
the fried Bhekti, the macher paturi (fish in banana
leaf), and the kosha mangsho (mutton curry) from the
Gangetic plains segment more than made up for that
missing link.
I decided to visit the Zoo Tiniali market place
afterwards which is right along the pavement that the
hotel is fronted by. What a relief that a mom and son
could just walk to the nearest chemist shop from the
hotel! The Zoo Narangi area is otherwise a peaceful
residential area and is pretty close to the hotel. Things
to do in the city by staying at the hotel: visit the
Umananda temple on an island on the Brahmaputra
River, or visit the world famous Shakti temple of Maa
Kamakhya. Another experience that is doable is taking
an evening cruise offered by many boating companies
on the Brahmaputra. After the walk, we decided to go
back to our air-conditioned room as it was a muggy
day. For dinner, I decided to try some comfort food,
and they send in to our room a yellow dal and mashed
potatoes cooked in perfect home style. If a high-end
property kitchen can plate out comfort food, you
know you are in good hands. For, whats in just luxury
if your travel tummy cannot find simple food? The
next time you are in this riverside city, check into this
address; its cosy, accessible and intimate.

breakfast at leaves and

weaves restaurant

A view of vivanta by taj at

courtesy: vivanta by taj

night. the dome-shaped

porch design is inspired
by the kamakhya temple
architecture

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 21

Leisure
For Business &
vivanta by taj

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

22
E
ArLy mOrNING, we said adieu to The Gu-
wahati Address as our car from Vivanta by
Taj left its gates. As we drove to the hotel in
the fringes of the city, my son started yaking
with the chauffer, asking him why the car did not
have a number plate, something that I had not no-
ticed. He had to reply that it was a brand new car. I
took note of its interiors stocked with drinking wa-
ter bottles and that mornings newspapers; letting
the city pass by, I pored over the days headlines,
and in no time we reached our hotel.
The grand new building of the hotel towers over
an open space carpeted by lawns. As we entered
the gates, I did not miss the replica of the up-
turned boat design of the Rang Gharthe Ahom
kings sports pavilion at Sibsagar in Assamand the
Kamakhya temple-like dome sheltering the porch.
After a quick security screening, a reception team
in smart western formals greeted us with thek-
era (a refreshing local juice) in bamboo glasses, a
july-august 2016
gamocha (an intricately woven piece of cloth that is
usually given as a mark of respect), rose petals and
traditional tikas.
The typical Assamese basket weave design
was distinctly visible in the hotels interiors and
grounds. The lawns to the swimming pool have
floor lights designed like the traditional dunori or
a perforated bell metal container commonly used
in auspicious occasions like weddings. The piece
de resistance, however, was the wall adorned with
temple bells. Replicas of bell metal diya stands and
cane chairs interspersed with leather
armchairs in the lobby gave a regional
flavour.
My room (Superior Charm) on the
the superior
charm room has
a glass wall separating the
second level had a view of the sur-
bath area; (facing page): a rounding hills, as well as the swim-
view of the swimming pool ming pool, lined with a mix of palm
from the room and betel nut trees. The rooms switch
courtesy: vivanta by taj
Discover inDias northeast

panel (with preset lighting ambience options)
and an ironing board in the wardrobe caught my
fancy. I even used the board when my cousin and
her husband came to meet me in the evening. I
desperately needed to iron my silk salwar suit that
arrived crumpled in my suitcasethat iron and
board came handy; a home away from home.
IF thE hOtELS rooms are designed to pay attention
to the luxury of its in-house guests, the banquet
halls and lawns cater equally well to its business
clientele. Over 24,000 sq ft of area has been dedi-
cated to banquets and conferences on the ground
level, with a separate entry. Top notch business
centres are available 24X7, while a boardroom, well
appointed with an LCD screen, laptop connectivity,
whiteboards, integrated digital audio systems, is
ideal for video conferences.
Heading to the breakfast buffet in Seventhe
Discover inDias northeast
23
restaurant named after the seven Northeastern
statesI requested the junior sous chef Ashish
Choudhury, to treat me to something fantastic.
The eggs Benedict with hash brown, the jolpan
(an Assamese platter of puffed rice, poha, jaggery,
yogurt and cream) served in traditional style and as
parfait (chilled inside a glass tumbler), impressed
me. For the kids, there was an array of pancakes,
Brussels waffles done in Vivanta pink, pastries
fresh from the oven, doughnuts and croissants
to kick-start a very happy day. Besides the Indian
spread of puri bhaji, paratha, regional amla and
olive pickles, an artistically laid out Lebanese plat-
terby chef Mukhtar Aliof bread sticks, olives,
hummus and hung curd was pleasing not just to
the eye but to the tongue as well.
But thats not all that the chefs cooked up. Every
Sunday, Vivanta puts up a theme based brunch
and on that Sunday, the flavour was mango. I was
prabanee sarmah
july-august 2016
24

taken on a mango-mash up gastronomical journey

at Seven. The buffet laid out by both Umamithe
Chinese cum Japanese restaurantand Seven of- fact file
fered Five Spiced Duck Confit with coconut and stay:
mango, mango pasta, sushi, sea food counters, the charges for the superior charm rooms
and a barbecue as well. Outside, a piglet was being start at rs. 12,000; Deluxe Delight starts from
roasted, wrapped in banana leaves, just like in a rs. 14,000; the Premium indulgence starts
from rs. 16,000, Deluxe allure suite starts
traditional kitchen in the Northeast. I decided to from rs 40,000 and the Premier temptation
try out two of their regular regional dishes, patot suite starts from rs. 60,000. the charges are
diya haanh aru koldil (duck cooked with banana inclusive of a buffet breakfast, and includes the
flower wrapped in a banana leaf) and chicken use of the swimming pool and gymnasium
khorika (barbecued chicken). Once the duck ar- eat & drink:
rived, I unwrapped the green potli seven: the multi cuisine and regional special-
(bag), and the succulent meat could ity restaurant derives its name from the seven
sisters that are the northeastern states.
well be that crowning glory of the
umami: serves chinese with shades of
five-star property. I would recom-
mend that you also try mati dailor
the dome ceiling at
seven, the multi cuisine
and regional speciality
Japanese cuisine, featuring a wide variety of
Dimsums, sushi, and Peking duck.
logot khar, the popular alkaline dish restaurant, is inspired by octave: the bar is the eighth brother of the
of Assam, and the utterly unassuming temple architecture of
Assam and the centrepiece
northeast states; try out their vodka with Bhut
potato platter of bor and pitika ( fried symbolises the unique bell Jolokia, the drink with a hot regional flavour.
and mashed potatoes) or the spicy metal wares of the state
sPa:
jivaniya: rs. 5,500 (120 minutes)
truPti: rs 5,400 (120 Minutes)
transPort:
airport transfer charges begin at rs. 1,500
(one way).
Details at www.vivantabytaj.com
Ph: +91 361 710 6710;
email: vivanta.guwahati@tajhotels.com

courtesy: vivanta by taj

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


stir fried vegetable dish called sipa from Arunachal
Pradesh. Sana thongba, (paneer cooked with milk
and green peas) from Manipur is fantastic as well.
The dessert counter was almost sinfully laden with
mango pastries, cup cakes, mousse, cheese cake,
doughnuts etc. I settled for a mango cheese cake,
and found myself soon going for another one. On
Sunday, brunch at Vivanta is a party with singers
belting out popular English numbers.
my AFtErNOON plan was to laze it out in the Jiva
Spa and to make our readers aware of its luxuri-
ous body wraps. After securing son with Daiyu
in the swimming pool, I reached the spa and was
entrusted to Dolmas hands. After washing my feet
in a ginger, aswagandha, and an oil-based solution,
she welcomed me with folded hands and an
Atithi Devo prayer. The small gesture touched me
deeply, as if my soul had been revered by a fellow
being. She then administered the very luxurious
Jivaniya, their signature therapy, which involves
photos: prabanee sarmah
Discover inDias northeast
25
120 minutes of massage, scrub and wrap. After the
oil massage, the high wattage pepper, sandal-
wood, rice powder and nutmeg scrub and wrap
recharged me completely. Coming out of the spa,
invigorate had taken on an entirely new meaning
in my lexicon.
By evening, the lobby and the restaurants in the
ground floor were bustling with visitors for dinner.
Seven and Umami have indeed warmed up to the
citys gastronomic side. Another hotspot is the
Octave bar, octa meaning the eighth brother of
the seven Northeastern states. As I
availed of a quiet room service dinner
of pizza and vegetable soup after
meeting my cousinwhose little girls
(clockwise from left):
The breakfast buffet
at seven has an assorted
would not leave the place until they
range of baked goodies;
had something at SevenI was glad
the dessert counter on the hotel chain had spread its luxuri-
sunday brunch; jolpan on a ous wings in the Northeast, and for
plate; the lebanese platter;
a piglet being roasted in raising the bar for other entrants in
traditional style this sector.
july-august 2016
26

Wild
Lounging in the
diphlu RiveR lodge

A sit-out arrangement by
the river at diphlu river
lodge in kaziranga

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 27

t
hE NExt morning, after breakfast we
checked out of Vivanta By Taj and took
a booked cab to Diphlu River Lodge. The
high-end lodge made headlines when the
royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton,
stayed here on their visit to the Kaziranga National
Park earlier this year. Chatting with the cab driver
arranged by Jungle Travels, I learned that he re-
cently drove a journo from an international travel
magazine to Tawang, a hilly town in Arunachal
Pradesh. These days, increased media cover-
age about the tourism potential in the region has
helped open up this sector.
As my son slept, I found the curvy NH 37 giving
way to a straight, four-lane, well-kept highway. As
I neared the national park area, it changed once
again, into a single lane. As we travelled, I got a
call from Ranesh, who wanted to know about my
dietary restrictions. After four hours of travelling
we reached the lodge. There is no signage on the
highway to announce its presence though. Ranesh
was waiting with a posse of olive-t-shirt clad men
at the thatched roof reception hut. One of them
handed us wet towels and aam panna (roasted raw
mango drinks), which was very refreshing after the
long drive.
Soon, I found myself walking towards the lodge
through a zopona or bamboo gate, and take a
banhor dolong or bamboo bridge over a pukhuri
or pond to reach my cottage built on stilts. The
tourist lodge, done up in ecologically sustain-
able components, was instantly appealing. I found
myself quickly falling in love with the place. More
surprises awaited: a luscious green paddy field
cropped up, ringed with a zeura or bamboo fence. I
was told during winter, mustard crop replaced the
paddy. The crops get water from the pond and the
yield is used by the lodge. The 12 air-conditioned
thatched roof cottages on stilts blend into their
natural surroundings. The cottage I was booked
into was a river facing one with air-conditioned in-
teriors and a separate bath area with an outdoorsy
rain shower. The verandah had lounge chairs over-
looking the Diphlu River. The lodge is cut off from
the Kaziranga National Park by the river.
At the Machanthe dining area raised on stilts
courtesy: diphlu river lodge

with two levels comprising lounge areas and an

open verandahthe lunch was laid out on the
sheltered verandah. The cold cucumber soup just
suited the sultry day and the simple Assamese fare
of locally-sourced vegetables like dhekia (a leafy
vegetable), bhaat kerela (a type of small gourd),
chicken and butor dail (yellow lentils) hit the right
spotin my heart and belly. (The royal couple, I

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

28
was told, tried out Assamese dishes but with less
spices). The picture ahead was idyllic, complete
with a boatman on a bamboo raft on the river. The
branches of a rain tree spread onto the open ter-
race on the left giving it the treetop machan feel.
Throughout the meal, the fisherman was visible
in various postures looking for a good catch with
his fishing net. After coffee mousse for dessert,
Ranesh came up and chat about the history of
the lodge. The owners father started it in the 70s.
The lodge was renovated in 2008the thatch and
bamboo structures are inspired by houses of the
Mishing communityfor travellers wanting to have
a bit of luxury while taking safaris in the park or
making a break journey from other states of the
Northeast, like Nagaland and Manipur. I was told a
group of international tourists were arriving from
Meghalaya that evening. I stayed in the lodge in
july-august 2016
the last week of May and Ranesh said I was lucky
that the showers didnt come crashing down just
like two days prior to my arrival. I reminded him
that that was exactly the reason why I came: to
tell our readers about the rain and its mischief.
The lodge is open all throughout the year, May to
October being the lean period. In case you come
here in the month of May, carry some rain-ready
footwear and you are good to go. Even lounging on
your cottage verandah and watching the pouring
rain or exchanging notes with fellow travellers in
the Machan could be a wholesome
experience.
(below) : the
machan has a
comfortable sitting area with
SINcE It was the rainy season, Ka-
ziranga National Park was off limits,
a well-stocked bar; (facing
page): the view from a river- and I was advised to book the jeep
facing cottage safari and check out the Orchid Park
diphlu river lodge
Discover inDias northeast

