Scaling Saramati Peak: Climbing Nagaland's Highest Mountain

volume no. 02 | issue no.
06 | 100
| P30 |
10 honeymoon with a dif-

ference: on the magic
mountain of mandala
44 all the curves and all
the edges: the long
rough ride from imphal
80 the highest mountain
peak in nagaland:
climbing the relatively
with the avian beauties to aizawl uncharted mt. saramati
september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast
Discover inDias northeast visitmanipur manipurtourism @TourismManipur
september-october 2017
manipurtourism.gov.in
80
scaling saramati peak: THE
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF
CLIMBING THE HIGHEST MOUN-
10 20
TAIN PEAK IN NAGALAND
solo
rider
the city
sikkim through the eyes

of a lone rider on his
maiden journey to the
northeast
mandala
magiC
44
mizoram
musings
hills
how a mountain and its avian population what a team of riders

transformed a simple honeymoon outing from bangalore discov-
into an extraordinary sojourn ered during their sortie
into aizawl
1
2 6
4
3
8 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
68 krishna at play:
Sansenba, a unique fes-
tival of Manipur where
children enact the roles
of young Krishna and his
friends
56 62 88
our neighbours
ultimate diy frame by frame thailand

try cycling, the best capturing the a great combo of
drive it yourself essence of kharchi temple tour and
vehicle to explore puja in a mix of can- shopping in bangkok
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7
Whats Trending?
editor Kishore Seram
dePuty editor Prabanee Sarmah
Contributors
W
Gaurav Kataria, Charanjiv Kalha,
Ronel Seram, Aditya, Subhayan ITh ThIS ISSUE, Discover Indias Northeast completes its
Ghosh, Ali Mehdi, Dibyendu Das,
Volume 2 series. It has been a wonderful journey exploring the
Suresh Selvaraj, Shanku Sharma,
Partha Seal, Tamal Bhowmik, Shalini nooks and corners of the 8 states. We have been adventurous
Bhaumik, Byron Aihara, Muktha in rediscovering the Alpine lakes in Arunachal, rafting down the
Warrier, Arup Saikia, Olivia Nambam, mighty Brahmaputra, trekking up to Goechala in Sikkim, ascending Shirui peak
Sudipto De, Snigdha Bhowmick in Manipur, cycling and biking uphill to Tawang and more.
We had an extensive tour of the wildlife circuit, covering, among other
design Vikram Nongmaithem hotspots, Kaziranga and Dibru Saikhowa in Assam, Eaglenest and Mandala in
Publishing Consultant Arunachal, and Sepahijala in Tripura. We revisited the mysterious menhirs of
MT Creating Tomorrow Mizoram, went on a tattoo trail in Nagaland, participated in several colourful
festivals along the way, had a great time chasing the rains in Meghalaya, and
All rights reserved. Reproduction in
whole or part without written permission is
even chilled out in some of the high-end properties in the Northeast. We had a
prohibited. We take care in fact checking all great experience and we hope you enjoyed too.
articles and regret any error inadvertently There was something else we noticed during this journeythe increasing
done. All opinions expressed by freelance
writers are their own and not necessarily
number of travelers who discovered that much of their apprehensions and
those of Discover Indias Northeast. fears about the Northeast were unfounded. That is an important observation
Editor : Kishore Seram. Printed and pub- that needs to be shared with everyone living outside the Northeast. It is
lished by Kishore Seram for and on behalf
of Outdoorpeople Tourism Promotion Pvt beautiful, and it is safe.
Ltd. Printed at G.H. Prints Pvt Ltd, A-256, This issue tries to allay those concerns of safety and security through first
Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, New hand travelers accounts. Read Ali Mehdis narration of his maiden solo ride
Delhi-110020 and published at C/o
Questrails Adventure Pvt Ltd, 5-L, 2nd across Sikkimwhere the weather was the only spoilsport. Similarly, Suresh
Floor, Shahpurjat, New Delhi-110049. Selvaraj from Bangalore talks about the compensation he got for his torturous
Phone: +919810699771
bike ride from Imphal in Manipur to Aizawl in Mizoram. Muktha Warriers
impression of her maiden visit to the Northeast also talks about her initial fears
travel Consultant
Manishankar Ghosh
and the pleasant surprises she found each day of her sojourn in Manipur. And
they were not the only ones to find a happy on-ground situation.
+91 9810299733
The big-ticket tourism related events of the Northeast have been witnessing
advertising enquiries: an increasing turnout each year. Besides the very popular Hornbill Festival of
Niraj Dubey
Nagaland and the Sangai Festival of Manipur, the relatively new music festival
+91 9810068372
+91 9810699771
Bacardi NH7 Weekender recorded unprecedented success at its second outing
customercare@outdoorpeople.in in Shillong. According to the organizers, NH7 Weekenders third appearance
in the state, on 27-28 October, is expected to reaffirm its record of the fastest
subsCriPtion enquiries:
growing musical event in the country.
subscribe@outdoorpeople.in
As the turnouts improve, efforts are on to accommodate more. While
editorial enquiries:
relentlessly improving its existing properties and products, Sikkim is busy
editor@outdoorpeople.in
creating new experiences and aggressively promoting them too. Among
the new ones is the Kanchenjunga Marathon, a high altitude trail run (at an
altitude of 16,500 ft), to be held on 6 November.
Arunachal Pradesh is catching up in a big way. Tawang Festival, Ziro Music
Festival and Dambuk Orange Festival are already well attended. The second
volume 02 issue 06 edition of Basar Confluence (BasCon) is scheduled on 4-5 November. This
edition is expected to be bigger than the first one, with larger number of
September-October 2017
artists and revellers participating.
Total No. of pages 100 So keep scanning whats trending in the tourism world, you might find a
new contenderIndias Northeast.
FOR quERiES
AnD FEEDbAcK
feedback@outdoorpeople.in
Ph. no: +91 9810699771
cOvEr phOtO kishore seram
KRANG SuRI wATERFALL
Editor
PHOTOGRAPH by dibyENdu dAS
Join us on www.facebook.com/discoverindiasnortheast
Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

8
Coming soon
heres a list of events to
help you maximise your
travel experience
celebrated in the second week of november

