Idyllic Land of Seven Sisters-NE India

A small note before I begin my post……

Some of my narrations may sound a little outdated – blame it on my new found enthusiasm to write about trips done 3 years before. And so are the photos – the clarity, resolution and any photographic jargon you name, its all older technology using a basic smartphone available at that time. Next comes my confession about the post title-its deceptive for the simple reason that we visited only 2 states, Assam and Meghalaya and not seven. I promise you, if God willing, we shall visit the rest of the 5 states and write as a second part to this post.

Enough with my disclaimers – let me start my post on Assam and Meghalaya. Thank you for your understanding.

We were accompanied in this trip by our friends Mr.Muthuraman and his wife Mrs.Valli. Mr.Muthuraman is himself a travel buff and he set his heart on becoming a successful entrepreneur in travel business. Many of our trips were made possible by this wonderful couple.

A short note on North-East(NE) States of India

The states in NE India, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura are more fondly referred as ‘Land of Seven Sisters’ after a book by Jyoti Prakash Saikia, a civil servant from Assam, commemorating the conferment of statehood to Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura in 1972. This title is befitting thanks to their common geographical features and interdependence for survival in spite of their great ethnic and religious diversity. Assam (in 1950) and Nagaland (in 1963) gained ‘statehood’ much earlier and Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram joined the bandwagon later in 1987.

Post independence, Sikkim alone continued to be an autonomous princely state and enjoyed a protectorate status with Republic of India until 1972 when the monarchy was finally abolished and Sikkim was merged with NE states of India (increasing the tally to eight states)

Interestingly, the land and rail access to these seven states are through the narrow 22kms Siliguri corridor in West Bengal between the international borders of Nepal and Bangladesh. This land access resembles the neck of a chicken and hence is known as ‘Chicken’s Neck’ among travel enthusiasts. More amusing fact is that the NE states (including Sikkim) share 99% of their geographical borders with five countries namely Bhutan, Bangladesh, China (Tibet Autonomous Region), Myanmar and Nepal.

NE states hasn’t witnessed any major invasions in ancient history as in mainland India owing to its poor accessibility and difficult terrains. The beginning of known and recorded history dates back to Varman dynasty in the 4th century AD when the kingdom of Kamarupa was formed. The ‘Ahoms’ were popular rulers and reigned for almost 600 years. There were many locally groomed dynasties and native tribal chieftains at all times ruling over smaller areas in this region. The real invasion of NE states happened when the British annexed the whole of NE states with the erstwhile British colonial India.

For many known and unknown reasons, NE states were continued to be ignored in the post independence era too. They were deprived of many economic and infrastructural developments that the rest of the country was enjoying. Though there seems to some light in recent years in terms of development, it is a long way to go until the citizens of these states feel more inclusive – else the region will continue to be rattled with the socio-economic issues that has been haunting for quite long.

13th March 2017 (Day 1)

Apart from the land and rail route, NE states is served by six airports. Guwahati, capital of Assam serves as the key airport, handling major domestic and international air traffic.

We took an early morning flight from Chennai to Guwahati and thus we were spared with the whole afternoon to kick-start our itinerary straight from the airport.

Guwahati, Assam

Srimanta Sankardev Kalashetra (Museum of Art and Culture),

Named after the great Assamese reformer, Kalashetra (as commonly known in Assam) is in Panjabari area of Guwahati city. Promoted by Assam state government, it is a grand cultural institution comprising of a museum, open air theatre, park and a library. The museum displays many traditional artifacts and wonderful life-size exhibits depicting the culture, lifestyle practices and farming techniques of different tribal groups of Assam. A walk-in through the museum would give you a glimpse of Assam that otherwise needs to be experienced travelling long distances across the state.

14th March 2017 (Day 2)

KaziRanga

National Orchid and Biodiversity park

Today, we started our journey further east towards Kaziranga National Park(KNP). Kaziranga is 200kms from Guwahati and journey by road takes approximately 4.5 hours. We checked in at KaziRanga National Orchid and Biodiversity park towards lunch and spent the afternoon watching a rare and wide collection of orchids from NE states.