and try my luck at spotting animals (especially
the one-horned rhinoceros) at the periphery of
the national park. We did just that, and a natural-
ist from the lodge accompanied us. We reached
the Orchid Park in just about 20 minutes and paid
an entrance fee of Rs 120 for an adult and child.
Growing up in Upper Assam, I am no stranger to
Kopou phul or orchids. They grow in every house.
But the park had some 500 species collected from
other states of the Northeast, especially Sikkim
and Arunachal Pradesh. You can also watch dances
of various ethnic groups from Assam here or take
a boat ride on the lake below. We decided to give
the boat ride a miss and came back to the entrance
of the Kaziranga National Park where we spotted
a sambhar deer, a rhino, a hog deer, a herd of wild
elephants and some cormorants and egrets from
the watch tower near the gate. The open air jeep
diphlu river lodge
Discover inDias northeast
29
drive is something that you must do; just to feel
one with nature. Pallav, the naturalist, pointed out
weaver bird nests and pepper plants clinging on to
lush trees on our way back.
As dusk set in, I noticed that the lodge had an
unruffled old world charm to it, with even the
lights kept low so as to not disturb the natural in-
habitants of the forested area. All along the zeura,
a row of dimly-lit bulb lanterns guided me to the
cottages. Some were also put up in the many trees
inside the property giving it a fairyland feel. Son
was awed by the stillness and the sounds of the
frogs and crickets. The no-telly air-conditioned
cottage though had adequate lamps and brass
torch lights placed on the bedside tables, remind-
ing me of my childhood years. Lying on the bed, I
noticed the bamboo logs and mats up the ceiling
of the cottage and wall hangings of shawls, hand
july-august 2016
30
prabanee sarmah
woven by local artisans, on its walls. Much rested,
I decided to have an early dinner as we had to
wake up at 5 in the morning to catch a ride on an
elephants back for a short safari in the periphery
of Kaziranga. Diphlu has a buffet menu done up to
meet the dietary habits of its guests; that explained
the call before my arrival here.
At the Machan, I came across the foreign tour-
ists who had arrived that evening, having beer at
the bar outside the dining area. Relaxing on the
lounge chairs, the stillness of the jungle atmos-
phere sank in, and I could imagine how inviting
that spot could be in the peak season after a long
arduous day of safari inside the park.
Dinner was served in the air-conditioned dining
hall. The menu put up on the counter read: bhindi
masala, tandoori murg masala, fried aubergine,
tomato soup and lemon souffl. The souffl evoked
memories of the very first one I had as a child in a
july-august 2016
tea garden bungalow in Assam where my uncle was
a manager.
Next morning we drove to the periphery of the
national park for the elephant safari. Our first ride
on Chamelis back was scary but was a thrill once
we got a hang of her wobbly gait. At a distance in
the grassland we saw herds of sambhar deer, a
lone rhino and a couple of wild elephants. A pair of
binoculars is a must to watch them
up close.
(clockwise from
top): ethnic danc- bAcK At thE cottage, post an English
ers at the orchid park; a breakfast, we settled down on the
bamboo walkway in diphlu
river lodge; the elephant
verandah and were chilling out with
ride on the periphery of the soft drinks from the mini fridge in
kaziranga national park; the room, when a mongoose made an
lunch on the verandah of
the machan; (facing page): appearance from the undergrowth
the mishing style accom- below. Son was excited to see it
modation at the lodge scurrying in and out of the bushes. I
Discover inDias northeast

diphlu river lodge
was told there were five of them in the property.
All kinds of birdsong filled the air; I sat up and
took note of one bird that I missed in the citythe
household sparrow.
With minimal intervention in the original eco
system, Diphlu River Lodge is a beautiful represen-
tation of Assams rich natural bounty. In fact, you
need not even step out of the lodge to get a feel of
the wild side of Assam.
There was nothing called boredom out there
and before we realised it was lunchtime. Chef Gau-
tam prepared an European buffet line up of cream
of tomato soup, pasta with basil sauce, cheese and
tomato pizza, sauted long beans, glazed squash,
roast duck and a chilled banana dessert.
An hour after lunch we checked out and once
on the highway to Jorhat town flanked by rolling
tea gardens, I wished I had stayed at least two
nights in this lodge with sustainable values.
Discover inDias northeast
31
fact file
may-oct (off-season)
air-conditioned cottages on stilts are available at
rs. 8,591, which includes breakfast. Lunch and dinner
are available as well, at rs. 950 each. visitors can go
for elephant safaris in the periphery of Kaziranga na-
tional Park during this season; the charges are rs. 800
for indian nationals and rs. 1,200 for foreign nationals.
other charges apply; rs. 1,000 for a jeep safari to and
from elephant point, and rs. 3,000 for a jeep safari
outside the park.
there is also a village near the lodge that can be vis-
ited; jeep rental to and from the village is priced at rs.
1,000. other available activities include a walk through
the rubber plantation and along the river bank as well.
visitors can also choose to explore the nearby tea gar-
dens and factory; prices are rs. 300 per person. Guides
are also available, at a cost of rs. 500. (Kaziranga
national Park remains closed during this season)
november to aPril end (Peak season)
During this season Diphlu river Lodge offers accom-
modation on Jungle Plan only, which includes 2 safaris
per day with all meals, taxes and other activities
included. the Jungle Plan tariff is rs. 4,500-10,000 for
indian nationals and rs 8,000-18,000 for foreign na-
tionals (rates are on single and twin share basis) with a
supplement charge for river facing cottages. they also
offer a dolphin boat safari or a Brahmaputra day cruise
in lieu of a day of jungle activities in the above plan.
cross check details at www.diphluriverlodge.com;
Ph: 0361 2667871/72/73; email: info@jungletravels.in
july-august 2016
32

2 triPura
text And photogrAphS by Bhaskar Datta

the awesome sCulptures of unakotI

and the mystery of 99,99,999

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


i
had heard of Unakoti and its bas-relief sculp-
tures before; but for one reason or the other
had put off the visit for a long time. Some time
ago, however, I believed that it was time to
check out this destination, which is within easy
reach from Agartala, where I was stationed.
So one fine morning, along with some friends,
I took the road to Unakoti. The drive was pleasur-
able as there was so much to appreciate on the
waylush forests and rolling hills, winding roads
with small tribal villages on the hillocks on either
side, innocent school children and indigenous
people selling fruits and vegetables along the
highway. Even though Unakoti is just 178 km from
Agartala, it took us almost five hours to reach our
destination. However, after arriving at Unakoti and
Discover inDias northeast
33
witnessing its sheer grandeur and artistry, all our
exhaustion vanished. (A tip: one should carry light
food and water before entering the main site.)
Concealed in a cavernous alcove in the northern
hills of the erstwhile Twipra monarchy, this is a
stunning place filled with stone engravings of gods
and goddesses. The archaeological sites beauty
is amplified by a spring that flows nearby, form-
ing a water body that locals call
Sitakund. The name Unakoti was
the bas-
reliefs of una-
koti depict a multitude
derived from the number of rock
carvings found here, which means
of hindu deities. to date, one less than a crore.
no answers have been
found as to why the carv-
As we marvelled at the mastery
ings were made in this of the long-gone sculptors of this
secluded spot art, the mythology and the history
july-august 2016
34
90
of the place also intrigued us. Unrecorded in histo-
ry, a mystery surrounds Unakoti and that definitely
enthralled a sightseer like meto date, no answers
have been found as to why the carvings were
made in this secluded spot. Archaeological studies
have marked the area as a Shaivite pilgrimage spot
dating back to the 8th or 9th century. To add to the
mystery, Tripura is a state of clay hillocks; stones
are rarely found here, and therefore the presence
of the massive rocks is another mystery. Yet, on
witnessing these timeless works of art, an onlooker
cannot help but pay reverence to the sculptors
of yesteryears.
Situated about eight kilometres from the north
district headquarters Kailashahar, Unakoti was un-
approachable only a few decades ago. One had to
walk all the way through jungles and hills. The situ-
ation, however, changed after road connectivity.
The reliefs of Unakoti depict a multitude of
july-august 2016
Hindu deities. At the main peak there are idols
of Uma-Maheshwar, a five-faced Shiva, Vishnu,
Ganesha, Hanuman and Ravana. Among the carved
images on the rocky fringes, those of Ganesha
and Shiva deserve special mention. This image
of Shiva as Lord of Unakoti (Unakotiswar) is also
famous as Kal-Bhairava. An image of the Goddess
Durga is also carved into the side of the hill. The
four-faced idol of Unakoti is well known, though
the fourth face was damaged long ago.
Some also opine that this holy place
was the Shaiva-Tirtha of the Pal-era.
Among the
carved im- Others believe that these might have
ages on the rocky fringes, been carved even before that epoch.
those of ganesha (facing
page) and shiva (above)
There are scholars who think that the
deserve special mention. idols were sculpted by master sculptors
this image of shiva as elsewhere and were brought to Unakoti
lord of unakoti (una-
kotiswar) is also famous with great care.
as kal-bhairava There is no breakthrough research
Discover inDias northeast

work on Unakoti, but all come to the same conclu-
sion that the idols were not completed in just one
particular time span, but worked out in different
periods of time, which explains the influence of
different religious sects. While some researchers
say it is a Shaivite site, others have traced it as a
Buddhist meditation centre. Hence, Unakoti is also
seen as a symbol of religious amity.
The statuettes of Unakoti have some fascinating
lores associated with them. Two of them stand out:
LEgEND 1: According to a Hindu mythology, Lord
Shiva and his entourage were on their way to his
heavenly abode, Kailash, when they decided to halt
for the night at Kailashahar8 km from Unakoti.
Shiva informed his fellow travellers that they would
be leaving before daybreak. But after a night of
revelry, none except Shiva was up on time for the
onward journey. In a fit of anger, Shiva cursed the
Discover inDias northeast
35
fact file
main fair : ashokastami Fair is
held at Unakoti tirtha at Kailas-
hahar, every year in the month of
March/april.
location : Unakoti is 8 km from
Kailashahar, district headquarters
of north tripura district. and 178
km from agartala.
accommodation : Unakoti tour-
ist Lodge (Kailashahar), Juri tourist
Lodge and Uttarmegh tourist
Lodge (Dharmanagar).
what: bas-relief is a kind of carv-
ing in which the figures are raised a
few inches from a flat background
to give a three-dimensional effect.
july-august 2016
36
90
the others to become stone images. And thats how
the hills of Unakoti got the bas-relief images.
LEgEND 2: According to a local legend, Shiva
and Parvati along with their entourage were on
their way to Kailash when they took a break in the
region. Kalu Kamar, a sculpture and a devotee of
Parvati, was asked to join them, but Shiva was not
happy with it. To placate a reluctant Shiva, Parvati
gave the sculptor the task of carving 1,00,00,000
images of Shiva and his entourage overnight. Kalu
fell one short of a crore, and that gave Shiva the
excuse to leave the sculptor behind.
Yet another version has it that Kalu Kamar was
given the task of carving the deities, in a dream.
When it was one short of a crore, Kalu decided to
carve out his own image. And thus the task of mak-
ing one crore sculptures of the deities remained
incomplete.
Unakoti has withstood earthquakes and natural
calamities, and it has retained its charm both as a
religious site and art lovers hub. It gets a number
of domestic and international tourists every year,
by train:
0 Kumarghat
km From Agartala
146
by bus:
km
Path
Finder From Agartala
170
km
july-august 2016
(left to right)
a notice board
explains the highlights of
and during Ashokastami and Makar
Sankranti people throng to the big fairs
the images of unakoti; put up here. The Sitakund is also a big
tourist taking a breath- attraction for devotees who come here
erentry to the site is
free, but you need to be
for a holy dip.
physically fit to climb the So mystified were we amongst the
steps and walk around rock edifices that it took us almost
the vast area
three hours to walk around the entire
place. We also saw a few yogis meditat-
ing on some rocks near the waterfall.
There are no entry tickets to the site, but you need
to be fit to climb up and down the steps. The best
time to visit Unakoti is in the afternoon when the
suns rays fall straight on the rock carvings and
cast an incredible spell. The forests, the spring,
chirping of birds, the stone carvings, the scattered
idols and the myth surrounding Unakoti will always
hold a special place in my heart. After spending the
entire afternoon at the site, we went to Kailasha-
har and stayed overnight at the Unakoti Tourist
Lodge and returned to Agartala the next morning.
The visit to this unique place of art, culture, nature
and history will be cherished forever.
24
km
8 km uNAKOTI
Kailashahar
Discover inDias northeast
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38

A peacock adds its colours

to the lush green canvas

photo: sanjib gohain boruah

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 ofmanas
39

3 assam

For t
he Love
by pralay lahiry

mAnAS nAtionAl pArK looKS whAt

thiS eArth wAS SuppoSed to looK
liKebeAutiful And lively

t
hE JuVENILE elephant that I was watching was a
wild creature. I was convinced about it by the way
it grazed next to the forest camp. Most obviously, it
did not have shackles around its ankles, the telltale
mark of captive elephants. My companions, Vinit
and Anirudhh were from central India, and were not
familiar with elephants. Sougata, however, was dead
sure that it belonged to the forest department and was tame. To
prove his point, he made a strange chuck chucking sound at the
elephant probably expecting it to reply with a friendly wave of its
trunk. Instead, there was an ear-splitting triaaaaaaaank, and the
next moment the hulk was thundering down the road towards us.
The driver put the engine of the Gypsy in reverse and we put
a decent distance between us and the pachyderm. Having been
foiled in its efforts to get a closer look at us, the young fellow
glared at us from where it was standing in the middle of the road,
and then reluctantly left the path and slowly, very slowly, strolled
towards a grassy patch inside the forest.
This gave us the chance and our driver revved up the engine
and sped down the road, past the point where the charge had
taken place. We had made our escape, and were merrily driv-
ing on when a gust of wind caught Vinits beloved jungle cap and
tossed it off his head onto the road. A stalemate ensued. Vinit,
being exceedingly fond of his cap, which had stayed with him for
years even through his travels though tiger terrain, refused to
budge without getting it back. On the other hands, our nemesis
the pachyderm was still inside the grassy patch, though that was
now some distance away by now.
Finally, Vinit got off the Gypsy, and followed by the guard,