every year. the celebrations mark the act nagal an d
of thanksgiving to the sun god of fertility,
known as Misi-A-Gilpa-Saljong-Galapa. A
nagara (a special drum used for calling the
people on solemn occasions) is beaten amur falCon roosting
to start the festivities. though the social october around the second week of october,
aspect of the Wangala Festival goes on amur Falcons (migrating from Mongolia
in the villages for a number of days, with to south africa) take a short break to
eating, drinking and merrymaking, the exact
m e g h ala y a dates of the festival are decided by the
roost at Pangti village, near Doyang reservoir in Wokha
district. it is a unique and phenomenal spectacle that
village headmen. the Wangala dance, which draws tourists and avid birders from all across the world
involves both men and women, is performed to this village each year.
to the accompaniment of drums, buffalo
baCardi nh7 horn trumpets and bamboo flutes. Men
weekender wear dhotis, half-jackets and turbans with
october
indias answer to Glastonbury,
feathers, while the women adorn themselves s ikk im
with colourful silk dresses and a feather
the BacarD nh7 Weekender
head-wrap. It is a sight to watch when 300
will be held in shillong on 27 and
dancers and 100 drummers descend on the
28 october. the eighth edition of the festival
festival grounds in all their traditional finery. namChi mahotsav
will feature some prominent global artists, october nestled among the hills at an elevation
including guitar virtuoso steve vai, punk rock of 4,400 feet namchi town commands
icon Marky ramone, metal legends textures and a panoramic view of the surrounding
the Dillinger escape Plan (both of whom are
playing their final tours, Textures is playing their tripura hills and snow capped mountains and stretches of the
valleys below. it is an excellent place for short stay
final ever show in Pune), and hip-hop group Swet and village excursions. every year namchi Mahotsav is
shop Boys. the festival will also feature some celebrated in the month of october. there are activities
of the best artists from india, including indian durga Puja like traditional sports, sale and exhibition of local arts
ocean, vishal Bhardwaj (who will be performing in the month of ashwin and handicrafts, flower show and sale etc.
live for the first time), Karsh Kale Collective, Ram sept/oct
or September-October,
sampath, Dualist inquiry, thaikkudam Bridge,
the raghu Dixit Project, and specially curated
Durga puja is celebrated kanChenjunga run
by the people of tripura. it
sets by Blackstratblues and rudy Wallang. The Kanchenjunga Marathon is
is believed that in the light of the waxing november scheduled for 6th november from
Music enthusiasts can buy the tickets from: moon, goddess Durga comes to her fathers
https://insider.in/nh7-weekender Dzongri (Goechala-16, 500ft). This is
house from the abode of her husband. in
a high altitude trail run of 42.195 km.
this month, the state wears a resplendent
wangala festival look when white Kaash flowers adorn the
there is also the option of a half Marathon with a
november distance of 16 km. there will be cash prizes, medals
the Wangala Festival is an landscape harmonising with the zeal of the
and certificates awarded to participants and winners.
annual post-harvest festival of people to see the goddess once more after a
For specific details on entrance fees, programmes and
the Garos tribes and generally year-long separation.
awards log on to: www.kanchenjungamarathon.com

9
as s am
international
october/ film fest
arunachal Pradesh, is organizing its Xiith travel november the Guwahati international Film
congress on 24th october 2017 at Banquet Festival (GiFF) will be held from
hall, itanagar, arunachal Pradesh with the 28th October-2nd November, 2017
support of Department of tourism, Government at two locations: Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra
of arunachal Pradesh. the tourism summit and Jyoti chitraban Film studio. the festival is
will be focusing on various aspects of tourism being organized by Jyoti chitraban (Film studio)
development and promotion, with brain storming society with the support of the Government of
plenary sessions and panel discussions, assam in association with Dr. Bhupen hazarika
exchange of ideas and experiences, talks on regional Government Film and television
motivations, future trends and will provide ample institute.
opportunities for networking to make the travel the theme of the Guwahati international Film
arunachal pradesh congress more meaningful. Festival isDemocracy, Peace and Freedom,
the travel congress will witness the active and is being organized to provide a place for film
participations and presence of the Ministry makers to present the best in the art of cinema;
basCon 2.0 of Doner, nec (north east council), iato, to understand various cultures of the world and to
atoi, iMF (indian Mountaineering Foundation), promote peace, freedom and friendship.
november the second edition of Basar Dtoai (Domestic tour operators associations
confluence (Bascon) is scheduled on the festival will have a competition section
of india), Ficci, cii , Print and electronic media meant for feature films (completed between 1st
4th and 5th of November 2017. This personalities, Wildlife researchers/professionals,
edition is expected to be bigger than September, 2016 and 31st August, 2017) made in
east himalayan travel & tour operators different languages of assam.
the first one, with larger number of artists and revellers association, atsPaB (association of tourism
participating. The Non-Competition Section will have Indian
service Providers associations of Bengal), Panorama, World cinema, retrospectives, tribute
according to the organisers, in continuation to and other regional tourism organisations like ( assamese Director); country Focus and cinema
the first edition, the Artists Residency program will saato (sikkim association of adventure tour of north east.
be continued with full vigour. Traditional fishing and operators), toaa (tour operators associations
traditional sports will be major attractions in addition of assam), nta (nagaland tourism associations)
to the celebration of Mopin--the deity worshipped by and neitc ( north east india tourism
Galos for a bumper harvest. she is the goddess of confederation).
agriculture. Delicious traditional food and beverages
will be made available in agreement with the Organic-
festival tag that Bascon is known for. ENTRY
the second edition of the confluence of culture PERMITS
and tradition will have more focus on guided tours
in and around Basar conforming to the basic goal of
*Entry permits are not required for Indians or
developing tourism in and around the region. the area
foreigners to visit Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya.
boasts of potential scenic and adventurous spots like
nguda Pokcho hill; caves at Padi/Zirdo; Waterfalls *Inner Line Permit (ILP) is required for Indian
at Pagi/Bumchi/Hido-Hidi; Jolly the haunted forest citizens to enter Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland
and many more. With prior planning and intimation and Mizoram.
revellers may visit these sites and others. all the 20 *RAP: To visit Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh,
villages of GRK area will participate. GRK stands for foreigners must obtain Restricted Area Permit
Gumin Rego Kilaju, which translates to A Collaboration (RAP).
of Positive Minds For social Growth; a society
*Foreigners are no longer required a RAP to visit
formed by the local denizens whose mandate is
Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. However they
socio-economic elevation as well as protection of the must register themselves at the local Foreigners
environment in and around the area. Besides, all the Registration Office (FRO) of the districts they
tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, along-with 4 Northeastern visit within 24 hours of arrival.
cultural groups will be part of the festival. For more
details visit: www.basarconfluence.org *ILP is not required for Indian tourists visiting
Sikkim or Manipur, but Indian tourists visiting
Manipur via Dimapur/Kohima require an Inner
travel Congress Line Permit to pass through Nagaland. This is
available from any Nagaland House, or Govern-
october arunachal Pradesh tour operators ment of Nagaland office.
association (aPtoa), a premier
organisation of tourism stakeholders in
galo lady in traditional attire september-october 2017

10
arunachal Pradesh
text and photographs by subhayan ghosh
1
How Mandala and iTS avian PoPulaTion

TranSforMed a SiMPle HoneyMoon ouTing
inTo an exTraordinary Sojourn
the one and only birding

lodge in mandala

11

12
orange bellied leafbird grey chinned minivet
W
hILE PLANNINg a honeymoon idea of visiting the Magic Mountains of Mandala,
trip with my wife Madhumanti, which are on the same route as Tawangonly a
we were both of the same bifurcated 40 km diversion from Dirang.
mind, to visit and explore a less This idea set in my mind, I convinced Madhu
travelled place. It was then that that we should not stay in Dirang, but rather stay
we thought of the lakes and mountains of Tawang in Mandala for two nights, as there is a secluded
in Arunachal Pradesh. Being a bird-lover, I was very but extremely beautiful birding lodge at Man-
intrigued by the idea of Tawang as our honeymoon dala. I promised her that she would not regret the
destination as each and every nook and corner of decision, and Madhu agreed to the proposal. I was
Arunachal is a birders delight. After that, I got the almost dancing as I prepared our backpacking

13
darjeeling woodpecker rufous fronted tit
checklist and made bookings for the flight, cabs woollens, down-feather jackets, caps, gloves, etc.
and the ever beautiful lodge of Mandala. (It is note- Thus all set; Madhu started the countdown for the
worthy that Mandala Birding Lodge is the only stay trip while I was eager to understand why birders
option in the Magic Mountains.) call Mandala, the Land of Magic Mountains.
After booking the flight tickets, cabs and Man- Our Innova was already waiting for our arrival
dala lodge, the stage was all set for the two of us outside Tezpur airport and within an hour we were
to be part of the magic of Mandala. But it was the on our way towards Bhalukpong, the entry point
month of February and we had been warned about from Assam to Arunachal. Before Bhalukpong, we
the cold and windy conditions of the area. Ac- met with our guide Dombe, who would accom-
cordingly, we loaded our backpacks with sufficient pany us for our two nights stay in Mandala Birding

