Splendours Of The Seven Sisters - Assam & Nagaland

A holiday is not really a holiday unless you do something different. Just lounging in a hotel room or visiting the crowded tourist attractions can hardly merit the essence of a holiday. Getting away from the urban bustle into the lap of nature, in the midst of not where you belong, a face-off with the wild, a bit of challenge, a little adventure and loads of fun..... is what makes a good and memorable Holiday.

India can boast a whole bunch of such destinations for travel enthusiasts and one of them is the North Eastern India.

NORTH EAST INDIA

North-East of India is the land of Blue Mountains, Green Valleys and Red River. Nestled in the Eastern Himalayas this region is abundant in Natural Beauty, Wildlife and its Colourful People. A blend of all these makes it one of the most beautiful tourism destinations in South Asia.

The region comprises of Seven States: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim. The tribal people, who still retain their pristine touch, offer you some of the most beautiful tours with Trekking & Wildlife.

It is also one of the most ethically and linguistically diverse regions in Asia, with each state having its own distinct culture and tradition.

So here I was on the eve of 9th November 2010, tempted by Piya Bose of GOTG, decided to make this wonderful trip to the North East. I was quite proud to be making this trip as none in my family had seen this part of the country before and I could boast about it on returning. Ofcourse when I revealed the plans at home, the first reaction from everyone was quite shocking and surprised. Well, they were just being protective. Didn’t take me long to convince them though.

I still had 2 and a half weeks to prepare for the journey and that gave me enough time to go on these usual pre-trip shopping sprees. Trust me, these shopping sprees are the worst as you end up spending much more than necessary. It was also my first long journey with my DSLR, so there was a lot of reading I did on travel photography, wildlife photography, etc.

The 28th of Nov was here before I knew it and was on my way to the airport to catch the flight to Guwahati.

ASSAM

Assam is almost like another world, a land nestled in myths and mysteries, lores and legends. It is the Eastern Sentinel, the coloured wonderland of India and is also well known as the ‘Mystic Land of Tea’. Assam is the entryway to the North-East India.

The word Assam is derived from the Sanskrit word "Asom" meaning 'peerless'. The history unfolds to say that Assam was known as Pragjyotishpur (the City of Eastern Light) until 1228. Then, the Ahoms from North Thailand invaded this land and established a kingdom, which then came to be known as Assam.

Assam has been a curious melting pot into which have gone the Aryan and non-Aryan & the tribal and the non-tribal. The majority of the population in the plains is made up of Hindus, speaking the Aryan Assamese language.

In Assam, the line between the tribal and the non-tribal is pretty thin and the so-called non-tribal Assamese Hindu society retains many elements, which are patently 'tribal' by orthodox Hindu standards. Castes are not strictly occupation linked, and caste based disabilities are very few.

Of the Tribal - Majority of the tribal groups belong to the Tibeto-Burmese family.

Getting There

Gateway to Assam is through Guwahati. One can get there by,

Air: The Gopinath Bordoloi Airport is 23 km from the city and connects Guwahati to Delhi and Kolkata by air. There is also a weekly International flight to and from Bangkok, connecting to the rest of the world.

Train: Guwahati is connected by train with major cities like Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai and Mumbai

Road: Guwahati is connected with all other state capitals of North-East India through a network of government and private luxury buses, which are perhaps the best in the country. One can also take a cab to get around the city as well as the other states of North-East.

Food

Assamese cuisine has a lot of regional variations. It is characterised by the use of simple ingredients which are at times very flavourful and at times very pungent. Fermented food is very widely used, giving it a distinct flavour. Rice is the staple diet and other supplementary food includes lentils, fish curry, meat curry along with herbs and vegetables. Their meals are very nutritious and not as spicy as other Indian meals. A lot of herbs of medicinal value are used in these preparations. Food in Assam is rarely an elaborate affair.

Stay

The main cities like Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar have luxury accommodation as well as mid range and budget hotels. There aren’t a large number of hotels offering good amenities in other towns but they are generally clean and friendly.

GUWAHATI

The majestic gateway city of Guwahati is an absolute must on the itinerary for any visitor to do this part of the world. It is a commercial hub for the entire region and an entry point to the world of wonders.

Geographically, Guwahati is divided into two parts by the river Brahmaputra. North Guwahati is almost a separate town. One can visit it via the Saraighat Bridge or by the ferries that ply on the river. The nearest major city is Kolkata (approx 1200kms), while the capitals of the other north-eastern states are at distances varying from 100kms to 650kms.

Guwahati is derived from two Assamese words, "Guwa," meaning areca nut and "Haat," meaning market. Fixed between the picturesque hills of the eastern Himalayan mountain range, Guwahati houses the political capital of the state, Dispur. The gateway to the seven other north-eastern states also referred as seven sisters. It is a vital tourist base point, besides being an attraction of its own.

Excavations trace the origins of the city to around the 6th century. This former capital of Demon king 'Narakasura', of 'Pragjyotishpur' finds mention in the Great Indian Epic 'Mahabharata'. According to the legend, Narakasura was the son of Bhudevi (mother earth) and Varaha (Vishnu in his Varaha – boar avatar). Another legend has it that he was the son of Asura Hiranyaksha. He established his kingdom in Pragjyotishpur (then Assam), after defeating another Danava King Ghatakasura. His dynasty ruled Assam for many years in the prehistoric times. A peak near Guwahati is named after him.

It is also the ancient land of 'Kamarupa' from which the present day name of Kamrup administrative district under which Guwahati city comes was derived. "Kama-Rupa" was the land where the Hindu god of Beauty, fertility and source of life was reborn.

One can easily spend a week here... with every day being a new experience in itself. Guwahati offers several private hotels ranging from luxury to budget-friendly ones. There are excellent accommodation facilities in and around Guwahati.

Fish is a major delicacy in Assam and one can savour mouth-watering curries in and around Paltan Bazaar at cheap rates.

to be continued....