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

40
capped langur
sanjib gohain boruah
walked down the road and picked up his cap. Then,
he directed a withering look at the elephant in the
distance and walked back to us proudly, holding his
capped head high. (Such was the severity of his look
that the elephant itself departed; or maybe he had
other urgent matters to attend to.)
A little distance down the same road, we saw two
men with gunny bags full of groceries and stores. They
were forest guards, and were entirely unarmed. (One
was carrying a hefty pumpkin, but as a matter of pro-
tection from charging elephants, it hardly counted.)
What will they do if the elephant decides to
charge when they are walking on the road? Vinit
asked the guard. Saab if they meet the elephant on
the road they will not need to do anything.... whatever
july-august 2016
needs to be done will be done by the elephant, replied
the guard laconically.
We drove back pondering in silence. These guards
are unsung, but their valour is probably no less than
the bravest of the brave our country has produced.
Vinit, Sougata, Anirudh and I had landed up in
Manas National Park in Assam one fine November
evening after an epic journey in Vinits Bolero. Vinit
and Anirudh had driven from Nagpur, and Sougata and
I had joined them at Gorumara National Park in North
Bengal. From there we drove to Dibru Saikhowa, Ka-
ziranga and Pobitoraall in Assambefore landing up
at Manas.
When we had arrived, Vinit had parked his Bolero
and we had then refreshed ourselves with a bath
Discover inDias northeast
 manas river
Flowing down the Bhutan hills from the north, the Manas river, which has been
named after serpent goddess Manasa, runs through the 500 sq. km core area of the 41
Manas national Park. it is the largest himalayan tributary of the Brahmaputra

villagers have protected

a troop of golden lan-
gurs near the manas
national park and they
are a rare sight to behold

pralay lahiry

before a hot dinner of chicken curry and chapattis

followed by some delectable kheer for dessert. As we
lazed around in the resort we saw some small shad-
When We enTered
ows near the gate. A herd of hog-deer were grazing in
the half light thrown by the moon and stars.
The foresT Through
When we entered the forest early the next morn-
ing, through the central Bansbari Gate, it was like
The cenTral bans-
entering Jurassic Park. This is probably the most
picturesque of all the forests I have been fortunate baRi gate, it was
enough to visit, and it is a journey that will remain
etched in the memory of any nature lover. liKe enteRing the
That day, we drove through a mixed deciduous for-
est, and onto vast grasslands. The Eastern Himalayas juRRasic paRK
of Bhutan towered over us. Elephants dotted the land-
scape at a distance. From there, the journey took us to

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

 manas timeline
manas was originally a game reserve since 1928 and became a tiger reserve in
42 1974, a World heritage site in 1985, a Biosphere reserve in 1989. it was declared a
national Park in 1990

sanjib gohain boruah

Mathanguri Forest Rest Bungalow, a very picturesque the golden langurs for which Manas is famous had all
forest rest house, though basic as far as facilities emigrated towards the Bhutan side, leaving only their
are concerned. The Manas River bifurcates near the cousins, the capped langurs on the Indian side.
bungalow, which itself sits atop an incline after which On the next leg of the journey, we were passing
the Himalayas properly begin. The Bhutan border post some amazing forest with trees so large that I had
is just a short distance from the bungalow too, and we never seen their kind except in movies. It would have
had the pleasure of walking in a foreign country with taken at least ten men to encircle
the highest GNH (Gross National Happiness) in the them at the base. Amidst those
world. We could not have been happier. The sky was
azure blue. The Himalayas of Bhutan rose in waves. (clockwise from top): A
mother rhino and her
calfmanas is home to about 30
tall trees were a patch of trees
relatively shorter, and a troop
The Manas River flowed in all her blue glory rip- one-horned rhinos; the forest in of capped langurs were basking
pling over the glazed rocks. The Royal Manas National full bloom. (facing page: clockwise in the sun. As we pointed our
from top) jeep safaris are the best
Park of Bhutan gleamed across the river, basking in option for animal sightings inside lenses upwards towards them,
the autumn sunshine. However, the sad part was that the park; a hog deer and orchids one turned around disdainfully

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


in boruah
sanjib goha
and peed on us, missing us by a whisker. (Later I found
that my lens had managed to catch the action.)
thAt EVENING we were driving back through a dark
and damp forest, which resembled a rainforest. The
forest floor was dank and the tree trunks were cov-
ered thickly with moss. Wild buffaloes looked at us
curiously as they wallowed in the swampy ground; and
then the tyre went flat.
By the time the tyre was replaced it was dark and
some leeches had found their way inside our socks.
(We just offloaded them with a pinch of salt. Thats
the way out here to get rid of the blood suckers!) In
the distance, owls hooted from the tree tops. The
Discover inDias northeast
43
sky, from a fiery orange, changed to dark green be-
fore turning black, and the stars twinkled above the
canopy. Fireflies made their way around the bushes in
a frenzied dance. Night had descended on Manas.
The icing on the cake took place on our way back
from Manas. We were travelling towards Alipurduar,
from where Sougata and I were to catch our train back
to Kolkata, while Vinit and Anirudh would be driving
on their way to Nagpur. We were having tea in a shop
outside the forest where we started chatting with an
old gentleman who knew Manas well. We were sad-
dened that we did not find the golden langurs and told
him so.
They are there, but not in the forest. There is a
july-august 2016
44

A juvenile elephant on a
jungle track; (facing page)
the park offers the option
of rafting on the manas
River that flows by

pralay lahiry

small village, a long way down, where the villagers

have protected a troop of them around their village.
soon someThing
You can go and see if they are still around, said the
old man and gave us the directions.
brighT and golden
Following his directions, we landed at the village
hoping against hope to have a glimpse of the elusive peeped aT us from
langurs. The villagers received us quite enthusiasti-
cally and soon we were threading our way through the bamboo thicKet.
a dense bamboo grove, squinting at the canopy of
bamboo fronds above us. Soon something bright and we had ouR fiRst
sighting of the
golden peeped at us from the thicket. We had our first
sighting of the golden langur.

golden languR
Mad with joy, we tried to get a better look when the
whole troop started moving across the bamboo grove;

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 45

how to reach
nearest railhead:
Barpeta road station (32 km) on
the railway line to Guwahati.
nearest airPort: Guwahati
(176 km)

accommodation and safaris:

www.mywildindia.com
best time: november to april.

Manas National Park is

open all throughout the
year, but rain makes most
roads inaccessible during
monsoon

pralay lahiry

we followed at a mad pace. They reached a treeline
and there they rested.
About 15 of them spread out across the tree tops,
simply lazing there. The sun set their golden furs
on fire. Mothers caressed their babies. Males lazily
plucked some ripe figs and like monarchs, crossed
their legs across the branches and chewed with
utmost concentration. The village dozed nearby.
Cattle grazed placidly in a field. Our SD cards filled
rapidly with images while our hearts filled with joy. I
marvelled at the conservation awareness among the
villagers who had saved one of the most exquisite spe-
cies in the world from becoming extinct in India.
Manas might not have high profile leaders from
across the world coming to visit. It does not have
proper facilities for tourism like some of the major
tiger reserves and national parks. The number of for-
est staff is inadequate to keep vigil across the forest,
but still they carry out their jobs with dedication; or
at least most of them do. Pygmy hog, Bengal florican,
hispid harethese are among the animals that have
made Manas their home.
Manas does not have Gypsies lining its entrance
with hordes of tourists. Manas only has pristine
beauty, many places untouched and unspoilt by hu-
mans. Manas looks what this earth was supposed to
look like and probably did at a time long forgotten in
our modern world.

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

46

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Charanjiv Kalha is a serious traveller
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looking at the milky way in some remote
place, he helps run business intelligence
projects for a major corporate house
RAinDRops fAlling on My heAD
some terms sorted out before you venture into a shop;
basically, to understand the activity its meant for.
there is waterproof versus water resistant and then
breathable or not; a step beyond these are the 3-in-1
jackets that combine a rain jacket with a fleece one.
needless to say, the rainwear to go for is waterproof
and breathable. there is variety even in that, and
you should pick the one that fits your needs. Lets go
through some terms and understand them to help you
make your final choice.
Gear is waterproof when its water resistance can

I
LOVE getting wet in the rain! and with the rain
finally here in Delhi, it was great to indulge a bit. On
the other hand, getting wet while out on a trek is
something that i would like to avoid at all costs. there
are few feelings as uncomfortable as being wet and
cold while out on a long walk.
When i began my trekking journeys, i remember
carrying heavy raincoats if we were expecting heavy
rain. though they were effective, the weight, and
the fact that they were not breathable used to make
them quite uncomfortable. the Gore-tex revolution
changed all of that; now, waterproof and breathable
gear is commonly available. if you are looking for
something to buy for this season, you will need to get
keep out driving rain. though brands disagree on test
standards, you can trust that any gear that a major
brand designates as waterproof can stand up to a its
raining cats and dogs situation. though there isnt
a standard measure of what is waterproof or not, its
important to know that all materials will leak at some
pressure. What you want is something that will resist

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 57
47

burN WOOd price: under $300

Designed with a double wall, the solo stove titan is a natural convection
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stove channel air to the bottom of the fire while at the same time, also di- FAmILy tENt
recting warm air up between the walls of the stove. this burst of preheated The Pacific Crest 4-Person
oxygen feeding back into the firebox through the smaller holes at the top of tent from high Peak provides
the stove causes a secondary combustion. This allows the fire to burn more the perfect combination of
completely, which is why there is very little smoke during full burn. a more light weight and durable. it is
efficient burn also means youll use much less wood compared to an open designed to be stable in strong
camp fire. winds and to support a light
snow load. the huge rain cover
price: $90 provides a large vestibule to
keep your gear dry/protected,
and if necessary, a dry place to
hANdS-FrEE fastening clips for both your hands to prepare your meal. speed clips
cOVEr remain completely free. ideal for walkers allow the tent to be set up in
this Birdiepal trekking umbrella from eu- who dont want to go without trekking all weather conditions in under
roschirM can be easily attached to the poles in rain. it is also the perfect um-
three minutes. the sleeping
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every kind of backpack. (euroschirM 4.25 interior height, supported
also features a carrier-belt-system polyester fabric, it has also been treated
with teflon for high water repellence. by fiberglass poles. The carry
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inclinations, and features two adjustable regular umbrella. or 4-person sizes.
price: Price on request

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the pressure of, say, wind-driven rain (2Psi, pounds/
sq inch) or hurricane-force rain (10Psi). Unless you are
going to face the water cannons of our fire department,
anything with 3Psi and above should be more than
enough for a trek in the northeast. anything less than
that can be water resistant, thus okay for light rain, but
i wouldnt recommend it for a trek as we all know rains
and the northeast hills have a close relationship.
The waterproofing and breathabil-
ity is achieved by a component that is either
laminated or coated on the inner side of the
material. Lamination is akin to pasting two
pages together and coating is like spraying
paint onto the page. Both do the trick but the
lamination performs better in all categories
of waterproofing, breathability and durability,
and thus is costlier too. as these laminated
sections or coatings are delicate, they are usu-
ally protected on the inner side by another layer. thus
at a minimum, the material is made up of two layers
sandwiching the coating.
even more durable rainwear has three layers. apart
from the inner protection, all raingear
also has a durable water repellant
treatment done on the outside.
if you ever see raindrops
rolling off the top of your
jacket, its the DWr doing
its work. Understanding
the DWr is important as
this component needs
maintenance and wears
off with abrasion, grime
and, to a lesser degree,
laundering. to remain
optimally effective, DWrs
must be regularly cleaned and periodically renewed
using spray-on or wash-in products.
Besides the technology of lamination and DWr,
there are other features that go into the construction
of your gear: the seam taping, zippers with coating
and flaps, the hood design, which should have brims
and adjustments on the sides and in the back in order
to fine-tune the size of the opening, pit (or underarm)
vents, pockets, and finally, packability: the use of one of
the pockets as a storage pouch.
on what you should buy: the answer, as always,
depends on where you are headed and how much rain
you are likely to face. in my experience, a breathable
waterproof and windproof jacket from the middle of
the range with 2.5 or 3 layers is good for a high altitude
trek, for milder climates and for cost and weight
options you can go for a 2 layers jacket. Whatever you
choose, ensure you stay dry and safe.

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

48
56
90

manipur 4
text And photogrAphS by ronel seram

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 49

a festIval, whICh began durIng

the reIgn of kIng Irengba In
984 ad, to brIng peaCe and
prosperIty to the CommunIty

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

50
90

h
oly sePtember! A time of the year

the climax of the celebration
is the boat race in the moat of when the paddies are green and are
bijoy govinda temple, where
participants come dressed in
in full blossom, hinting a promising
traditional costumes harvest. The seasons fruits surren-
der their bitterness, growing wild on
hillocks, ready to be savoured. Peas-
ants see the signs and take a break to
celebrate the fruit of their labour.
The day came to be known as Heikru Hidongba
(Heikru meaning gooseberry and Hidongba, on
boat) in Manipur.