The traditional dances of Assam are performed in a cultural centre in the Biodiversity park and the show is worth watching. Please check the show timings at the park reception.

Earlier, we experienced a hearty traditional vegetarian lunch served with amazing hospitality in the Biodiversity park cafeteria. I hope the picture below would speak more than my words. Everywhere in Assam, the basic vegetarian thaali is served in a similar platter. And thanks to Brahmaputra, fresh water fishes are abundant and fish dishes needs to be ordered separately.

15th March 2017 (Day 3)

KaziRanga National Park (KNP)

KNP, a World Heritage site is home to single horn Asian Rhinoceros (a highly endangered species and identified ‘highly vulnerable’ by WWF). KNP is a huge sanctuary, stretching almost 500 sqkms along the course of Brahmaputra in Assam. The sanctuary is host to two-thirds of world’s one-horned Rhino population and hence is popular among wildlife conservationists, zoologists and animal lovers in general. To be honest, we are not great wildlife enthusiasts, but we definitely wanted to visit a sanctuary once in our lifetime, just for the sake of experience. We never dreamt of visiting a sanctuary as exotic and famed as KNP.

The park’s ecological balance is maintained by a good presence of Bengal Tigers, Swamp Deers (both endangered species), Wild Buffalos and Elephants along with Rhinos. These five major inhabitants are referred to as ‘Big-5’. We embarked on a early morning ‘Rhino watching’ trail on elephant backs and were fortunate to watch 5 to 6 Rhinos in the wild, grazing freely in the fields and swamps of KNP.

Later after lunch, we explored 50 sq.kms of KNP in a jeep safari on a fixed trail extending over 3 hours. We spotted herds of rhinos and wild elephants (and some cute calves too), exotic birds, deers and buffaloes. It was quite exciting to watch the co-existence of so many animals in their own natural habitat.

The sanctuary is closed for visitors between months of April and October every year, when Brahmaputra river floods the area. Please click here for the official website before visiting.

16th March 2017 (Day 4)

After bidding farewell to the Rhinos of KNP, we headed towards Shillong in Meghalaya, almost 250kms south of KNP. Generally, its good to be prepared for long travel in the NE states as driving through the mountainous terrain is time consuming. But trust us, it will be interesting all along, as one gets to watch and enjoy nature, green fields, forests, farm lands, thin population, minimum urbanization and lower pollution levels. We observed farmers tilling the fields manually and ploughing with bullocks. Hopefully, we presume that the majority of the agrarian society here would desist from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the agricultural produces would be mostly organic. Many resources here appear to be untapped which otherwise would have been swindled in the name of development.

We reached Shillong late in the afternoon. Earlier, half the way up the ghat road, we could view Umiam lake – a large picturesque reservoir and a popular pit stop among tourists.

A short note on Meghalaya

Megh(cloud) Alaya(Abode), simply means ‘The Abode of clouds’ in sanskrit. Meghalaya is a hilly state sharing its entire southern border with Bangladesh. Shillong, a beautiful hill station serves as the capital of Meghalaya. Shillong has an airport with direct flights connecting Kolkata. Meghalaya’s topography is blended with plateaus and hill ranges of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia.

Many of you may be surprised to know that the tribal population of Meghalaya is predominantly a matrilineal society (the lineage / ancestral descent is traced through the maternal lines). Women folks play a dominant role under a matrilineal system (not to be confused with matriarchal society where the social power remains with the women). The Khasi tribe of Meghalaya is considered the largest surviving matrilineal culture in the world – the youngest daughter inherits ancestral properties and looks after her parents in their old age, children derives surname from mother and a male moves to his wife’s home after marriage. Birth of a girl child is celebrated and arrival of a boy child is a simple event.

With the advent of Christianity and westernization (75% of Meghalaya are now Christians) many traditions, culture and matrilineal customs are witnessing a change.