14
hodgsons redstart
green shrike babbler
himalayan forest thrush black throated sunbird
Lodge. He was a young, sober guy, a local of the slide a few hours earlier and the roads were still
Tenga Valley, an Arunachali village about 80 km being repaired. While we were sitting there getting
from Bhalukpong. We raced through the well paved bored, stuck inside the vehicle, suddenly Dombe
roads and an hour after crossing Bhalukpong, called out to me. I turned, and almost immediately
Dombe stopped our car near the Sessa Orchid began working on my cameras shutterI could see
farm. Almost immediately, I got my first sightings a number of Striated Bulbuls, Black Throated Sun-
of the Grey Chinned Minivet, the White Naped birds and Yellow Bellied Fairy Fantails, etc. With
Yuhina and the Orange Bellied Leaf-bird couple. my bird count continually increasing, we reached
After crossing Sessa farm, the meandering moun- Tenga Valley at around 2:00 pm and had our lunch.
tain roads started taking a toll on us and we were Dombe also collected the ration required for all of
even halted by Army men. There had been a land- us during our two nights stay.

15
green tailed sunbird
grey chinned minivet
white naped yuhina brown throated fulvetta
On the way to Dirang, I got a chance to see a from Dirang, reaching Mandala Birding Lodge
Coral Billed Scimiter Babbler for the first time in at 6:30 pm. On emerging from the vehicle, the
my life. Although I did not get a good shot of the extreme cold and the beating wind made me numb
same, I managed a poor record shot in my list. instantly. I even heard stories of drinking water in-
Basically, every nook and corner of this region can stantly becoming solid; such is the rage of the cold
bring out surprisesso on the way, me and Dombe out there. Checking her phone, Madhu uttered in a
looked out for every chirp and call that we heard in shivering voice that it was only 1 degree centigrade
the wild. Finally we reached Dirang after sundown outside. We quickly entered with our luggage, and
and we started feeling the biting cold outside. it was a sheer heaven inside the wooden lodge.
With Dombe guiding us, we drove down the Not only did the rustic wooden ambience of the
pitch dark road through the forest for an hour furniture, dining table, sofa, hanging lampshades

an elusive resident
red Panda is one of the endangered species of animal found in Mandala. Classified
16 as a relative of the giant panda and also of the raccoon, the red panda uses its ringed
tail as a wraparound blanket in the chilly mountain heights
and fire placeall crafted out of pine treesdelight us, stands high and gracefully maintained above another
but also the heritage architecture of the lodge and the hill-top what a beauty to watch! We came to know
warmth of the fire-place blissfully protected us from that the Gorichen Massif of the North Eastern Himala-
the extreme cold outside. After a sumptuous dinner yas is clearly visible behind the lodge, but our luck did
served by the cook and caretaker of the lodge, we not favour us to see the same. We started early from
slipped into the blankets and gave in to sleep. our lodge and birded the entire
The first sunrays touch the land of sun-lit moun- way to Mandala Top and Phudung.
tains as early as 4:00 a.m. I stepped outside the lodge
before an early breakfast and was spellbound by the (clockwise from left) on
the way from mandala
to dirang; the interior of mandala
Phudung village has a very strange
landscape with dead tree trunks
pristine beauty of Mandala. There is an odd deserted tourist lodge; the writer with standing by a handful of houses
complex of a few abandoned buildings and barren guide dombe while taking along a mountain ridge. Dombe
pictures of birds; (facing page)
frost-bitten forest over the mountain top and noth- the writer and his wife against the told us that this landscape exists
ing more than that. Only this beautiful Mandala Lodge backdrop of phudung village because of a strong forest fire

17
about 40 years ago.

Phudung village has At the days end I was rewarded with the sight-
a very strange land- ings of Black Throated Thrushes, Rusty Flanked
Tree-creepers, Goldcrests, Darjeeling Woodpeckers,
scaPe with dead tree Collared Owlets, Grey Crested Tits, Coal Tits, Rufous
trunks standing by Vented Tits, Winter Wrens, Spotted Laughingth-
rushes, Stripe Throated Yuhinas and Rufous Vented
a handful of houses Yuhinas. Dombe made an excellent effort to witness
the skulking Bar-winged Wren Babblerthis tiny
along a mountain little gem is so shy and reckless that its very dif-
ridge ficult to photograph, but somehow I managed to get
a moderate shot of this beauty. Also the Himalayan
Forest Thrush is a newly named species that has been

cats in the wild
the forests of arunachal Pradesh harbour the big fourtiger, leopard, clouded
18 leopard and snow leopard, and two other endangered feline species, the golden cat
and marbled cat.
stripe throated yuhina
striated bulbul
beautiful sibia winter wren
bifurcated from its parent species of Alpine thrush
whereabouts in 2016 by ornithologists, depending on their breed-

ing habitats and call. I consider myself lucky to have
Mandala is approximately 220 km from tezpur airport or seen this bird in a very good perch. On the pre-set of
400 km from Guwahati airport via Bhalukpong, Bomdila and sunset we reached our lodge to sit by the warmth of
Dirang. the fireplace. I then told Madhu that I now understood
Nearest airport is Tezpur airport if you fly from Kolkata or why birders call this place the Land of Magic Moun-
else Guwahati airport if you fly from new Delhi.
Best season to visit the place is october to May whereas
tainsyou name an elusive bird from your wish-list
any time of the year produces good birding opportunities. and you get it here in Mandala.
But the pain of leaving this magical place the next
day was seemingly visible on my face. Madhu insisted

19
grey crested tit
yellow browed tit
rufous vented yuhina spotted laughingthrush
that we stay one more day here, cutting one day from Tit, Ashy Throated Warbler, Black Faced Warbler,
our itinerary from Tawang. My heart pounded with joy Brown Throated Fulvetta, Black Eagle and the list con-
-what a honeymoon treat it was to me from my wife. tinues. That days happy birding ended with a beautiful
We remained cosy and comfortable by the fireplace, frame of the not so common Rufous Fronted Tit. Fi-
while Dombe took the vehicle to Dirang to fetch some nally, next morning we had to bid adieu to this magical
more rations for our extended stay. place for our onwards journey to Tawang.
The next day also we did loads of birding across On a closing note it has to be mentioned that Man-
various turns of the Magic Mountains and got prized dala is truly a Land of Magic Mountains with serene
sightings and photographs of Himalayan Blue-tail, landscapes, beautiful forests, tranquil environment
Beautiful Sibia, White Collared Black-bird, Green and huge diversified fauna that will attract anyone to
Tailed Sunbird, Green Shrike Babbler, Yellow Browed visit here again and again.