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


The festival which began during the reign of
King Irengba in 984 AD, is conducted to invoke
the blessing of the deity, Ebudao Pakhangba. It is
observed on the 11th day in the Manipuri month
of Langban every year, and falls on 13 September
this year. Garlands made of fresh gooseberries and
rice are an essential item in the offerings made to
the God before the commencement of the day. The
main attraction of the festival is the Hiyang Tanaba
or the boat race. Some of the popular venues are
Lamlai Lamlenpat in Lamlai Mayai Leikai, over 15
Discover inDias northeast
51
km away from Imphal, and the moat of Bijoy Go-
vinda Temple in Sagolband, Imphal West.
Over 30,000 people are expected to gather at
the picturesque landscape of Lamlai Lamlenpat,
surrounded by paddy fields and a series of hills.
Two boats with 18 members each will be racing on
the 1,500 m stretch of the water body that is 6 ft
deep. A total of 15 teams participated last year. For
the first time in Manipur, we introduced women in
the game amidst much controversy over desecra-
tion of the holy place. We were of the view that
july-august 2016
52
56
90

idols of krishna and
radha being taken
out at the start of the
celebration

A woman waits with her
offerings that include
a garland of heikru
(gooseberry)

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 53

on the day of heikru hi-
dongba celebration, the
bijoy govinda temple
moat transforms into a
place of sanctity for the
devotees

After the devotees
complete making their
offerings to the deities,
the competitors move in
for an exciting boat race

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

54
90

women should have equal rights, and that

they are not a lesser devotee. Ten teams
of women participated in the event, says
Ngangom Naobi Meitei, 37, president of
Ema Emoinu Thougal Thousil Kanglup, who
has been organising the festival for the past
four years.
Arrangements begin months before
the festival. Organisers put up notices in
dailies informing public about application
forms of the competition. A month ahead
of the festival, we also begin our search
for boats from various laisangs (worship
places) across the state. These are no or-
dinary boats. Crafted from a type of wood
called uningthao, the headless boats are
used only for religious purpose. The 40 ft
boat requires more than 60 men to carry
it. Participants are expected to be clean,
both body and soul. They should come in
new clothes and should have only vegetar-
caesar singh ch
ian food on the racing day, Meitei says. 30

celebration of
heikru hidongba
at bijoy govinda
temple is a com-
bination of old
meitei tradition-
al elements with
certain features
of vaishnavism

lifeguards along with two doctors and one

ambulance will be present around the lake
for any emergency issues. An array of food
stalls selling indigenous snacks will hit the
venue, pulling in young crowds, he adds.
After the entry of Hinduism in Manipur,
an adopted version of Heikru Hidongba
came to be celebrated in the temples as
well. According to a record available with
Shri Bijoy Govinda Temple, the festival was
performed at the moat of the temple for
the first time in 1779 in honour of Shri Bijoy munindrajit Aribam

Govinda. This celebration is a combination
of old Meitei traditional elements with
certain features of Vashnavism like
sankirtan, and aarti etc.
(top to bottom) A young lady puts
a heikru hidongba touch to her
traditional finery by adding a crown of
flowers and a garland of gooseberries;
a reflection of women power

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 not so orDinary
crafted from a type of wood called uningthao, the headless boats that are used 55
for the heikru hidongba boat race are meant only for religious purpose

caesar singh ch

All dressed and way to
go. the recent addition
of all female boat race
is a very colourful and
empowering event

set in a scenic surround-

ing, the heikru hidongba
celebration in lamlai
lamlenpat is gaining
popularity
munindrajit Aribam

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

56

5 mizoram
text And photogrAphS by AdAm SAprinSAngA

A Field of menhirs
about 200 monolIths wIth strange
CarvIngs on them stand lIke sentInels of a
past era, guardIng the door to the woods
fIlled wIth seCrets

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 57

t
hE ONLY road to Vangchhia But why would a settlement that hill-top settlement.
these days is a winding dirt- is so relatively small in the scheme of It was in the 1970s that P Rohmingth-
track that has a surprisingly things that the present regime (or the anga, then the Deputy Commissioner of
flat gradient and is not really many others before it) would only take one of three districts that made up what
all that narrow; in some sec- the trouble of building just a dirt-track is now Mizoram (then a Union Terri-
tions, two large vehicles could easily to attach it to the rest of the state or tory), saw the menhirs from a helicopter
pass each other, although no luxury even the district have so many ancient as he made a recce of the Indo-Myan-
SUV could do away entirely with the pathways in and from it many years, nay mar border areas.
bumps. centuries, ago? There were no roads then that con-
The vista is wide and lovelyblue The answer lies in a field of menhirs, nected Vangchhia to anywhere else
skies, white clouds, yellow hill-side or monoliths, that have attracted the at- except a small footpath through the
rice fields, blue-green jungle-covered tention of local history and archaeology jungle. A visit to see a clearing in the
mountainsand offers a steady sight of buffs over the past decade (and was first woods populated by a bunch of upright
the rugged western hill ranges of Myan- noticed in just the past half-century). rocks was out of the question, especially
mars Chin state. More so now, since a team of archae- given the troubled state of affairs then
The tarmac road from either direc- ologists despatched by the Archeologi- with a separatist insurgency raging on.
tion (from Champhai or Khawbung, cal Survey of India headquarters in New It was only in the latter half of the
the nearest settlements with hotels or Delhi uncovered what appeared to be a last decade that the retired IAS of-
lodges for the rare traveller to stay at)
is peppered with small villages where
friendly locals beckon to you to stop
and eat at their roadside, wood-walled,
tin-roofed houses which double up
as restaurants that serve the local
cuisinerice, plenty of boiled vegeta-
bles and steamed meatand who are
always ready for a post-meal chat near
the wood-fire over black tea and local
hand-rolled, filter-less cigarettes.
But after a fork in the road just near
where this tarmac road ends and turns
towards Vangchhia (and the nearby
village of Sazep) is much less travelled
upon, making the passing of any other
vehicle an occasion in itself.
It was not always this way.
There were once many roads to Van-
gchhia; if there was an old map drawn
during its heyday, the settlement today
would have looked like the head of an
octopus, with tentacles stretched out
carelessly in every direction. (Although,
of course, it is suspected that many
other villages in the eastern hill ranges
of what is now Mizoram may also have (facing page
and above)
looked the same.) menhirs or monoliths at
Kawtchhuah ropui (the
If these roads are to be a primer for great gateway) near
other roads that fork out, or meet in vangchhia. no one has
other ancient settlements, then they yet come to a precise
conclusion who erected
too would be footpaths that meander the monoliths or what the
through jungles and up and down engravings on them mean;
hill-sides, the path paved with flat (left) a pot such as this
one are among the many
slabs of hard rock, just the way jun- artefacts locals have found
gle clearing efforts by villagers at the in the vicinity of Kawtch-
huah ropui
behest of enthusiastic administration
officials in the district headquarters
of Champhai have revealed recently.

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

58
90
ficer could, along with members of the
Mizoram Chapter of the Indian National
Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (IN-
TACH), formally visit the site and see for
themselves the import of these rocks.
There were, as now, about 200 mon-
oliths with strange carvings on them
human and animal figures positioned as
if in local epics. Perhaps a warrior sur-
rounded by animals and birds. Perhaps
a chief surrounded by people. And in
almost all, weapons such as spears and
swords were the common motif.
They stand silently, like sentinels
of a past era, guarding the door to the
woods filled with secrets that blow,
almost imperceptibly, among the
winds that whisper to the old trees of
the grove they are surrounded by,
july-august 2016
murmuring tales of those who lived
no one today here eons ago and died and travelled to
the afterlife.
knows exactly No one today knows exactly what
what these depict- these depicted, but locals believe they
embody the tales of an ancient, mar-
ed, but locals tial way of life told till today in the oral
believe they histories of the tribes that have made
these densely forested hills their home
embody the tales for centuries, that celebrate the victors
of battles high up in the mountains and
of an ancient, deep in the ravines, that worship the
martial way of life hunters who lived by nature and cham-
pioned over its many fierce beings.
told till today in Old pottery and what seem to be set-
the oral histories tlements are being found with astound-
ing regularity in the adjoining hills and
of the tribes not far away from present settlements.
Possibly after a wave of awareness had
Discover inDias northeast

settled in, about the impact this would
have on enlightening the dark past of
the Mizo community and of the land it
has settled in, the ASI, on orders from
its Director-General Dr Rakesh Tewari
began earlier this year to excavate the
field of monoliths surroundings, turn-
ing up new discoveries every day of the
roughly three weeks a team spent there.
A mound not far from the field of
monoliths near Vangchhia has provided
the first strictly archaeological finds
rocks upon rocks piled upon each other
by flight:
0
km From Delhi
4.30 Lengpui Airport
hr
Path by train:
Finder
From Delhi
28
hr
Discover inDias northeast
59
(clockwise from
above) Kawtchhuah
ropui as seen from a nearby mound.
The field hosts about 200 monoliths,
but locals say there were no less than
600 decades ago; the ASI excava-
tion turned up several remains near
Kawtchhuah Ropui, such as this
pock-marked rock; Lungphunropui,
downhill from Kawtchhuah ropui
and towards the tiau river which
separates mizoram and myanmars
Chin State, is the biggest and perhaps
the most detailed engraving among
all the rocks in vangchhias vicinity
in great uniformity, they being held to-
gether by no-one-knows-what ancient
mortars, even to the point of being
held together as a flight of steps up and
down these various structures.
They have gone back with a promise
to return, and perhaps bring back some
answers, but they have only just gone a
few steps up those rocky stairs and
climbed a little way up the jungle
trails, still unaware of what the sur-
rounding forest wishes to reveal in its
own time.
1 hr 186 56
km Champhai km
12.15 180 vangchhia
Aizawl
hr km 202 48
Silchar km Khawbung km
Guwahati
july-august 2016
56
60

disHes from assam

courteSy: seven anD octave, vivanta By taj, guwahati

Patot diya stir fried duck with

haanh aru koldil

bAnAnA flower, steAmed
in A bAnAnA leAf

methoD:First up cut the duck meat and turmeric. Saut this too. Add the
ts:
into small bite size pieces. Marinate black pepper and cumin paste. Keep ingredien
the meat overnight with salt, turmeric on stirring till the masala is cooked
powder, mustard oil and ginger-garlic well. Then add the marinated duck and kg
paste. Make a fine paste of the black cook for a few minutes. Add the fried Duck meat: 1
w er : 1 kg
Banana flo
pepper and cumin seeds. Finely chop banana flower and mix well. Transfer rli c pa ste: 50 gm
the banana flower and deep fry it. Heat the preparation to a banana leaf, wrap Ginger ga
: 20 gm
mustard oil in a kadai, add the finely it and cook in a tandoor or over a fire Black pepper
ml
chopped onion and saut till golden for the roast flavour and look. Goes well Mustard oil: 75
brown. Add ginger and garlic paste, salt with steamed rice or bhaat. salt: 50 gm
20 gm
cumin seed:
onion : 25 0 gm
der : 10 gm
turmeric pow

Chicken Khorika Khorixa chutney

bArbecued chicken in bAmboo skewer bAmboo shoot chutney

methoD: Marinate the chicken with methoD: For the chutney, dry
mustard oil, salt, ginger-garlic paste and roast garlic and red chilli till the
turmeric powder and leave it to rest for an aromas come out and then add
hour. Cook it in a tandoor and serve this with diced tomatoes and dry roast
a green salad and again. Add the fresh bamboo shoot
khorixa chutney. and mustard oil. Salt to taste and
grind it to a fine paste.

ingredients ingredients
chicken leg boneless: 1 kg Garlic whole- 100 gm
Mustard oil: 500 gm red chilly whole- 60 gm
Ginger paste: 250 gm Fresh bamboo shoot - 30 gm what its called
Garlic paste: 200 ml tomato -150 gm in assamese
salt: 50 ml Mustard oil- 40 ml
turmeric powder: 20 gm salt- to taste duck: haanh
bamboo flower: koldil
mustard oil: xorioh tel
ginger: aada
garlic: nohoru

Vodka with bhut black PePPer: jaluk

cumin: jeera

jolokia die nts:

turmeric Power: haldi guri
onion: Piyaj

ngre
salt: nimokh
A drink mAde with the super hot i carrot: gajor
bhut jolokiA ml mustard leaves: lai xaak
r) - 60
o d k a (peppe sPinach: Paleng xaak
methoD: Infuse Bhut Jolokia chilli into v - 1
olokia
red chilli whole: xukan jolokia

pepper flavoured vodka and mix this with Bhut J hunks fresh bamboo shoot: baanh gaaj
c
lemon chunks and a mix of lemon juice Lemon lemon tomato: bilahi
f
Dash o
lemon: nemu tenga
and sugar syrup. Pour into cocktail glass
and garnish with Bhut Jolokia slice.