Ward’s Lake, Shillong

Spent time around Ward’s lake, an artificial lake established by the British under the erstwhile colonial administration. An evening stroll along the lush green garden around the Ward’s lake would be refreshing.

17th March 2017 (Day 5)

Cherrapunji

We checked out from our hotel in Shillong and headed to Cherrapunji (65kms south-west of Shillong). On the way to Cherrapunji, we visited Elephant falls and experienced a Zip-line ride in one of the valleys.

Finally, we reached Sohra, Cherrapunji, the place that receives the highest rainfall in the world.

Sadly, we did not feel so proud but rather a little disappointed as Cherrapunji was warm and sunny when we visited. It took some time for us to realize and get convinced that Cherrapunji also has dry season in the nature’s cycle. Pluviophiles – please plan your trip when the monsoon is active between April and November every year. And, another information to enhance your general knowledge – Cherrapunji is no more the wettest place on Earth having lost its title to its neighbour, Mawsynram, a small hill town in south east Meghalaya. Mawsynram receives 1200cm of rainfall averaged over a year and holds the current world record of being the wettest place on earth. Just for an understanding, Chennai received 50cm of rainfall during the infamous deluge on Dec.01 2015.

NohKaliKai falls, Cherrapunji

The Noh kali kai falls in Cherrapunji is the tallest plunge falls in India (1110feet approx.) and the 3rd highest falls in India. The view point is excellent and should definitely be a visual treat to watch the falls flowing to its fullest capacity during the monsoons. Like in many other tourist sites, there exists a tragic legendary story of a tribal woman behind the name of the falls.

Earlier, we had a glimpse of Wakaba falls as we touched Cherrapunji and ‘Seven Sisters falls’ later in the evening. The falls were either dry or had sparse flow of water.

Mawsmai caves, Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji is home to a large network of long caves tucked in Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills. The abrasion caused by gushing underground water over millions of years has resulted in the formation of such cave networks. The rich limestone and sandstone rocks gave way to formation of abundant stalactites (cone shaped mineral structure formed from the cave ceiling) and stalagmites (similar cone shaped structures growing from the ground).

Mawsmai cave is one among a few explored cave networks not far away from Cherrapunji town (6kms from town centre). The tourists are guided through a fixed trail spanning over 200metres approximately.

Krem Liat Prah in Cherrapunji is the longest cave in India with an explored distance of 30kms but many believe it could be even longer. Cherrapunji is home to more than a thousand clandestine and unexplored cave networks and hence is always a caver’s delight.

Hurray…….atlast, we had some solace as it started raining in Cherrapunji in the night and continued until the next day morning too.

Earlier, in the evening, as we roamed around the streets of this town, we witnessed scenes of local people standing in queue to fetch water and men climbing steep slopes carrying thick wooden poles on their shoulders loaded with water cans. It’s just irony that living in the wettest place on Earth does not entitle you to have access to basic water needs.

18th March 2017 (Day 6)

Dawki

Today we continued our journey to Dawki, a small town south-east of Cherrapunji and lying close to Bangladesh international border. Earlier, while planning our trip, we learnt from trip advisor and other travel channels that the Umngot river in Dawki has crystal clear water and the photos were just mind blowing.

We expected the river to appear as seen in the above photo, but what we saw is exactly what you see as in my photo below. Probably the rain was playing a spoilsport. Understood from the boatman that the river remains crystal clear in December when the monsoon spell comes to an end. Plan to visit at the right time and try your luck.

Bangladesh falls on the other side of Umngot river and it was fun watching the local citizens of both the countries trespassing borders in shallow waters and freely exchanging fishes and other commodities.

Next, we traveled to Dawki-Tamabil international border. There exists a security clearance office on the Indian side facilitating immigrations for road travel. The road continues across the border connecting Tamabil on Bangladesh side to Sylhet, a Bangladesh city. We saw number of coal laden trucks probably from the mines in Meghalaya, waiting to enter Bangladesh. We also heard that with required transit documents, one can cross the border by foot and continue journey using fewer transport options available on either sides. We met a few Bangladeshi tourists at the zero point and as we were engrossed in exchanging pleasantries, the security forces alerted us to retract and we obliged.