20
sikkim
2
My
text & photographs by ali mehdi
how sikkim paved the way to

appreciate the northeast region
the writer taking a break

on his way from thangu to
gurudongmar lake

21

22
w
hen i began my solo bike journey across trated that he ran away. Then he worked at whatever
the Northeast, Sikkim was the first state came his way. Gradually, his hard work began to pay
I visited. off and he managed to save some money and build up
I entered the state from Darjeeling, his own business. Today, he owns three hotels in Man-
West Bengal. The road to Mangan in Sik- gan, is married to a local lady and is leading a happy
kim passes through tea gardens and villages, winding life. It was he who arranged a permit to Gurudongmar
up and down steep slopes. After about 10 hours of lake for me from the District Magistrates office.
biking, I reached Mangan, and stayed at a guest house The following morning, I started for Thangu. To
whose owner had an interesting story. Guddu, the reach Thangu from Mangan, I had to pass through
owner, is originally from Rajasthan and was brought Chungthang and Lachen. Mangan to Chungthang is
here by his sister when he was a child, after his par- around 36 km and it took me a little over an hour to
ents demise. Unfortunately, instead of giving him love cover the distance. I stopped at Chungthang for my
and education, his sister assigned him to household lunch and helped myself to instant noodles, parathas,
work. His life was miserable and he became so frus- and momos. Whether it was because of my hunger or

23
the road that leads to

tso lhamo lake
the exotic location, I am not sure, but those momos

and noodles tasted better and different than the ones WhEN I CROSSED
I had elsewhere. After stuffing myself full, I was back
on the road that offered some lovely scenic views. LAChEN, IT STARTED
Along the way, I halted at a spot near Lachen for a
short break. I parked my bike beside a shop selling TO RAIN. ANd iN thE
FrEEziNG rAiN i drOvE
pork and started playing with some street dogs, when
a kid came out of the shop and began checking my
bike with curiosity. After sometime his father stepped
out of his shop and we had a good conversation and FOr AbOut 35 km
he gave me loads of good wishes for my journey. As a
memory, they wanted to click a photo with my bike
and I obliged them. That photo still serves as a beauti-
tO rEAch thANGu
ful memory of a beautiful moment. ArOuNd 6 pm
24
(clockwise from
above) the zuluk loops
on the old silk route;
a memorial by the
roadside near lachen
town; village homes near
mangan
When I crossed Lachen, it started to rain. The I got up at 4 in the morning, and leaving my luggage
temperature dropped and in the freezing rain I drove behind I went to the Army camp and got my permit
for about 35 km to reach Thangu around 6 pm. I also stamped. Then soon after breakfast, I left for Guru-
noticed to my dismay that my GoPro had been dam- dongmar Lake. The road was amazing, and on the way
aged in the rain. In Thangu there was no electricity I saw many yaks out to pasture on the vast grasslands
and the only mobile network available was Airtel. I and the towering peaks soaring into the morning sky.
checked into a homestaythe owner was very polite, It took me about 3 hours to reach Gurudongmar Lake
and gave me a room for just Rs 700. Although the and the place was swarming with tourists. Over a cup
room was kept well, it was freezing. He served dal, rice of hot coffee, I spent some time soaking in the beauty
and roti for dinner and chatted with me. It turned out of the place. On the way back, I stopped at a cafe run
that he was a retired Army officer and his son too was by the Army called 15000 Cafe and had potato pako-
an Army officer. He had invested his retirement funds ras and coffee. Both were good as was the gossip with
in his home and was running the homestay with his the Army personnel. When evening came, I slowly
wife and daughter-in-law. rolled back to Thangu through the drizzle.

25
(clockwise from
left) gangtok mall; an
embossed figure of
buddha on the roadside
near gangtok; a view of
thangu town
I left Thangu at dawn the next day. Notwithstand- ing with people who were out in droves, despite the
ing the early hour, the street dogs were active and steady drizzle. The next day I got the permit and I
furious. They literally ran me out of town. Like most headed for Nathula and Zuluk. As luck would have it, it
of the other days, it rained the whole day. After riding started to rain. After riding for about 40 km, I stopped
through the rain for 6 hours I reached Chungthang, by to admire the Changu Lake, and then drove on to
checked into a hotel, changed into dry clothes and Nathula. The road was in really pathetic condition and
had a good dinner and relaxed. on top of that the weather was not on my side. There
At 7 in the morning, I started my 10-hour ride to was this blinding mixture of dense fog and heavy
Gangtok. For a change, the sky was clear and I had smoke belched out by Army and tourist vehicles. It
a comfortable journey. In the city, I strolled around was also so cold that my hands were almost freezing.
the main market, tasted the thukpas and momos, and That road was actually testing my riding skills. My
then went to the DCs office to apply for a permit for bike was loaded with fog lights, which helped me
Nathula. I had the evening free, so I again wandered ride through this kind of inhospitable terrain and
about the market, enjoying the street food and talk- drastic weather.

26
(clockwise from right)

the lone rider at dinner
with guests at a home-
stay in thangu; with the
owner of the homestay;
a mountain rodent in
nathang valley; a local
near gangtok; a meat
seller and his son near
lachen; lady with her
baby in nathang valley; a
local lady at lachen
After Nathula, I visited Baba Harbhajan mandir and teaches local children in her free time. She
on the way to Nathang. Major Harbhajan Singh was treated me to an excellent cup of coffee and some
an soldier. He is revered as the Hero of Nathula by delicious noodles.
soldiers of the Indian Army, who built a shrine in his We chatted for a long time and it was wonder-
honour. There is a canteen run by soldiers and you ful to get to know her struggles and see the result
can get some fresh snacks, like samosas, jalebis and of her efforts. Certainly she was happyalthough
tea. I was wet and freezing; I spent around an hour she had experienced metropolitan life she was
there and had some snacks and a cup of hot tea which not missing even basic amenities like a telephone
helped me to recover. Then I hit the road again, on network or internet connectivity.
to Nathang. Along the way, I stopped by a tea stall Feeling refreshed and relaxed, I left around 12
where I met Biba, a local girl, who had completed her noon and reached Nathang in 7 hours. It rained
Masters degree and was for some time, a teacher in throughout the drive and by the time I checked
Bangalore. Some years ago, she left that city and re- into a hotel, I was wet and frozen. I got a room for
turned to her roots, where she now runs the tea shop Rs 900, with no electricity, no mobile network, and

27
it poured the whole night.

I left Nathang on a beautiful but cloudy day - ALONG ThE WAy ThERE
thankfully it was not raining. Along the way there
was fog, so I counted myself lucky that I managed WAS fOG, SO I COuNT-
to see the old silk route, the Zuluk loops that day.
It was a magnificent view, with the hillside drop- ED MySELf LuCKy ThAT
I MANAGED tO SEE thE
ping away below my feet, the road twisting across
it in a series of loops, descending far below into
the fog and the clouds swirling about, opening
and shutting distant views of the mountains and Old Silk rOutE, thE
sky. Then I reached Zuluk village, an hours ride in
which I travelled around 23km, and met some army
guys there. One of them was from Uttar Pradesh,
zuluk lOOpS
my home state. I had a good chat with them over thAt dAy
28
at an altitude of 17,490 ft,

tso lhamo lake is one of the
highest lakes in the world
tea and then I drove for about an hour to cover a manager was kind enough to allow me to park my bike
distance about 30 km to reach Rongli. I submitted in the restaurant premises and I spent my night in that
my permit for examination there, after which I left hotel with no worry of my bikes safety.
Rongli. That day, I stopped at Maal Bazar in Assam. It At the end of my Sikkim sojourn, I can say this with
was already dark by the time I pulled in, I was wet and conviction that the people are very nice, the food is
exhausted and I needed some rest. I started search- great, the place is clean, the routes are beautiful, the
ing for a hotel with parking, and eventually after a lakes are clean, the administration is good and the
long search I came across a restaurant where I had my villagers are helpful. And I had a whale of a time,
dinner and that restaurant was part of the hotel. The despite the rain and the cold.
0
km Chungthang Lachen Thangu Gurudongmar Chungthang
120 Mangan 36 26 35 3 10
km km km km hr 6 hr
Path Darjeeling hr GANGTOK
Finder