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

62

megHalaya 6
by rAjib ChowdhurY

an
audience
with the
Queen
ArguAbly
the queen
of The hILLS,
Shillong
rocKS

A vendor at the popular iewduh

market, where most of the
shopkeepers are women
photogrAphS by freDDie m. majaw

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


I
t waS a long awaited journey to Shillong
for my friend and colleague Dev. I had spo-
ken to him so much about Shillong that he
decided to visit the queen of the hills this
summer; and as promised, I reached the
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International
Airport in Guwahati in the early morning
to receive him. (On our drive to Shillong on the
NH 40, I noticed the condition of the highway had
really improved since its expansion into a 4-lane
road.) The landscape was beautiful as ever, but I
missed the scent of the pine trees, which used to
greet me whenever I took the route as a kid. A lot
of transformation had taken place in the recent
pastfor one, plenty of shops and eateries have
sprung up on both sides of the road, selling
almost everything, from pancakes to Jadoh (a rice
preparation made with minced pork and blood of
the animal).
After travelling for around one and a half hours,
we decided to stop at an eatery near Nongpoh.
Initially, Dev was quite reluctant to try out Jadoh,
after I told him about the ingredients of the dish.
With a lot of hesitation, and perhaps to please me,
he started eating. He was hungry as he had started
around 5 am from Noida to catch the morning
flight from Delhi without having breakfast. To my
utter surprise I saw him relishing the plateful of
the Khasi delicacy and then ordering one more
plate, which he relished as much as the first.
After the hearty brunch, Dev asked for kwai.
(Whenever I used to travel from Shillong to Delhi, I
had always ensured that I carried a few packets of
betel nut for my friends and colleagues. For Khasis,
offering kwai is part and parcel of the culture, and
visitors to any household will be greeted with it.
The British used to call it woods brandy, as it helps
one keep warm in cold weather.) After chewing
two or three pieces, Dev purchased his quota
of kwai for his stay in Shillong, from a betel-nut
chewing Khasi lady.
From Nongpoh, we decided to drive straight to
Shillong with one more stopover at the magnifi-
cent Umiam Lake, which is about 15 km from the
state capital of Meghalaya. The sight was, as ever,
breathtaking. I told him about how the lake was the
first major hydro electric project in the Northeast,
explaining how I had seen the area grow from close
quarters. My uncle was heading the project, and
I had spent many summers at the site during my
school days.
On the lake, dotted with several small islands,
one can enjoy motor boat rides or hire paddle
boats. By the lake is a hotel-cum-restaurant run by
the state government from where one can relish
the beauty of the water body from the comfort of
the room.
Discover inDias northeast
63
Shillong has a number of good hotels and guest
houses where tourists can avail of all the mod-
ern facilities. But I decided that Dev would stay
in Pinewood Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in
Shillong. The hotel by the side of the picturesque
Wards Lake with its low slung wooden cottages
has a certain raffish charm of its own. And you
enjoy it all the more when it starts to rain, patter-
ing and twanging off the tin roofs of the cottages,
which are painted green. As it so happens, Pine-
wood was actually the Planters Club for execu-
tives of various tea gardens in Assam, before it was
procured by the local government.
We started the next day quite early, and our first
destination was the beautiful Wards Lake, located
at a walking distance from the hotel. This artificial
lake has a pretty romantic setting with beautiful
garden and boating facilities, and is very popular
with tourists, weekenders and lovers. A wooden
bridge spans the lake, which is full of colourful fish.
First, after enjoying feeding
the fish while standing on the
bridge, we had breakfast in
for khasis, Lake Cafeteria, and then took
offering kwai the GS Road to Elephant Falls
in Upper Shillong. Named so
is part and by the Britishbecause there
parcel of their used to be a rock resembling
an elephant near the left
culture, and side of the main waterfall
the most impressive part of
visitors to any Elephant Falls was the three
khasi household tiered path the water fell. All
of which can be reached by a
will be greeted foot path. However, for a spot
with it so popular, the limited facility
for tourists was a bit dis-
hearteningexcept for some
local women selling roasted
corn and wild fruits, there wasnt much.
From Elephant Falls, we proceeded to the
Shillong Peak, hardly 30 minutes drive away. At
an impressive height of 1,965 metres, the high-
est point in Shillong, it offers stunning views of
lush green pine forests and waterfalls. And if you
happen to be there on a sunny day, you can even
see the huge Himalayan peaks and the plains of
Bangladesh.
Luckily, the day was bright and we could see not
only the Himalayan peaks and some areas of Bang-
ladesh, but enjoyed a birds eye view of the city and
even spotted the hotel where my friend was put-
ting up. During my college days, we used to climb
up the peak from the city during our holidays.
We headed next for Iewduh, the main com-
mercial hub of the city. The market is extremely
chaotic, but it is an experience in itself with lanes
july-august 2016
64
90

and bylanes cutting across the market. You can buy market area and he has his own police station to look
rare and unusual products from little shops run by the after law and order.
Khasi womenquite similar to Ima Market in Imphal, As it was getting dark, Dev and I decided to head to
Manipur. Every village in the Khasi Hills has a bazaar Khyandai Lad or Police Bazaar before returning to his
day and villagers throng the Iewduh to buy their hotel. After he picked up some mementos and hand-
weekly needs. Though Shillong has modernised over loom products for his friends,
the years, the villagers still use the old Bedford buses we went to Delhi Mistana
to travel from these remote villages. Bhander to taste the very
Iewduh in Khasi means the market for the common
people. You can pick up a lot of unique things from
at iewduh you popular hot jalebis sold there.
After returning to the hotel,
here, from live silkworms to fermented soya seeds can buy rare Dev wanted to chill out be-
called turumbai (which are both considered delicacies
here). There is also turmeric from Shangpung, as well
products from fore calling it a day. Though
the hotel had a bar with some
as Sohiong and Sohpie, which are wild berries and little shops of the finest beverages from
fruits known for their medicinal values. The turmeric the world, he wanted to taste
produced in Shangpung is considered to be of the run by the khasi the local brew. I called up a
finest quality in Asia. Iewduh is also the main meat and womenquite local friend and got a bottle
vegetable market for the locals. The market, which is of Kiad Nartiang (this double
also popular among foreign tourists, is considered one similar to ima distilled wine is considered
of the largest trade centres in the Northeast. A num- market in to have medicinal values). He
ber of local rituals are performed here every year. The relished a couple of shots be-
Syiem of Mylliem (the local king) controls the entire imphal, manipur fore we sat down for dinner.

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


The next day, we decided to cover a few of the
remaining touristy spots. After breakfast, we first
visited the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Church located in Laitumkhrah area of the city.
It is considered to be a pride of the Catholics of
the region and a shrine duly approved to be a
pilgrimage centre. The best part of the church is
that people from all faiths come and offer their
prayers. The scene inside the chapel was serene,
with people offering their prayers in complete
silence. I then took Dev to the Grotto Chapel near
the roadside and showed him the innumerable
numbers of office-goers and students from various
castes and creeds stopping there for a moment
to pay their respects and then carrying on with
their days routine. I told him that anyone who asks
by flight:
0
km From Delhi
2:15
hr
Path by train:
Finder From Delhi
29 hr
Discover inDias northeast
65
sincerely, wishing from the core of their heart, is
always granted what they ask. I also told him of
the history; that the British, while they were here
in Shillong, had always had a desire to transform
it into a Little England. Thats why the capital city
boasts of some of the finest churches in the coun-
try, such as the Shillong Cathedral, the Mawkhar
Presbyterian Church, the Laitumkhrah Presbyte-
rian Church and the All Saints Cathedral.
From the church, we headed towards Don
Bosco Institute of Indigenous Culture, which is
among Asias largest such museums. There, one
can get an overview of the life and culture of the
people of the entire Northeast region. The mu-
seum is a seven-storeyed building with 17 well-laid
out galleries of international standard containing
artifacts, paintings, and fiberglass figures, among
other exhibits. On the topmost gallery, one can
witness some of the rare dances of the Northeast.
Our next destination was Sohra (Cherrapunjee),
one of the wettest places on the planet, a place
that Dev had studied about in his school books
and had always wanted to visit. It was a journey of
about 50 km of stunning views. During our journey
we had heavy mist and fog, occasionally reducing
visibility to almost zero. On the way, we stopped to
admire the spectacular Nohkalikai waterfall. Plung-
ing from a height of over 1,100 feet, the waterfall
was a sight to behold. I told Dev about how the
area, though it receives the highest rainfall in the
world, still faces an acute water crisis. (Actually,
all the rainwater from Sohra flows to neighbour-
ing Bangladesh.) We had a quick lunch in one of
the nearby joints, and after collecting a few bottles
of orange honey, we started our journey back to
Shillong. On our way we also saw some living root
bridges where around 50 people were crossing a
double-decker root bridge.
I told Dev that there were a lot more interesting
places to visit, like Mawlynnong, considered to be
(facing
page)
the highest
the cleanest village in Asia, and of course Dawki
town that borders Bangladesh. He was, however,
point in shillong, dead tired after the whirlwind tour. He promised
shillong peak, to be back soon with his family. I asked him how
offers stunning
views of the city his experience was, and he said, This is a place for
and beyond; (top) gods. We returned to the hotel and had a sumptu-
don bosco insti-
tute of indigenous
ous dinner. The next morning we drove to the
culture, one of airport in Guwahati, and I handed him a few
Asias largest packets of kwai after making him promise to make
such museums;
(bottom) elephant another trip to the Scotland of the East, this time
falls with his family.
100 Shillong
Guwahati km
july-august 2016
66

(clockwise from below)

kohima town; tourists
take back memories of
the hornbill festival; at a
satra in majuli, Assam

nirDesh k. singh
photos: nirdesh k. singh

love at first sight

When boTh gueSTS And hoSTS pLAy TheIR pARTS, The boundARIeS
creAted due to ignorAnce And miSconceptionS diSSolve

a
guitar is swiftly produced before
the moment passes away. The
gentleman takes a long swig of
thoutshe, a local rice drink, puts down
the bamboo mug by the side, cradles
the guitar, caresses the strings, clears
his throat one last time and starts
to croon.
Earlier, we had arrived at Kisama
on a chilly and crisp evening. The next
day, the annual Hornbill Festival was to
open, bringing a mindboggling array of
people, colours and festivities to this
Heritage Village a few kilometres from
Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. Going
around the now empty morungscom-
munity halls of tribeswe come to a
snacks stall. The young men running the
stall are the usual youngsters we have
come across in these few days in the
Northeast and have grown fond of. They
are courteous, always smiling, fashion
conscioussporting latest branded
sneakers and jacketsand they do not
seem to have a hair out of place on
their gelled-up heads. Most of them are
college-going students and are working
part-time during the festival to make
some money. Lots of them have Delhi
connections and stories and jokes are
flying back and forth.
We are all having the time of our
lives. We have been offered chairs and
are being treated like celebrities. Soon,
thoutshe is passed around. Of course,
this is the time when songs have to
make their entry. We do our bit and
sing some Hindi songs. This is when the
kids prompt us to ask the gentleman
to sing (the gentleman is the owner of
the shop). And when the words come
out, we are blown away. The soft lyrics

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


of Tum kitni khoobsurat ho (you are so
beautiful) reach our ears. This is unbe-
lievable this is a never-heard-before
beautiful Hindi movie song! To be hon-
est I do not ever remember listening to
this song even though I am a self-con-
fessed Kishore Kumar fan. The fingers
delicately strum the guitar and these
mellifluous notes float in the night air.
Time has stopped in Kisama.
Coming from Delhi with all the
trepidation of a first time visitor to the
Northeast who associates the region
with insurgency and road blockades, I
never in my wildest imagination could
have conjured up listening to a rare
Hindi movie song in Kisama to the
accompaniment of guitar and thout-
she. This is the beauty of India and her
people. Just when we start forming
opinions and biases, a scented breeze
tiptoes in bringing sweet notes of a
forgotten song and right now this
feels like home.
The song opens the floodgate and
the youngsters join in. They rap, they
croon. To me it is like BoyzIIMen of
long ago have come alive. They break-
dance; they do headstands and cart-
wheels. We are laughing our heads off.
I still do not remember the last time I
had so much fun.
On another occasion, I am speaking
to a gentleman in the Konyak Morung
who is nursing his ruffled hornbill
feather back to health that crowns his
traditional headwear. Here is a man
who belongs to a tribe that was feared
for their headhunting customs. Today,
we are talking like old friends. I realise
that there are no boundaries such as
the language we speak or food we eat or
even how we look.
In the next few days, we see more
smiling faces. People here in Northeast
are always eager to talk and are always
helpful and enjoy a good laugh. Dressed
sharply and speaking sophisticatedly,
there is no loutishness that is experi-
enced in the parts where I come from.
Not for a single moment during our
stay did we feel scared or fearful. Yes,
the omnipresence of security forces is
a way of life here, but I am sure that will
be a thing of the past soon.
On the train from Dimapur to Jorhat,
I see a young monk in a ponytail and
Discover inDias northeast
dhoti. My deduction is right. He belongs
to a satra, or Vaishnavite monastery,
in Majuli Island, our next destination.
Yes, he will be more than happy to ride
along with us to the ferry. We share
rides in the auto and on the boat filled
with people and automobiles. Like us,
he too had come to Kisama for the
Hornbill Festival. We talk about his life
in Majuli. He provides us an introduc-
tion to the satras and their way of life in
fluent English.
We jump at the idea when he asks if
we would like to
impromptu gigs are
the order of the
day in stalls put up at
visit his satra.
kisama village, the venueThe next day,
at his satra, our
of the hornbill festival of
nagaland new friend is
happy to see us.
We are taken
around the campus. Monks of all ages
are visible, busy in the daily activities
of growing food and tending to the
cows. Our friend announces that we are
luckya dance performance is about
to take place for some visiting foreign
guests and we are welcome to join in.
This satra is one of the 22 satras set
up in Majuli in the 16th century in the
aftermath of the Bhakti Movement that
swept across the country. These Vaish-
navite monasteries, devoted to Lord
Krishna, pioneered the use of music and
dance to enact the various stories as-
sociated with Lord Krishnas life.
Just like the other night, we are
enthralled by another unexpected
performance. In the prayer hall facing a
67
simple shrine, the monks beating their
drums rhythmically dance in unfettered
abandon as their smiling eyes reflect
contentment and joy. After taking some
photos, the small audience sits back to
enjoy the genuine and carefree dance
and musical performance. The ener-
getic Gayan-Bayan symphony, where
the gayan are the khol drums and bayan
are the tal cymbals, leaves everyone
mesmerised. Later, we bid goodbye to
our friend taking photos and exchang-
ing phone numbers. This is another
wonderful day with the
friendly folks here in
Northeast.
During our sojourn in
the Northeast, we made
it a point to chat with as
many people as possible
during the time spent
in Kisama in Nagaland,
while driving around
pretty Majuli in Assam,
walking in the flowery
lanes of Mawlynnong or
cruising in downtown
Shillong, Meghalaya.
Sometimes it was bro-
ken Hindi or English or
sometimes it was just
gestures. But there were
always lots of smiles and a lot of good-
will was exchanged.
The past few days in the Northeast
have made it quite apparent that we
have a common underlying affinity
towards our fellow human beings. This
interaction becomes even more cordial
and happy when we find ourselves as
guests in a part of our country that is
relatively out of reach and is not well
understood. This is the time when both
guests and hosts play their parts so that
the boundaries created due to igno-
rance and misconceptions dissolve.
Northeast seems like home; my next
visit to the beautiful Northeast with its
beautiful smiling people will be like
homecoming.
nirdesh k. singh is a
delhi-based former general
manager (marketing) of a
leading automobile company.
currently on a mission to
discover india.
july-august 2016
68