Mawlyngong – Cleanest Village in Asia

Mawlyngong (near Dawki) is an outstanding example of how a community could contribute to the holistic development of a village in India. The Panchayat (village council) has used every government grant (such as MNGREGS) to the fullest benefits of the residents. The street lights are solar-powered, the drainage system is well laid, wastes are collected in bamboo bins at street corners (bins handmade by villagers), segregated and biodegradable waste is converted into manure. Inspite of receiving copious rains, the community has implemented rain water harvesting systems. Plastics and thrashes are up-cycled appropriately. Apart from being clean, the village has a beautiful landscape. Mawlyngong boasts 100% literacy rate and many could converse in fluent English.

Mawlyngong has been adjudged “Cleanest village in Asia’ in 2003 by Discover India, the popular travel magazine. It was very interesting to go around the village and interact with the residents. As we drove out of the village, our thoughts were resonating with Gandhiji’s words- “The future of India lies in its villages”. Mawlyngong is definitely a positive precedence to rural growth and I wish many more villages in India would adopt and upgrade themselves taking cue and inspiration from Mawlyngong.

The Living Roots Bridge

Survival of the tribals in isolated and inaccessible terrains in Meghalaya has driven them to innovate solutions to make life easier-‘Living roots bridge’ is one such classic example. The roots of the trees found on either side of the river banks are trained over many years so that they inter-weave from all sides and grow into solid bridge like structures. These bridges serve as lifelines especially when the rivers gets inundated.

The bridge seen above is across the Thyllong river in a remote village called Nohwet in Meghalaya (near Mawlyngong). The roots of the Indian rubber trees on the banks of this river were trained by the tribals since 1840 to form this 30metres long bridge.

If you have the adrenaline to hike down a valley (4000 steps) and climb back, please dont miss to visit the double decker living root bridge in the vicinity of Cherrapunji.

Travelled back to Shillong for a overnight stay.

19th March 2017 (Day 7)

Travelled to Guwahati from Shillong. Reached Guwahati late in the afternoon.

Brahmaputra(from the banks of Guwahati, Assam)

We are always fascinated watching water bodies brimming to its fullest capacity. The magnificent Brahmaputra appeared calm on the surface and caused a sense of ecstasy in us.

Indian rivers usually have female names, but Brahmaputra (son of Brahma) is an exception.

The river emerges from the northern Himalayan glaciers near Mount Kailash and flows 1600kms eastwards through Tibet Autonomous Region(TAR) of China. Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo river in China until it makes a grand bend (U-turn) to enter India in Arunachal Pradesh and follows a south-west course through the state of Assam.

Fed by monsoon streams, Brahmaputra becomes mightier in Assam with the banks extending as broad as 8kms (5miles) in certain areas. Finally, it turns down south flowing into Bangladesh and merges with River Ganges before it finds its destination in the Bengal sea through the Sundarban estuary.

Brahmaputra is the 9th largest river in the world in terms of water discharge and 15th longest river, flowing almost 3800kms and crossing 3 countries. The average depth of Brahmaputra is 40metres and the maximum depth is 120metres. To crown it all – the world’s smallest and largest inhabited river islands in the world is found in Brahmaputra.

Umananda Island, Guwahati, Assam

Umananda island near the banks of Guwahati in Brahmaputra (aka peacock island) is the smallest inhabited river island in the world. The island is easily accessible by both government and private boats. Lot of devotees throng the Shiva temple built in this island. From the shores of Umananda, we felt as if we were standing in the midst of an ocean and it was an awesome sight to watch this nature’s wonder.

Majuli is the largest river island in the world spread over 350sqkms. Majuli is far away from Guwahati, almost 150kms east of Kaziranga. We did not visit Majuli but if you happen to travel to east of Assam (such as Dibrugarh), please include a visit to Majuli in your itinerary.