30
sum sylem falls at the

garden of caves

31
meghalaya
text & photographs by dibyendu das
3
an impromptu photography tour of

meghalaya leaves four friends totally
smitten by its curtains of water

32
It was
all planned on a lazy monsoon evening. Three of my
photographer friends and I were watching the rain
when the proposal of photographing the waterfalls in
Meghalaya came up. Since we were based in Silchar,
Assam, we decided to first visit Jowai, in Meghalaya, which
was the closest. From there we could cover the beautiful
Krang Suri waterfall followed by a visit to Dawki to shoot
the Amlympiang waterfall. We also decided that from
Dawki we should proceed to Mawlynnong village and
shoot the famous living root bridges there, and then go
to Laitmawsiang to capture the beautiful Garden of Caves
falls. Our last destination was to be a remote village name
Smit, where we would photograph the amazing Wah Rashi
waterfall.
Once the plan was approved by all, it took us less than
40 hours to hit the road to Jowai. We started post break-
fast, at around 9 am, in our friends chauffeur-driven car.
Jowai is just about 150 km from Silchar, but the condition
of the roads was not good, and we checked into a hotel in
Jowai only around 1 pm. After having lunch in the hotel,
we headed to Tyrshi waterfall, which was hardly 3 km
from our hotel on the Shillong-Jowai NH 44.
The overcast sky was a blessing for the shooting ses-
sion. After trekking for an hour we came across a pretty
arch bridge. The bridge spanned across an expanse of
green paddy fields, which opened up to the Tyrshi wa-
terfall. The gushing water dropped down to the Pynthor
valley below. From the bridge we got a beautiful pano-
ramic view of the lush green paddy fields and the water-
fall. From there we had to walk down more than 250 stairs
to the bottom of the falls to compose a good shot - it
was one of the toughest waterfalls I had ever shot. After
spending a good two hours there, we returned to our
hotel, had an early dinner and retired.
The next morning, after breakfast, we started our
journey to Krang Suri, one of the most exotic waterfalls in
ThOuGh WE hAD AR-

RIVED AT OuR DESTINA-
TION, wE cOuld NOt
FiNd thE ENtry pOiNt
which wAS hiddEN by
thick uNdErGrOwth
33
wah rashi waterfall

34
dainthlen wah rashi
Meghalaya. Krang Suri is about 35 km from Jowai heavily. We could hear the thundering sound of the
town and is located in the Amlarem civil subdivi- waterfall, but just could not find the way to reach
sion. To make it a tourist destination, the local there. We had already spent almost two hours
administration has constructed a gravelled foot- searching, when we chanced upon two cowherds
path about 1.5 km long, up to the waterfall. A few who agreed to take us to the spot for a fee. We
viewpoints have also been set up to allow tourists agreed, and after an exacting steep downhill trek
to appreciate the beauty of the waterfall and its we reached the exotic place and the first word that
surroundings. The footpaths to the waterfalls are came out of my mouth was Wow.
paved with stones without the use of cement to Due to the heavy rain, the volume of water was
keep them together. huge and the waterfall looked dangerous. As the
After about 45 minutes of driving on a wind- heavy volume of water crashed on the ground
ing road, we reached around 10.30 am. Though we below, it raised huge clouds of mist that swirled
had arrived at our destination, we could not find crazily in the wind. We tried our best to cope with
the entry point which was hidden by thick under- the challenging shooting conditions, and after
growth, and to make matters worse it was raining a hectic shooting spree we returned o our hotel

exotic waterfall
krang suri is about 35 km from Jowai town and is located in the Amlarem civil
subdivision. to make it a tourist destination, the local administration has constructed 35
a gravelled footpath about 1.5 km long, up to the waterfall.
amlympiang waterfall
how i went about it

a tripod and a remote control for shutter or a cable release
3-stop neutral density filter, and sometimes you can use
even 10-stop ND filters to cut down the light in a bright daylight
as it was a photography tour and my prime focus was on waterfalls, situation.
i tried to shoot the waterfalls in a creative way. i wanted to capture
the motion of the flowing water. it is not a rocket science and set the camera to Manual mode.
anyone can take such shots if s/he follows some basic techniques. Use a small aperture like 11 to 18
these days, even smart phones allow you to capture fluid motion.
to create a milky flow of water, you need some essential equipment Use the lowest iso speed on your camera. i.e. 100 which is the
like the following: base iso in almost all the cameras
A wide angle lens, polarizing filter (to cut the reflection and also start with a shutter speed of a few seconds, after checking the
reduces the intensity of light), you can use telephoto lens if you result you can try a little faster shutter speed. But my recommenda-
want to shoot from a distance. tion is to use shutter speed of at least 1 second or more.

36
ccash crop
farming at smit
village; (below) mawlyn-
nong village

grand landscape
the dainthlen landscape, is the Grand canyon of the eastspread across a
500-metre radius, it is full of pink and red coloured stones, which are very large and a 37
flowery meadow graces the falls
flowers galore
at dainthlen;
(below) living root bridge
at mawlynnong village

38
a view of pynursla on the

way from dawki to shillong
room completely drenched. We took rest and after

IT WAS WONDERfuL TO dinner, slept early.
The next day, we had our first photo session at
WATCh ThE LOVELy 10 Amlympiang falls in Dawki. Located adjacent to
the main road, we reached Amlympiang easily. It
METRE WIDE AMLyMPI- was wonderful to watch the lovely 10 metre wide
waterfall cascade down a length of about 100 me-
ANG WATERfALL tres. It was raining that day too, and though it was
not a heavy downpour, our shooting session was
cAScAdE dOwN A disrupted a couple of times. However, we were well

compensated as the rain made the waterfall all the
lENGth OF AbOut 100 more pretty, and we did get a few good shots.
After Amlympiang, we headed towards the
mEtrES Mawlynnong. We must have covered about 10 km

when I happened to notice a signboard which

39
krang suri waterfall tyrshi waterfall
read, This way Byrdaw Falls. I suggested that we was spraying water everywhere making it difficult
should go there first. All agreed and we got down to shoot. With great patience, I managed to get a
from our car and started walking towards Byrdaw. good shot of the fall.
The path was very steep and slippery-like eelskin- After finishing shooting at Byrdaw, we headed
and it took us an hour to cover the 2 km stretch. to Mawlynnong Village, which has become popular
Though we were wearing good quality hiking as the Cleanest Village in Asia. We reached there
shoes, the ground was still slippery beneath our by afternoon and without wasting time we went
feet and we really had a tough time keeping our straight for the famous living root bridge. After
balance. Further, we had to cross a dilapidated spending an hour or so there, we returned to the
suspension bridge. Two of my friends decided not village for a late lunch and spent the entire even-
to risk crossing the broken-down bridge. Two of us ing there. We could have stayed overnight in one
dared to walk across and were rewarded with an of the homestays and shot photographs the milky
amazing scene-as we reached the waterfall, we felt way, but we instead chose to drive to Shillong and
like we had landed in paradise. The scenery was check into a hotel.
amazing, but it was a breezy day and the waterfall Our next plan was to reach Laitmawsiang,