7 assam
text by rajiB chowDhury photogrAphS by anu Boro

ambubachi

the most importAnt And populAr

festivAl At the kAmAkhyA temple

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 69

sadhus with their unique

hairstyles and get-ups
are major crowd-pullers
at the mela

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70

i
t was an amazing sight to behold:
over 2.5 million pilgrims, sadhus and
devotees from across the country
converged at the Ambubachi festival
at the historic Kamakhya Tem-
ple on the outskirts of Guwahati. The
scenea 5-day festival (22 June - 26
June)resembled a mini Kumbh Mela,
with sanyasins, aghoris in black attire,
the khade-babas, the bauls or singing
minstrels of West Bengal, tantriks, sad-
hus and sadhvis with long matted hair
all crowding around the temple site. A
large number of foreigners, including
researchers also came to seek blessings
of mother Kamakhya, and gather more
knowledge of this Shakti peeth.
Considered to be one of the biggest
religious gatherings in India, worship-
pers at the festival performed yagnas,
upasanas and many secret rituals in the
night. The sadhus and ascetics were
the biggest crowd pullers during the
mela. At the temple premises their
outlandish get-ups and antics ended
up getting all the attention. Apart from
them, there were also tantrics who
performed rituals around the temple
complex. I caught up with one of the
pilgrims from abroad, who had taken to
the Hindu way of life. It is a new way
of life that I have got after I became an
Aghori. It shows you the dispassion to
fullest, said Derek, a man from the US
who joined the Aghori cult some eight
years ago.
June is not exactly the perfect time
to visit Guwahati. It is the rainy season,
which sees the mighty Brahmaputra in
its full fury. It is also the time when the
weather turns hot and humid. None-
theless, it is during the month of June
that one sees swarms of devotees and
ascetics converging on Guwahati to
celebrate the yearly cycle of goddess
Kamakhya, and to seek her blessings. At
the Guwahati railway station, the arrival
of trains loaded with pilgrims can be an
intimidating scenethe sheer numbers
of them, and the noise they bring.
It is around 2,605 km from the
Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu &
Kashmir to the Kamakhya temple here;
and a huge number of Sadhus brave
the almost 58-hour train ride to attend
the Ambubachi mela. This year, their
number had swelled to around 2 lakhs,

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 kamakhya to vaishno devi
a direct train between Guwahati, assam, and Katra in Jammu & Kashmir was started
this year. the train covers the distance between the two pilgrim towns of Kamakhya 71
and Mata vaishno Devi shrine in about 53 hours

sadhus and devotees

rush towards the
kamakhya temple in a
procession before the
doors of the temple are
closed for four days

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72

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


with the introduction of a direct train
that connects the towns of Devi Peeth
Katra and Guwahati. (In fact, the inflow
of pilgrims was recorded as the high-
est ever this year.) Commendably, this
time there was a marked change in the
temple premises too, with sanitation
and cleanliness being given the topmost
priority. The state government had also
set up huge camps, apart from sev-
eral temporary shelters in the Nilachal
foothills to accommodate the increased
inflow of pilgrims.
Discover inDias northeast
Besides the pilgrims, a huge number
of traders also attended the festival,
selling wares that included a wide range
of traditional items used for religious
purposes, such as carnelian beads. The
area around the Nilachal Hills seemed
almost alive for a two week period
around the mela. There were so many
activities going onfrom tantric prac-
tices, yagnas and dancing, to the singing
of the bauls.
This mela is also sometimes known
as Ameti, or the Tantric fertility fes-
73
the scene in and around
the kamakhya temple
complex during the festival
tival because of the close association
it shares with the Tantric Shakti cult
prevalent in eastern parts of India.
Many of the pilgrims that I spoke
tothe majority of them turning out to
be from West Bengaleven said that
they had been attending the mela for
many years. Truly, the Ambubachi Mela
has become a uniting platform for the
Hindus where believers from all walks
of life congregate in the hope of
receiving divine blessings from the
mother goddess.
july-august 2016
74

8 siKKim
text And photogrAphS
by SuShobhAn roY
Retracing an
A journey lAden with hiStory And the rich culture

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 75

the concentric
loops on the way to
gnathang valley

Ancient Silk Route

of the people who reSide Along the fAbled route

Discover inDias northeast july-august 2016

76
90
(below): the village
temple at Zuluk;
(facing page, top to bottom):
a view of the lampokhari
lake from Aritar; the majestic
elephant lake at 13,000 ft; a
lady makes her way through
the thick snow in kupup
july-august 2016
t
hE SCENE that the setting
sun creates in the loop in
eastern Sikkim, commonly
known as the Silk Route, is
indeed enchanting. In the
ages past, fur and wool were traded
through this ancient route, which
nowadays passes through the towns of
Rhenock and Kupup. Ever since I first
visited this high altitude region, the
aforementioned scene has played out in
my mind endlessly. The people in their
quaint villages of this region are very
hard working and equally find place in
my heart.
The less explored eastern part of
Sikkim is encrusted with snow-capped
mountains under clear indigo skies
that will bedazzle any visitor. The area
extends all the way to the tri junction of
Tibet Autonomous Region, China, India
and Bhutan where the Jelep La pass
at 14,000 feet connects the region to
Lhasa through the Chumbi Valley of the
Tibetan plateau. The pass was closed af-
ter the Sino-Indian war of 1962, but this
is the route that the fabled Silk Route
ran through.
NJPor New Jalpaiguri station in
West Bengalserves as the gateway to
North Bengal and Sikkim and caters to a
good number of trains that are available
from Howrah (Kolkata) on a daily basis.
Five of my friends and I boarded one
of these trains. The overnight journey,
close to 10 hours long, travels through
the Farakka barrage before entering
the vast swathes of tea gardens in the
Discover inDias northeast
 77

Jalpaiguri district. On arrival at NJP

station, we opted for a cab, one of the
many travel options available outside
the station.
The expanse of the enchanting
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, on both
sides of the Sevoke road through NH10,
uplifted the monotony of the plains. The
majesty of the Coronation bridge con-
necting the districts of Darjeeling and
Jalpaiguri unfolded soon as we travelled
across the Teesta River. The crisped and
tucked uniforms of the police patrolling
the gates of the border at Rangpo pro-
vided the first encounter with Sikkim,
the people and their way of life. (Rangpo

sikkim tourism
is close to 80 km from NJP, translating
into 3.5 hours by road transport.)
After a quick break, we proceeded to
Rhenock, about 50 km from Rangpo. It
is a small yet bustling town with plenty
of options for booking a room. You
can also buy traditional artefacts and
indigenous Sikkimese handicrafts here.
Regular shared cabs run up and down
the Rangpo-Rhenock stretch. After a
short break, we pushed on to Aritar,
about 10 km from Rhenock and checked
into a budget hotel. In the evening we
strolled along the banks of the L-shaped
Lampokhari Lake near the town, and
then joined the annual Lampokhari
festival, which offered rich vignettes of
a culture that worships the mountains
in the form of goddesses.
Aap logon ke liye mai ek gaana pesh
karna chahta hun. (I want to sing a song
for you all), a singer pointed at us and
we felt like celebrities for that particu-
lar moment. Sometime later, a nearby
eatery gave us a bamboo flask filled
with millet seeds and a jug of hot water,
encouraging us to savour the local
drink, Thumba.
Early next morning, we climbed up
to Mankhim, a small hamlet which sits
atop Aritar and provides a birds eye
view of the Lampokhari Lake below.
There is a small temple here dedicated
to Lord Shiva, which is maintained by
the local priest and his little daughter.
The early morning sunrise provided a
good opportunity to witness the glory
of Khangchendzonga peak in the far
north. (Most of the time, Khangchend-
zonga plays peek-a-boo from behind a
veil of the nebulous cotton clouds that

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78
90

Pilgrims Point hang around the mountain for the bet-

ter part of the day.)
By 7 am, we started for Rongli, about
14 km from Aritar. Indian tourists head-
TAKe The RoAd To nAmChI, The undISpuTed ing to Zuluk and Kupup have to obtain
a restricted area pass from Rongli. After
culturAl cApitAl of the StAte spending a couple of hours in getting
the pass, we proceeded towards Zuluk.
by inDraneel Dasgupta The road turned steeper with each loop
and the rise in elevation was accentu-

W E ALL leave a bit of ourselves in every place we have loved.

You would certainly find a lot of me in the paradise called
Sikkim. The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning
ated by the drop in the temperature.
We took a short break in Phadamchen
for a cup of tea after crossing Lingtam.
you never thought to ask, a quote I had read before best epito- Ek aur cup chai milegi (Can we have
mises my love affair with this paradise. And within this paradise lie another cup of tea?)? Soon everyone
the city of Namchi a jewel in a jewelled crown. repeated this in chorus. Haan! Sab ke
Namchi is often referred to as the cultural capital of Sikkim and liye ek aur cup chai. (Yes, another cuppa
literally means sky high. Trust me; high is what
I felt as I set foot on this magical land. High on
adrenaline, on oxygen, on nature, and of course,
life. The majestic Kanchendzonga shining bright in
the distant horizon adds to the splendour of this
beautiful little place. The drive from Gangtok to
Namchi is through the only tea garden in the state
of Sikkim, famously known as Temi Tea. The gentle
slope of the hills and the lush green tea gardens
is a sight to behold; but thats just a precursor to
what is to follow.
If I had not seen it with my own eyes I never
would have believed that a place like Namchi ex-
isted. East, West, North and South all congregated
in one place. Replicas of the Char Dhams, or the
four holy places of HinduismBadrinath Dham up
in the northern part of the country, the Jagannath
Temple in the eastern part, the Dwarka Dham in
the west and the Rameshwar Dham in the south-
ern fringes of the countryhave been built in a
sikkim tourism
huge pilgrimage-cum-cultural complex developed
by the Sikkim government to promote religious
tourism and ecotourism.
Lucky are those who can travel to all the four dhams in their
statue of lord
shiva at the namchi
for everyone).
the 87 feet tall
The journey from
lifetimes, but considering the vastness of this country it is not pilgrimage complex Rongli to Zuluk is
possible for everyone to undertake this journey; and this is where close to 30 km, and
Namchi comes in. A gigantic statue of Lord Shiva, which is ap- it took us about 1.5
proximately 87 feet tall, sits at the highest and most commanding hours to reach our destination, thanks
position. A trip to Namchi is all that is required to attain salvation, to the amateur shutterbugs in our party
both for the heart and mind. spending a good amount of time cap-
Another architectural marvel is the statue of Guru Riponche. It turing the beauty of the scene. Even in
stands 135 feet tall and is believed to be the largest in the world. the afternoonit was about 1 pmZuluk
Guru Riponche is the chief patron saint of Sikkim and is credited had a near zero visibility as the over-
to have introduced Buddhism to Tibet. Travel does not become an bearing mist had already enveloped the
adventure until you leave yourself behind and someone once had place. The weather changes quickly in
quoted The real voyage of discovery does not consist of seeking these parts; the otherwise sunny dispo-
new landscapes but in having new eyes. And our life is nothing sition of the day just a couple of hours
but a one way journey, make the most of it. back turned into a dense cover of cold
mist covering the facades of the small
the writer is actor and author of another face in the crowd houses and tree-tops of silver firs. The

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 79

driver manoeuvred the vehicle slowly

through the path of cobbled stones
before finally stopping at the doorsteps
of Gopal Pradhans homestay. Soon it
started drizzling and one of Pradhans
children came running with a huge
umbrella for us. Our hosts solicitous
inquiries about our ride spoke volumes
about the hospitality of this region.
A number of homestays have sprung
up in Zuluk with the increase in the
frequency of tourists in the recent past.
Feeling sated after a sumptuous lunch,
we decided to explore the picturesque
village. A temple at one of the vantage
points creates a contrasting hue of
red and yellow with the thick verdant
background.
The next morning we began our
journey at around 4 am, the better to
witness the splendour of the majestic
Kanchendzonga in the golden hour of
sunrise. A series of concentric hairpin
bends, which define the nature of the
Silk Route in this part of the region,
awaited us in the first hour of our jour-
ney. We were all geared up in woollens
to brave the chilly air. The occasional
forays for clicking pictures with a naked
hand seemed like an anomaly in an
otherwise perfect
setting. Suddenly, a
speck of blue across (clockwise from
top) participants
the rugged white at the lampokhari
festival in Aritar; a
background alerted regular market scene
us. As the wheels in rongli; incense
veered away from sticks in kupup
the thick mounds sushobhan roy

of snow covering
the sides of the roads, the beauty of
the Himalayan Monal was a pleasant
surprise for all of us. The area is rich
in avian population where Himalayan
Monal occupies the pride of place.
The Gnathang valley, about 12 km
from Zuluk, at an elevation of close to
12,000 feet, was draped in a white sheet
of snow and small gurgling streams
criss-crossed the length and breadth of
this valley. The old Baba Mandir, which
is dedicated to the valiant sacrifice
of soldier Harbhajan Singh during
the rampaging floods in 1968, offered
another pit stop. Finally, the shimmer-
ing and azure Elephant Lake showed up
and elevated our spirits. The lake got
its name as it is shaped like an elephant
and is locally known as Bitan Choo.
Another 20 odd km later, we had
reached our destination, the village of
Kupup, which, at an altitude of 13,000
feet with rows of houses in the back-
drop of tall white mountains, offered a
fairy-tale setting. A hot cup of tea
awaited us in one of the shops. The
heavy presence of the Army nearby gave
goosebumps to the thought of Chinese
soldiers overlooking us on the other
side of the gigantic structures of rock
and snow. We returned to Zuluk by
around 11 am for a late heavy breakfast
in our homestay before proceeding
towards our long journey back to NJP
a distance of close to 135 km through
the rugged mountainous terrain.