20th March 2017 (Day 8)

Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati

Goddess Kamakhya resides in Nilchal hills not far away from Guwahati city centre (7kms). Kamakhya temple dates back to 8th-9th century AD and is considered the oldest and most important among the four major Shakthi Sthals in the country.

Temple’s mythology(Sthala Purana)

The Hindu mythology associated with this temple goes as follows…Daksha, father of Shakthi humiliates Shiva, the son-in-law, by not inviting him for his yagna. Shakthi participates Daksha’s yagna against the wishes of Shiva and when humiliated by her father, jumps into the pyre. Shiva turns furious on knowing this and performs the Rudra Thandav (an angry celestial dance) holding the corpse of Shakthi over his head. In order to pacify Shiva, Vishnu launches his ‘Sudharshan Chakra’ and cuts the corpse into pieces – the body parts are believed to have strewn around and fell on Earth in 51 different places that are revered as 51 Shakthi sthals today. The important organ for the very existence of life – the uterus / womb (Yoni) is believed to have fallen here and Kamakhya temple stands as a symbol of womanhood celebrating menstruation and fertility.

• Kamakhya temple serves as an important centre for age old tantric and mystic philosophies and practices.
• Lakhs of devotees visit temple everyday and wait in long serpentine queues for many hours to have a dharshan of Goddess Kamakhya.
• We had to climb down a few steps in a relatively dark sanctum (Garbagraha) to reach the symbolic stone idol that takes the shape of a Yoni (mythical female genitals) rising from the ground with an underlying spring water keeping it wet. The idol was bedecked with red vermilion powder and flowers scattered around. No other image or idol could be seen inside the sanctum.
• Goddess Kamakhya is celebrated as ‘The Bleeding or Menstruating Goddess’. The mystical idol in the sanctum is believed to bleed for 3 days in June every year. It seems more than 20 lakh devotees descend to the temple during this annual 5 days mega mela (holy gathering).
• The temple shuts down completely during the ‘celestial menstruating period’ and the Assamese avoid all auspicious activities during this time. Once the temple is opened, the blood stained clothe worn on the deity is believed to gain supernatural powers. Even a bit of thread from this blood stained clothe fetches exorbitant price among the devotees.
• Brahmaputra flowing in this area and the pond in the temple complex is claimed to turn red during these days. This could possibly be due to excess use of the holy red vermilion powder by the priests.
• Sacrificial offering has been an ancient tradition and essential element of tantric rituals and Kamakhya is no exception with reported incidences of human sacrifices long before. Now, only animals are sacrificed (animals include buffaloes, goats, ducks and pigeons). The priests and local community involve in sacrificial rituals and the meat is distributed among the devotees and tribals living around the hills.
• All offerings and prayers are normally carried out to a statue of Shakthi (Goddess Kamakhya) in a big hall just before the Sanctum.
• Controversial remarks and protests emanates from time to time against animal sacrifices in Kamakhya but hasn’t turned deterrent due to the firm belief in sacrificial worship.
• As per Hindu tradition and shastras, women are expected to refrain from entering temples while menstruating, but interestingly, in Kamakhya, women are welcomed to visit and offer prayers in the midst of their menstrual cycles too.

Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu is one among the 51 Shakthi sthals where the ‘navel of Shakthi’ is believed to have fallen.

21th March 2017 (Day 9)

We packed our bags and reached Guwahati airport on our journey back home. As we drove to the airport, we observed the whole city in festive mood getting ready for the first edition of Namami Brahmaputra – an international festival that celebrates the beauty of Brahmaputra.

Yes, there resides beauty and divinity in every God’s creation that needs to be respected, preserved and celebrated.

The End.

The narrations may follow a slightly different itinerary from the actual one, just to maintain a continuity in my posts. Please download the spreadsheet below to view the hotels of stay, our ratings and recommendations and a record of daily activity. We hope this helps you to plan your trip better.