40
byrdaw waterfall;
(facing page) a view
of pynthor valley
from tyrshi waterfall
where there are five waterfalls within a radius of

IT BEGAN RAINING AND 400 metres, and then go to Dainthlen Falls in Sohra
(Cherrapunjee). Accordingly, we went out in the
WE COuLD ONLy ShOOT morning to shoot the beautiful Garden of Caves
(about 15 km from Shillong). When we reached
ThE MAIN WATERfALL there, it began raining and we could only shoot the
main waterfall Sum Sylem Falls, where the water
SuM SyLEM fALLS, poured through the roof of a cave. We decided to
wait out the rain, but it did not stop. So, eventually
whErE thE wAtEr we headed for Dainthlen Falls.
The Dainthlen landscape, to me, is the Grand
pOurEd thrOuGh thE Canyon of the East - spread across a 500-metre
radius, it is full of pink and red coloured stones,
rOOF OF A cAvE which are very large. We took a few shots there
and after sunset, we returned to Shillong.
We kept our last day of our itinerary for the

41
beautiful Wah Rashi waterfalls, which is about 73 km waterfalls. Satisfied with our work, we had our packed
away from Shillong in Syntung village of Smit district. lunch - there were no eateries in the area. By the
We started at around 9.30 am and it took almost two- time we finished our lunch, it was getting dark, so we
and-half-hours to reach our destination. The road was packed up our gear and returned to Shillong.
motorable but some stretches of it were in really bad The journey during the monsoon had its drawbacks
shape. Wah Rashi is said to be a section of a river that we got drenched too often and the slippery hilly
comprises more than five waterfalls. We did not get to paths were exactingbut at the end of our impromptu
explore the area extensively, but within the range of tour, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction of having
our coverage we got ample opportunity to get some captured some of most striking curtains of water in
lovely shots. We spent about four hours capturing the the Northeast.
by flight:
0
km From Delhi
1.50
hr Shillong Jowai Dawki
Path by train: 100 1.55 1.44 1.15 MAwLyN-
Finder From Delhi Guwahati km hr hr hr NONG
29
hr

42
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sunset over aizawl

45
mizoram
text and photographs by
suresh selvaraj
4
a slice of aizawl was all it took to make

up for a torturous, 1,000 km ride

46
a
fter a very eventful stay in Im- that distance in 6 to 9 hours, no matter
phal, we tuned up our engines the kind of road. For instance, some
for our next destination, Aizawl of my friends and I occasionally leave
in Mizoram; but what was at around 6-6.30 am from Bengaluru,
supposed to be a well-planned aiming to travel the 450 km to Dindigul
itinerary took a drastic turn pushing in time for a biryani lunch and to then
us to our limits. Here is my take on our return to Bengaluru for late night drinks
Manipur to Mizoram ride. and dinner. Thats 900 km in a day.
The distance from Imphal, the capital But to get back to Imphal to Ai-
of Manipur, to Aizawl, the capital of Mi- zwal journey: the shortest route is via
(left to right) aizawl on the
move; a dramatic view of the city zoram, is just about 400 km. Back home Churachandpur and it can take about 12
with a protective hand of clouds over it in Karnataka, we would have covered hours. In the terrain of the Northeast,

47
it is difficult to cover such distance in a Imphal-Silchar route on National High- vetoed the idea. There was every pos-
stretch, so we had planned an overnight way 37 (earlier known as NH 53), via sibility of getting irretrievable stuck in
halt at Churachandpur, aiming to reach Jiribam. It is longer by some 200 km, almost knee-deep slush, they said,
Aizawl the next day. Easily doable, we but with an overnight stopover at Sil- adding that it had been this way for
thought; but as it turned out, it wasnt. char, the journey to Aizawl would have every monsoon for decades. So, with
Many people from the area advised us been relatively fineconsidering our no other option, we had to endure a
against the attempt, saying that it was a long haul from Bangalore from where marathon ride of over 1,000 kmwith
neglected, desolate, hilly route, with in- we started our ride to the Northeast. night halts in Dimapur in Nagaland,
surgency groups aplenty in the hills! We But even on this route, some knowl- Shillong in Meghalaya and Silchar
were apprehensive and decided against edgeable people alerted us about a in Assamreaching Aizawl on the
a simple overnight ride. stretch of 40 odd km that was prone fourth night!
The next option was to travel on the to landslides. Even our Army friends And even then, the route we settled

48
(clockwise) the wrier at the

entry to mizoram; lush green out-
skirts of aizawl; buildings on the
slopes in aizawl; a panoramic view
of aizawl and its surroundings
for was by no means smooth. If Imphal some nuggets reckless overtaking, blocking incoming
to Kohima (NH 2, earlier known as We certainly looked like aliens in Aizawl, traffic lanes, all the habits seen in main-
NH-39) was a bad dream, Shillong where most people have distinctly land metros, were distinctly absent.
(Jowai) to Silchar was a nightmare! I Mongoloid features. The city is full of Being Bangaloreans, our umbilical cord
still wonder how we managed it. And to smart looking young people. Early in the with Mizoram connects through Banga-
call that road a National Highway (NH morning, it seemed as though everyone lores former top cop and MP, Sangliana
44) is a joke. We heaved a big sigh of in the city had come out to take part in who is from Mizoram. And we were
relief when we pulled in at Aizawl. We a marathonscores of boys, girls, men impressed with our
checked in at the comfortable Hotel and women were out jogging, leaving us extended family.
Arini near the State Secretariat, washed amazed by their fitness consciousness. If you were suddenly airdropped into
away all the trials of the road and The streets of Aizawl are narrow, with Aizawl, you might think you were in a
crashed to bed. As I drifted into deep lots of ups and downs and many one- city in a far eastern countrysay Manila
slumber, I could not help wonder why ways. Though traffic was pretty heavy or Hanoibut for the ubiquitous SBI and
people out there had to put up with with thousands of two wheelersit was HDFC bank branches, not to mention
such apathy. very disciplined. The incessant honking, the Hero Honda, Mahindra and Maruti

49
outlets and the Indian Oil pumps. In the strange history 5 and 6 March 1966, the Government of
city, a shopping mall, Milleneum Centre, From what I have heard and read, Mizo- India bombed Aizawl. Then, in 1971, the
was buzzing with activity and teeming rams chequered history has a strange government agreed to convert the Mizo
with scores of teenagers. We had our connection with rodents. In 1959, when Hills into a Union Territory, which came
lunch at Hotel Floria, a fine place to it was part of Assam, an explosion of the into being as Mizoram in 1972. Ultimate-
dine at, on Bara Bazaar. The city was vi- rat population, following the phenom- ly, after prolonged unrest, Mizoram was
brant and everyone seemed to be busy. enon of bamboo flowering, created elevated to a full-fledged state in 1987,
What peace could do, Aizawl is an havoc in the Mizo Hills. Hordes of rats after the Mizoram Peace Accord signed
example for other Northeast states. raided the paddy fields, resulting in a between the MNF and the Government
Mizoram has one of the best Counter severe famine and outbreak of disease. of India. The founder of the MNF, Mr.
Insurgency and Jungle Warfare schools A movement begun to fight the famine Laldenga, became the first chief minis-
in the world. It is said that at this mili- eventually transformed into an armed ter of the state of Mizoram.
tary training centre for unconventional struggle, led by the Mizo National Obviously, I was curious about
warfare in Vairengte, former insurgents Front (MNF), demanding the sovereign Laldenga and we went scouting for his
are also teachers. independence of Greater Mizoram. On memorial. Surprisingly, many of the