by flight:
0
km From Delhi
Bagdogra 40
2 hr min Rangpo Rhenock Aritar Rongli Zuluk
Path 3.50 50 10 14 30 32 KuPuP
by train:
Finder NJP hr km km km km km
From Delhi 2.30
hr

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56

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast

 57
81

9 BiKing
text And photogrAphS by sataDal payeng

when men, machine and

nature meet at tawang

fresh snowfall at
sela pass

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56

t
here were seven of us who made the trip,
and to begin with, we had agreed to meet
up in Guwahati, Assam. Five of us, includ-
ing myself, were travelling there from dif-
ferent locations across the country, and
were transporting our bikes there as well.
The original plan was a 13-day itinerary, from
Guwahati to Bhutan (via Phuentsholing), and then
to Arunachal Pradesh (via Tawang), before return-
ing to Guwahati. Unfortunately our bikes did not
arrive on time, and so the trip had to be reworked.
For the first six days of the trip, my friends visited
Bhutan by car. I had myself decided to give the
road trip to Bhutan a miss, but six days later, when
our bikes had arrived, I joined them for the ride
to Tawang.
Even though my bikea Pulsar 220had made
it to Guwahati, I decided to ride a 2003 vintage
Pulsar 150 (with a single spark plug) instead, which
had been arranged by my friend Nilutpal Hazarika.
Nilutpal was also the guy who was responsible
for co-ordinating and organising this trip. All told,
our band of bikers comprised Diptinder Kenny
Singh Chabra on his Bullet Electra 4S, Mrinaljit
Dutta on an Avenger 200, Nilutpal Hazarika on a
Pulsar 200, me on the Pulsar 150, Gyanath Moshari
on a Karizma, Mrinal Doley on a Classic 500 and
Ajit Kumar Bramha on a Yamaha R15.
day 1 We began our trip early one morning in
April, from Guwahati. I had ridden with Kenny and
Nilutpal earlier but not with the rest of the guys;
but after only 10 minutes of riding, I could tell
that the group dynamic was perfect. The speed at
which we rode, the stops we took, and the way we
looked out for each other; everything was com-
ing naturally and the group was gelling well. I was
delighted that this was definitely going to be an
enjoyable experience for me.
For six of us, having grown up in Assam, the trip

Day2
from Guwahati to Bhalukpong was nothing new.
The roads were familiar, the people were familiar
and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. But
to Kenny, Assam appeared to be so green!
In fact, during the ride, Kenny asked us In
which part of the year is the greenery maximum?
In retrospect, as I was growing up in Assam, I never
felt that there was a time of the year in which the
greenery faded at all. As it turned out, every other
guy in the group echoed similar sentiments as well.
My valley (Assam) remains evergreen throughout
the year!
We reached Bhalukpong at around 5pm. We 152
could have reached there earlier, but we had BhAlukPong km
a stop of around 2-3 hours in Tezpur, during to dirAng
which we had lunch and I changed the rear tyre
on my bike. Bhalukpong is a small town which
is situated on the Arunachal Pradesh side of the

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


Assam-Arunachal border. One has to show Inner
Line Permits at the military checkpoint to enter
Arunachal Pradesh.
There are not many hotels/accommodations in
Bhalukpong, since it is basically a small town. That
night, we stayed at a resort called Solu Resort.
And thats pretty much how Day 1 ended.
day 2 We began our second days ride at 10 am.
Just after leaving the town of Bhalukpong, we were
greeted with off road trails and slippery slush. At
that point, I thought that the rest of the journey
would be on similar roads; but after 20 odd kilo-
metres, as we started the ascent, tarmac roads ap-
peared (much to my disappointment). We reached
Discover inDias northeast
83
57
On off road-trails
after the stopover at
bhalukpong town
Tenga, a small town, at around 12.30 pm. (Bomdila
is another 20-odd km from there.)
We had lunch at a small nameless dhaba some
10 km after crossing Bomdila. The food that we had
there was simply the best that we had in Arunachal
Pradesh during the entire trip. During the return
journey we actually made it a point to have lunch
at that same place!
Bomdila is situated at a slight altitude and the
air around that place was definitely colder than at
Bhalukpong or Tenga Valley. After lunch, we start-
ed the descent from Bomdila to Dirang, a town
which is at a lower altitude and situated some 40-
odd km from the place where we had our lunch.
july-august 2016
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56

Day3
To my delight, the roads started to become off
road trails once again. It was actually a welcome
change for me as it did not allow me to get drowsy
after the relatively heavy lunch! We reached our
resort in Dirang at around 6 pm and thats how the
143 ride for the second day ended.
dirAng to km day 3 I was quite excited at the start of the
tAwAng third day, as we were supposed to cross Sela Pass
(the highest point of our trip), and we had learned
that there was snow there. Until then, I had never
seen snow, and I was quite looking forward to my
first experience of it.
Sela was some 65 or 70 km from Dirang. We
started at around 9 am, and could clearly feel
the drop in temperature as we started our climb
towards the Pass. We had breakfast at an Army-
run cafeteria some 20 km from Sela. I remember
finding it difficult to control my excitement, as the
snow-capped mountains were clearly visible from
that point on.
We resumed the ride after breakfast, and soon

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the breathtaking
scene at sela pass

were riding among the clouds! The sun was no

longer visible through the thick fog which engulfed
the broken roads. Our ascent was slow and steady;
and then, all of a sudden, there we were at the Sela
Pass. And, to my joy, there was snow there. It was
a memorable moment for me, and after spending
around 30 minutes at Sela Pass, we resumed our
journey. The next 20 km was the most scenic part
of the journey. We were riding among mountains
partly covered with snow. I have never visited (top to bottom):
Kashmir but I could now visualise how it would be. on the return
We reached Jaswantgarh, which has been journey, heavy fog
named after a Param Vir Chakra decorated martyr reduces visibility
who laid down his life in the 1962 war. We paid our to just 10 metres;
homage by visiting the war memorial, and then the resort at
resumed our descent towards a small town called dirang; breakfast
at an army cafete-
Jung. We had our lunch there and then took a side
ria; a quick snack
trip to see the Jung waterfall. Nilutpal, Kenny, Mri- with army person-
nal Doley and I couldnt stop ourselves and decided nel; uphill drive
to get a splash bath by the foot of the waterfall!
Tawang was around 40 km away, and just as

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56
86
we resumed our journey, it started raining. I was
cursing myself for not having brought a rain suit.
My DSG Maze jacket with mesh construction was
definitely not made for riding in the rain. Nonethe-
less, it was getting dark and therefore we had no
Day4
choice but to continue onward.
It must have taken around three hours of riding
in the rain to reach Tawang and by the time we
checked into our rooms, I was shivering and was
0 After getting Gyans bike sorted, we decided
rest dAy km
At tAwAng
july-august 2016
nearly drenched. We quickly changed into dry
clothes and went to bed exhausted.
day 4 We had planned to take it easy for a day
once we had reached Tawang, and so on the fourth
day of the trip, we looked around to find places to
visit around Tawang. We learned that Madhuri lake
(the Hindi movie Koyla, starring Madhuri Dixit was
shot there) and PT Tso lake were popular tourist
spots nearby. However, by the time we were back
on our bikes, we realised that it was a bit too late
to visit Madhuri lake, and therefore decided to
visit the relatively nearby PT Tso lake instead. But
as luck would have it, Gyans Karizma broke down
and refused to start. We took it to a local garage,
and found out that it was due to a loose electrical
connection.
to have lunch at a local restaurant and then try
heading towards PT Tso lake. But it seemed that
lady luck was definitely not with us that day as
the route to the lake (which is a military area) was
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which had taken place just a couple of hours back.

We went early to bed that night in preparation of a
long day of riding ahead.
day 5 So far on our trip, we had been riding at
a leisurely pace. After we had entered Arunachal
Pradesh, we had been covering just about 140-odd
km in about seven hours of riding (in the hills, one
moves fairly slowly). But on the fifth day, we had
decided to cover the distance from Tawang to Bha-
lukpong in a single day; and
so we had to ride for an es-
timated 14-15 hours before

navigating road con-

struction; a yak on
the roadside fascinates a team
reaching our destination.
We started the ride at
member; (facing page): taking 5 am. Luckily, there was
in the fascinating landscape no rain, and we rode as
at sela pass, the entrance to
tawang district. briskly as we could on the
hilly roads. Unlike the other
days, butt-breaks were
kept to minimum (except
for the pee stops). We had
decided that there wouldnt be
any photo sessions either, but I did manage to click
a few on our return journey.
After we crossed Sela Pass, we were somewhat
confident that we were making good time. The
snow was thicker on our return journey, indicat-
ing that there had been fresh snowfall after we had
crossed it on our way to Tawang. We continued
with our descent and managed to reach the un-
named dhaba near Bomdila by 12.30 pm. By then
we had covered nearly 50% of our return journey.
We did lose some time as Ajits R15 suffered a flat
rear tyre (he had been riding with a tube as the rim
had earlier bent on a pothole impact) just as he was
about to reach the scheduled meeting point.
closed to the public as there had been a helicopter As pre decided, we had lunch at that dhaba.
crash (carrying tourists) at Tawang. After lunch I took a rejuvenating power nap of
The rest of the guys decided to call it a day and around 10-15 minutes. We resumed our trip at 2
went back to the resort. Along with Ajit, I decided pm. One highlight of the return journey was the
to visit the famous Tawang Monastery instead. As ride at a stretch on which the fog became so dense
we returned to the resort, we saw that the entire that the visibility was just about 10 metres. We

Day5
town of Tawang wore a deserted look with all must have ridden for an hour in the heavy fog.
the shops and market places closed. They were The sun had set when we were about 20 km
mourning for the victims of the helicopter crash away from Bhalukpong. It was a moonless night
and the roads were illuminated with nothing but
the light from our bikes headlamps. Also the roads
were entirely covered with slush, thanks to the
rains. Riding on the slippery surface with limited
visibility of the road ahead was making things very
difficult for us.
Till then I had enjoyed riding over bad ter-
rain, but the last 20 km on that day was physically
draining. Both my wrists and arms were starting to
return froM 284 ache. On one slippery patch, my bike went off bal-
tAwAng to km ance, and I did not have the energy to stabilise it;
BhAlukPong I just had to let the bike fall gently on the ground,

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(Above): the bikers (left-right)

diptinder kenny singh chabra
on his bullet electra 4s, mrinaljit dutta on an
Avenger 200, nilutpal hazarika on a pulsar
200, satadal payeng on a pulsar 150, gyanath
moshari on a karizma, mrinal doley on a classic
500 and Ajit kumar bramha on a yamaha r15;
(right) a natural shower under the irresistible
jung waterfall

Day6
taking me with it.
We somehow managed to ride through the last
20 km of slush and reached our resort at Bhakul-
pong at around 8 pm, 15 hours after we had started
our journey! By 9 pm we hit the sack, dead tired.
day 6 Even though we had to cover around 250
km from Bhalukpong to Guwahati on the last day,
return froM 250 we knew that we would be riding on the national
BhAlukPong km highways. Therefore we started the ride for the
to guwAhAti last stretch of the trip at a leisurely 2 pm.
The ride back was without any hiccups and we
reached Guwahati at 10 pm. Even though we could
not go sightseeing in Tawang (our destination), I
realised that it is the journey that is more impor-
tant and not the destination.

by flight:
0
km From New Delhi
2 hr Tezpur Dirang
Bhalukpong
Path 57 152 143 TAWANG
by train: 185
Finder From New Delhi
Guwahati km km km
28 km
hr

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camp at Chesezu, a Chakhesang village, during the

infamous siege of Kohima, and had monitored the
fight between the Brit-
ish Army and the Japanese
troops from there.
According to elders from
Chesezu village, they had
all met Bose when he had
encamped in their village.
The villagers even extended
material aid to Netaji and
his INA troops during their
stay in the village. Pura-
cho and Vezo, two villag-
ers from Chesezu, shared
some memories about their
close association with Bose
when he was camping there.
They said that Netaji had
selected the village for its
strategic location; because
from Chesezu, hundreds
of surrounding villages and
even parts of Manipur can
be seen.
netaji subhash chandra boses statue in chesezu village oken jeet sandham In memory of Netajis
sojourn in Chesezu village, a
committee was constituted

the Bose
for the construction of a memorial centre in the
village. A huge statue of Netaji in seated position,
carved out of stone, was erected. Near the statue,

ConneCtion
there is a spring well from where Netaji used to
fetch water for his personal use; this well has been
preserved as well. Also, just one kilometre away
from the statue, a guest house and amphitheater in
the name of Netaji Memorial Center has also been
netAji in nAgAlAndS cheSezu villAge constructed.
by oken jeet sanDham The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial
Development Society, Nagaland (NSCBMDSN) which
has been established to preserve the records of his

t
hE pEOpLE of Northeast India, particularly
those living in Manipur and Nagaland, had
mixed feelings when they learned that the
Second World War parts of which were fought
between the British Army and the Japanese Army in
the Imphal and Kohima sectors in 1944 was declared
as the Greatest British battle in the world. In fact, in
many Chakhesang and Angami areas in Nagaland, the
British and the Japanese had engaged in heavy fights.
Many elderly Naga people alive today still have vivid
memories of the fierce fights between the British and
Japanese troops in their respective areas.
But one interesting development that had taken
place during the Second World War was that it
brought Indian National Army (INA) leader Netaji
Shubas Chandra Bose to Chesezu village in Nagalands
Phek district. It is said that Netaji had established his
visit has been working very hard to see that the
historical site becomes a national heritage village.
Many prominent Indian politicians, researchers, and
writers have already visited the site. In fact, the
Nagaland chapter of the NSB-INA also mentioned
that a delegation from Netaji Subhash Bose-INA
Trust New Delhi, comprising of former Lok Sabha
Speaker PA Sangma, Chairman, Advisory board of
Netaji Subhash Bose (NSB) INA trust, Brigadier KP
Singh Deo, former Union Minister, Chairman, Board
of Trustees NSB INA, and Lt. Gen. VK Nayar, the
former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland visited
Chesezu village in 2011. PA Sangma said then that he
hoped Netaji Peak in Chesezu village would
become, one day, an international tourist spot,
remarking that it should be made known to the rest
of the world through various tour agencies.

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Darjeeling by RupapaRna SaRkaR

The Toy with

a Track record
A 19th century engineering feAt Still continueS itS
AmAzing run in Slow motion

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I
Am a voracious reader. The kind that has half-
read books lying about their house, but still
goes out and buys a few dozen more; the kind
that dreams of retiring in a house that is actu-
ally a library with a bed. (With a view of the moun-
tains outside the window, and a rocking chair next
to the fireplace, and a ginger cat to warm my lap,
and some wonderful Darjeeling Lepchu tea...but I
digress). The kind that bemoans the advent of the
Kindle because they miss the smell of new books.
I am also an avid traveller, currently on a quest
to do 12 trips in 12 months, from January through
December. Hills, temples, road trips, train journeys
nothing is too far from my travel list.
When you put these two together, what you get
is a reading traveller. The best kind really! Im al-
ways looking for exciting new authors and subjects
and if the book has ideas for my next trip, all
the better!
And so, when I got my hands on a book called
Around India in 80 Trains, written by a young
woman named Monisha Rajesh, a sparkling gem
of a travel book that traces the authors journey
across the length and breadth of India via 80 trains,
I knew one of my 12 trips this year had to be a
train journey.
The opportunity came soon enough when
a cousin called with the idea of a quick trip to
Darjeeling, the Queen of the hills. We would first
head to Siliguri, from where a taxi would transport
us to Kurseong. Kurseong to Darjeeling would be
traversed via the iconic Toy Train and it would be a
ride to remember, of that I was sure.
Kurseong is a town frozen in time... narrow
lanes, whitewashed churches, bakeries wafting the
smell of pastries and coffee, cats and dogs curled
up on doorsteps, flowers blooming wildly at every
corner and rosy-cheeked children playing football
while the clouds play hide and seek around them.
A perfect place to curl up with a book and cof-
fee while in pleasant anticipation of the next days
train journey, which is exactly what we did.
The next day we woke up bright and early, not
wanting to miss our train. The train from Kurseong
to Darjeeling is part of the famed Darjeeling Hima-
layan Railway (DHR) which is a 2 foot,
narrow gauge railway that runs between New
Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, powered by a mix of steam
courtesy: west bengal tourism

and diesel engines. DHR was declared a World

Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999, only the second
railway to have this honour bestowed upon it,
the first one being Semmering Railway of Austria
in 1998.
The railway line climbs up steeply through a
number of fascinating reverses and loops. One of
the most scenic of these is Batasia Loop, between

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Ghoom and Darjeeling, which offers a panoramic

view of Darjeeling, perched on the hill, with Mount
Kanchenjunga in the background. The train also
passes over multiple bridges. Because of the nature
of the landscape through which it passes, the
railway line has been shut down multiple times due
to heavy rains or landslides, but always manages to
resume once again.

thE trAIN that we had chosen was the 7 am daily

service, also called the school train by the locals,
thus named because it is the commute of choice
for schoolchildren.
As the train slowly chugged out of the station,
locals going about their work in the early morning
fog waved to us. Children on their way to school
jumped aboard and got down when their destina-
tion was near. The train travels at a slow rate of
10km/hr, making it easy for commuters to jump
in and out. It
wove its way
slowly across
the 7 am train the mountains,
we took is also sometimes
passing by
called the houses that
school train almost touched
the railway
by the locals, tracks.
The train
because it is stops at the
the commute musically
named stations
of choice for Tung, Sonada
schoolchildren and Ghoom
before finally
stopping at
Darjeeling.
Take this train if you enjoy slow travel, if you
want to marvel at nature, if you dont mind early,
misty mornings, if you want an experience you
will never forget; and most certainly take this
train if you want to feel like Sharmila Tagore in the
famous Mere Sapno ki Rani song from the movie
Aradhana where she coquettishly smiles from the
photos: rupaparna sarkar

very same train window as a dashing and debonair

Rajesh Khanna serenades her while driving along
in his car.
As we reluctantly got down from the train at our
destinationDarjeeling stationI had a strong
recollection of the poem The Brook by Lord
Alfred Tennyson. Much like the river in the famous
poem, the DHR slipped between the ridges and
winded about and in and out. Eventually, the last
lines from the poem held very true for the famed (top to bottom): kurseong station displays the height at which
the toy train starts; inside the toy train; glenarys cafe in darjeel-
ing; (facing page): the batasia loop between ghoom and darjeeling is the
train For men may come and men may go, but I go most scenic and offers great views of Darjeeling; lush tea gardens on the way
on forever.

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courtesy: west bengal tourism

courtesy: west bengal tourism

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july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast


Bhutan text & photogRaphS by IndRanIl SaRkaR
A gompa greets you at the
starting point of the trek
to taktsang monastery
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95
57
a Peek at
the tigers
lair
trekkIng up to
taktsang monastery
reveals a lot, both
natural and spIrItual
t
ALKING tO strangers while travelling throws up
interesting ideas for new destinations. For ex-
ample, had I not had a conversation with a fellow
passenger on a shared taxi from Thimpu to Paro,
I would have never ventured to Taktsang Tigers
Nest Monastery, a place that literally hangs from a cliff,
3,000 feet above the Paro valley. The conversation stirred
the adventure-bug in me; and since I had no work that
day in Paro, I decided to do the trek to Tigers Nest.
Taktsang Monastery lies six miles north of Paro; but
that is only the beginning of the journey. Even from the
parking lot at the bottom of the cliff, the edifice seemed
really far off; in fact, we could barely see it from that
point. At a slow to medium pace, the trek to the top
takes about three hours. The first part of the trek travels
through a thick forest, and once past that section, you
start gaining altitude. On the journey, I paused often to
quench my thirst, and took slow steps; all the while mes-
merised by the spectacular views of the Paro valley and
glimpses of Tigers Nest, which still seemed far away. After
about 45 minutes, we reached the first stop and sauntered
into a caf for hot beverages. Sipping my cuppa, I got my
first, awe-inspiring view of the monastery: after that, I
was all set for the steep climb.
After an hour or so, we reached the second stop. As we
climbed uphill from there, we passed by several ran-
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dom shrines, and finally reached a flat top from

where we got a close up view of the monastery.
After clicking some good shots, we again began
to trudge down the path, which had steps lined
with colourful prayer flags. Finally, we reached a
waterfall that poured downwards to our left; and
from there, a short bridge took us to the entrance
of the monastery.
The temple complex was first built in 1692,
around a cave which dates back to the 8th cen-
tury, as a meditation centre. It is said that Guru
Padmasambhava, a Buddhist saint known in the
Himalayas as Guru Rinpoche, meditated here for
three years, three months and
three days. He is believed to
have landed here on a flying ti-
ger, and brought the teachings
of Buddhism to the Himalayas. going there
Taktsang literally means tigers
lair; theres another legend by air:
Paro is situated at a height of 2,225
which says that the former wife m (7,300 ft) and is surrounded
of the Emperor transformed by mountains as high as 4,876 m
herself into a tigress and (16,000 ft). Drukair and Bhutan
carried the Guru to this place airlines fly to Paro. there are domes-
from Tibet. tic airports in Yonphula in eastern
Bhutan, Bumthang in central Bhutan,
The monastery is one of the and Gelephu in south-central Bhutan.
oldest and best known shrines
in the Himalayan Buddhist cir- by road:
Phuentsholing is the entry point to
cuit outside Tibet. After a fire Bhutan from Kolkata and siliguri. it
destroyed its structure in 1998, takes 5 hours to Paro from here.
the former King, Jigme Singye
taktsang entry: horse back rides
Wangchuk ordered its re- are available from the parking lot up
construction. The monastery in to a certain point.
its present form has four major
temples and residential places
for monks. The dark caves are
lit by hundreds of butter lamps
illuminating the many images of Bodhisattvas.
We were given a tour of the various temples and
chambers inside the monastery, which are
all stocked with Buddhist icons. All the buildings
are interconnected by steps and stairways made
of rocks. Copper-coloured Mountain Paradise
of Padmasambabha is vividly displayed on the
thankhas and wall paintings. It was a magical
experience, and I felt as though I had entered a
heavenly place. Exploring the meditation halls and
rooms, and interacting with monks took me to a
spiritual realm.
Having had a wonderful clifftop visit, I found
myself later thinking of the chance encounter that
had led me there. (Incidentally, the passenger- (top to bottom): A tourist
displays great will-power on the
friend who had directed me there was working trek to taktsang monastery; a woman
lights a traditional butter lamp in the
with an NGO against drug addiction, and had prayer room inside the monastery; (facing
himself been cured of drug abuse.) I thanked him page) the monastery sits 3,000 ft above
in my mind for showing me the right direction to a paro valley
spiritual abode.

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seas that glow

as night falls on some beaches around
the world the Maldives, Mosquito
Bay in Puerto rico and san Diegothe
waves glow with an eerie blue light. tiny
neon dots fill the water, making it look
like stars are washing up on shore. the
surreal scene arises from plankton that
has evolved to glow in order to startle
or distract fish and other potential
predators. some scientists call it the
burglar alarm effect: by lighting up, the
plankton draw even larger predators
that, in turn, eat the animal threatening
them. according to a report on bbc.com,
the phosphorescence only occurs when
the microorganisms are agitated such

OUE Skyspace
as when the water crashes onto the
shore, someone steps on the wet sand
or a paddle hits the waves.

mob tour

slide on glass chute

today, Las vegas is known for casinos
and the over-the-top pool parties, but
its also a city that was once run by
the mafia. According to foxnews.com,
the vegas Mob tour takes people to

V ISItORS CaN coast down the SkySlide, a chute made of glass and affixed to the
outside of the colossal US Bank Tower in Los Angeles, going from the 70th floor
to the 69th. SkySlide will be the main draw at the new OUE SkySpace LA obser-
locations where mob-related crimes
and murders took place, as well as the
hangouts of hit men and notorious
vation deck atop LAs landmark skyscraper, the tallest building west of Chicago. crime bosses. You may never look at sin
According to a report on cnn.com, it is 45 feet long and hovers 1,000 feet above city the same way again.
the pavement. The slide transports people from the inside of the 70th floor to the
outside of the 69th floor. So youre standing in the open air by the time youre done stone house
with your ride, OUE Americas senior vice president John Gamboa said. SkySlide is the casa do Penedo, or house
of Stone, is a building fit for the
made of three-ply glass, 1.25 inches thick, made to withstand hurricane-force winds Flintstones. Located near northern
of up to 110 miles per hour. The slide is strong enough that it could hang two blue Portugals Fafe mountains, the property
whales from the slide, and it wont budge, Gamboa said. was built in 1974 with four different
boulders and comes with bulletproof
doors and windows, and a swimming
pool but no electricity. its inhabitants
must have lived the high life, since the
sPiritual high bunker museum stony abode is perched on a mountain
at 2,600 ft. the holiday home has since
Maxime Qavtaradze, a 59-year-old monk, Bunkers from the postwar hoxha
has lived a life of virtual solitude on era still litter albanias landscape, been converted into a small museum,
top of a pillar high above his Georgian and in the capital tirana, are being where it attracts scores of tourists,
monastery for 20 years. When he opened to the public as the country reported thesun.co.uk.
wants to leave Katskhi Pillar, he explores its communist past. the
spends 20 minutes getting down a land, from pretty beaches to remote illegal Pursuits
131ft ladder. supplies are winched valleys, is still dotted, 25 years after if youve ever wanted to know what its
up to him by his followers and he only the collapse of the regime, with tens like for illegal immigrants who cross
comes down twice a week to pray with of thousands of bunkers, testament from Mexico to the U.s., Parque ecoal-
his followers. according to dailymail. to the paranoia of enver hoxha, who berto offers a fake boarding crossing
co.uk, the Pillar was used by stylites, led the country from 1944 until his experience through the hills of Mexico,
christians who lived on top of pillars to avoid death in 1985. they were built to
reported foxnews.com. complete with
worldly temptation until the 15th century when the withstand invaders who never came
practice was stopped following the ottoman invasion fake smugglers and fake patrol agents,
and most are still standing. and now
of Georgia. For centuries the pillar lay abandoned. in that examining the legacy of the visitors go on a seven-and-a-half-mile-
1944, mountaineer Alexander Japaridze made the first
documented ascent of the Pillar. after the collapse of
the monk
maxime
feels gods
communist era is on the countrys
agenda, some have found a new
hike through the state of hidalgo where
actors will lead you through barbed
communism, and the subsequent resurgence of reli- presence in his role, reported theguardian.com. We wire, and run-ins with drug smugglers
gion in Georgia, Maxime, who became a monk after a monastery atop hope to help albanians to reconcile while dodging fake patrol cars. Be ad-
stretch in prison, decided to live here. the place today katskhi pillar in with their own history, said carlo vised, youll also experience being shot
attracts curious tourists. georgia Bollino, curator of Bunkart. at (with blanks) by border patrollers.

july-august 2016 Discover inDias northeast