50
people we approached for direction had College view point to watch the sun
no idea about his memorial, which we set and had a clear view of the entire
later found out was right in the heart city of Aizawl seemingly clinging on to
of Aizawl. The nondescript memo- the man behind a mountain. At the first look, it seemed
rial at the leaders burial place looked
neglected and unkempt. There was
solomons tem- the mountain had many windows. But
we made the cardinal mistake of reach-
nothing to show that Laldenga was the Ple, dr sailo, ing the viewpoint late--by 4.45 pm--and
Mizo Hnampa (father of the nation) to
the new generation of Mizos.
invited me to soon after, the sun went behind the
mountains and fog enveloped the hills.
return for the In the twilight, the blanket of cloud
the messiah looked like a huge protective hand cov-
As we roamed around the city, we came
inauguration, ering the city. All in all, Aizawl exuded
across the 3 million dollar Solomons which will be much positive energy. Its a world that
Temple project. The grand temple is needs exploration. Its a world that is
currently under construction, and has held sometime part of us.
a wonderful story at the heart of it; it is before 2020
believed that this is from where Jesus bikers angels
will reign after Armageddon. Solomons My co-biker Shridhar Rao (we were a
Temple doesnt belong to any sect and team of four from Bangalore, includ-
it is a free churchafter all, as it is said, Israel. The man behind the church, Dr ing Raghavan Gopalakrishna and Sekar
in front of Jesus, all are same. It has a Sailo, invited me to return for the inau- Narayanan) had spoken to me about his
huge prayer hall that can seat 3,500 guration, which will be held sometime belief in the so-called Bikers Angel. A
people. The seven starsindicating 7 before 2020. biker who had covered a large part of
angelson the temple reminded me of We later went to the Theological India riding his beloved Bullet, he would

51
df
(left to right): laldenga imphal to aizawl via churachandpur

memorial; a map showing the
3 routes to aizawl; (facing
imphal to aizawl via silchar
page): solomons temple; the route the bikers had to take
(inset) dr sailo
tell me that if a rider were to get stuck directed us to go to the service cen- which I did. The owner turned out to be
in the middle of nowhere with his bike tre, which we could never find. Read- a biker himself, and he was more than
broken down, the Angel would come to ers may kindly note that the sun sets empathic of the situation and willingly
the rescue. very early in the Northeast, and it gets gave me the key.
One incident that happened in Aizawl dark by 5.30 pm. Most of the shops and We searched the garage for almost
proved him right. The night before our establishments close by 7 pm (even in 30 minutes, tried different clips and
departure from Aizawl, around 8.30 reputed restaurants, the last order for finally found one which could hold
pm, Raghavan and I were checking the dinner is by 7. 30 pm). the headlight. Throughout the whole
bikes when we noticed that his bikes During our stay at Aizawl, I had episode, the mechanic was very patient
headlight mount was loose. A vital clip noticed a small garage (Hot Wheels and never gave up his search for the
was missing and we realised that there Bullet Workshop), about 100 meters right pin, and believe me, in that garage,
was no way we could tape the head- from the service centre, but I was not there were so many types of pins lying
light up. The following day we had to sure whether it would be open at that on the floor and racks.
ride out early, cross the dreaded NH44 time. We rode to the garage only to find The headlight got fixed, but he
and reach Cherrapunjee in Meghalaya it closed, as expected. While we were refused to take any money from us; he
before nightfall. We had no option but wondering what our next course of ac- returned the key to the owner and he
to find a mechanic. tion should be, a person walked up to us went on his way home. I dont remem-
After 20 minutes of franticand and enquired about the problem. Voila, ber his name or the garage owners
futilesearching around the area where he turned out to be a mechanic working name. There are very few people who
we parked our bikes, we decided to ride in the same garage. He was on his way dont expect anything in return for
out and find someone who could help home, had seen us near his garage, and help/favour they extended.
us. We first went to the Royal Enfield suspected that we might have needed Now I believe in Bikers Angels, and I
showroom (the only one at Aizawl), help. He requested me to speak to the know what a difference they can make
which was closed. There, someone owner and get the keys to the garage, in a bikers life.

52
text by shanku sharma 5

photographs by partha seal
reviSiTing THe reMainS of KaCHari

KingdoM aT KHaSPur
baroduari temple
by dibyendu das

53

first dimasa ruler
it was Harishchandra II who became the first Dimasa ruler of Khaspur. He built the
54 singhadwar, a gateway near the plains of the tributary of Barak river. he also built a
number of temples
snan ghar
b
EhiNd thE dominant narrative were the progeny of Ghatotkacha, the of indigenous tribes in medieval state
of the popularity of Khaspur son of Bhima (of Mahabharata fame). of Assam.
hides the fact that it is on the What is today Dimapur in Nagaland was The region of Khaspur was, in fact,
threshold of becoming lost once the capital of that kingdom. Later, a part of the kingdom in Tripura. In
among the pages of history. its capital shifted to Maibang in Assam the 16th century, however, it was
It has been regarded as a lost kingdom, and lastly to Khaspur. Khaspur is also taken over by Chilarai. Khaspur gained
a kingdom in ruins, but that has not known as Rajbari, meaning the Kings independence soon after the decline of
dented the kingdoms popularity in any Palace. Accessibility to these ruins now Koch power. The last of the Koch rulers,
way. The ruins of the Kachari kingdom is an easy affair. The ruins lie scattered who died in the middle of the 18th
are located about 25 km from Silchar in Khaspur inside the famous Pathimara century, did not leave any heir and
town in Southern Assam. The kingdom tea estate. thus the control of the kingdom went
is also referred to as Dimasa kingdom. However, the sad part is that the to the ruler of the Dimasa Kachari
Though it was one of the most powerful remnants of such a colossal kingdom kingdom. Later the British, under
kingdoms during the time, information are in a shambles today. Because of low the Doctrine of Lapse, annexed the
about its origins is patchy. or no maintenance, the day is not far kingdom. At the time, the kingdom
Whatever little is known says that when the ruins will be lost forever. It comprised parts of Karbi Anglong and
it was established in the 13th century, was a powerful kingdom of the Indian Nagaon, Jiri Frontier of Manipur and
and that the British annexed it in 1854. subcontinent and its rulers belonged North Cachar (Dima Hasao).
There is also a Hindu mythological to the Dimasa people. The kingdom is The Kachari kings ruled for more
connection that says that the rulers also an example of the formation than 450 years in Dimapur and then

55
(clockwise from above)

vishnu mandir; sing-
hadwar and chandi mandap
quit the place after facing defeat at the the proficiency of the Dimasas. The
hands of the Ahoms. They then shifted beauty of the monuments lies in their
to Maibang. intricate designs, art and architectural
The settlement of the Dimasa
dynasty at Maibang in the 1570s during
it was during designs.
It was Harishchandra II who became
the reign of King Meghanarayan was the rule of king the first Dimasa ruler of Khaspur. He
a blessing. It was during his rule that
Dimasa art and architecture scaled
meghanarayan built the Singhadwar, a gateway near
the plains of the tributary of Barak river.
new heights, adopting and adding a that dimasa art In addition to this, he built a number
new dimensionthe Brahminical style of temples. At present, the ruins of the
of building houses. The pattern of the and architec- palace are there.
houses reflected Bengali architecture. ture adoPted The place has a distinctive
This is also evident in the extensive use atmosphere and historical significance
of Bengali script in the works of Dimasa. the brahmanical that cannot be ignored. Beside the
The headquarters of Dima Hasao style of build- obvious need for timely measures to
Autonomous District Council, Maibang protect and preserve this piece of
is just a few miles from Haflong. Now, ing houses heritage, it is not far-fetched to wonder
the remains of that historic city are what more research and excavations
therethe royal palace, the idols made could unearth about this erstwhile
of stones, the sculptures reflecting kingdom.

56
cycling 6
text &photographs by guwahati cycle tour
The besT way To Travel and To geT

team guwahati cycle tour
september-october 2017 Discover
Discover inDias
inDias northeast
northeast
57
To know a place and iTs people
Discover inDias
Discover inDias northeast
northeast september-october 2017
58
F
OrmEd with the sole purpose get to know a place and its people. GCT of human encroachment - a few hills
of cycling with like-minded often conducts group rides for those within the forest have been mined for
friends, the Guwahati Cycle who want to cycle around Guwahati or rocks. The Basistha River zigzags its
Tour (GCT) is today a group explore nearby areas. way through the forest and its a delight
of 15 cycling enthusiasts from Out of GCTs impressive list of cycling to ride on the shallow bed of the small
all parts of Guwahati. The members routes, here are two to begin with: river. The trail is made of stone dust
are between 33 and 62 years old and and small pebbles taken from the river
come from diverse backgrounds and basistha trail bed, as a result of which the track
from different professionsdoctors, The team had once gone on a trail ride was mud free even though there were
engineers, bureaucrats, corporate towards Garbhanga Forest, taking a small puddles of water. Washed by
employees and businessmen. The GCTs route behind Basistha Mandir. The the monsoon rains, the forest looked
aim is to promote cycling as a fitness, forest track runs on the banks of the beautiful. Everything appeared clean
leisure and adventure activity among Basistha River, which flows down from and fresh. The singing of the birds
diverse sections of society. the Meghalaya hills. The trail is close added to the charm.
The group believes that cycling is to the city, but it is a relatively quiet We rode from Beltola Chariali
the best way to travel around and to and serene stretch despite the signs towards the Basistha Mandir and
(left to right)
crossing a stream;
taking the rough terrain; (fac-
ing page): one for the album

serene trail
the forest track runs on the banks of the Basistha river, which flows down from
the Meghalaya hills. the trail is close to the city, but it is a relatively quiet and serene 59
stretch despite the signs of human encroachment
took a small left turn, behind the bus Ahom king Rajeswar Singha in 1764. The
parking area, and after crossing a small king had also granted 835 bighas of land
wooden bridge over the river, we took basistha lies in for the Ashram, which, according to
a road that led us to the area behind
the Mandir. We rode for a distance of
the southeast legend, was founded by a saint named
Basistha. The temple lies on the banks
about 5 km inside the forest until the corner of the of the river, which also gets its name
trail became too narrow and the forest
too dense. By then, we had crossed into
city in the foot- from the legendary saint. There is also
a cave temple inside the forest, which
Meghalaya. We met a few Khasi villagers hills of megha- the locals call Vishwamitra ashram. The
who said they lived in small hamlets Basistha River goes on to flow through
inside the forest.
laya Plateau. the city where it is called the Bahini and
Basistha lies in the southeast corner here is situated then the Bharalu river.
of the city in the foothills of Meghalaya Route Name: Basistha Forest Trail;
Plateau. Here is situated the famous the famous Starting Point: Beltola Chariali; Ending
Basistha Temple, dedicated to lord basistha temPle Point: Beltola Chariali; Distance: 10 km;
Shiva. The temple was constructed by Time taken: 1hr 15min; Average Speed:

picnic spot
Chandubi is a popular picnic spot near Guwahati. chandubi, or more importantly,
60 Chandubi Lake, was formed during the massive Assam earthquake of 1897. It is
situated near the Assam-Meghalaya border, in the foothills of the Garo hills
8km/h; Elevation: Easy / Medium; Road Chandubi, taking a route inside Rani
Type: Gravel (60%) + Muddy / Jungle Reserve Forest instead of the more
track (40%) the chandubi frequented road through Bijoynagar.
chandubi ride
route is an ex- This narrower route is actually shorter
and more picturesque as it passes
Chandubi is a popular picnic spot cellent cycling through the tree-lined roads inside
near Guwahati. Chandubi, or more
importantly, Chandubi Lake, was
track. chandubi the forest as well as through lush
tea gardens.
formed during the massive Assam is a major tour- To go to Chandubi, we took the
earthquake of 1897. It is situated near Deepor Beel route and then took a
the Assam-Meghalaya border, in the
ist destination left turn at the Accoland Rani road
foothills of the Garo hills. The lake is and has a num- intersection. After riding 10 km, we
visited by migratory birds throughout entered the Rani Reserve Forest
the year, more so during the winter, ber of lodging areathe initial section of the reserve
which makes it a birders dreamland. facilities forest did not look like a forest because
The team decided to ride to of the villages near the road. As we
(l-r) smooth and soothing

ride through the reserve
forest and on a road with minimal traffic

61
rode further, the forest became more with the maximum gradient being only on the river sand.
apparent. After riding 3km inside the 6. Tall trees lined the last section of Route Name: Chandubi; Starting
forest, we came across a diversion to the route. The roads were generally in Point: Gorchuk Chariali; Ending Point:
Chandubi. We pedaled for 6 km further good condition, though some sections Gorchuk Chariali; Distance: 100 km;
on this forest route and came across needed urgent repair. Time Taken: 6hrs; Average Speed: 17
another diversion where we took a left The minimal traffic on the Chandubi km/h; Elevation: Easy / Medium; Road
turn (the right one goes to Bijoynagar). route makes it an excellent cycling Type: Good tarmac (80%) + Broken
A few kilometers further we were track. Chandubi is a major tourist tarmac (20%)
greeted by lush tea gardens, which are destination and has a large number of So, whether you are a resident of
not very common in those parts. We places with lodging facilities. In January Guwahati or a traveller passing through
had to ride along this road for another every year, the local people celebrate the city, remember you have a gang of
16 km to reach Chandubi. The road is their culture by showcasing it in the friendly cyclists to team up with. Give a
not steep, except for the last few miles. Chandubi Festival. People seeking peace call and join their merry ride.
Six kilometres before reaching the and privacy can take the smaller road
destination, the elevation increased up towards the Kulsi River nearby and contact: samrat dev - 94351 34224
to a maximum of 100 meters above MSL spend the day fishing or just chilling out arshel akhter - 99575 67340

62
K
hARChI PUjA is a big festival
in Tripura, and I had always
wanted to photograph this
7-day mega event. As luck
would have it, this year, the festival was
celebrated in July, just after my exams
finished. And so, I roped in my friend
and budding photographer Anirban Kar,
to accompany me to the event, which
was more like a fair. Without much ado,
we both packed our cameras and head-
ed out for the Chaturdash Devta Temple
or Chouda Devata Bari (Bengali for 14
deities temple) at Khayerpur, where the
festival was being organised.
When we arrived at the main bus
stop in Agartala, we were pleasantly
surprised to find that a special bus
service had been exclusively arranged
for the festival. Besides the public
transport, there were also private cars
and auto rickshaws to ferry devotees
and visitors from the main city to the
festival grounds for fares ranging from
Rs 10 to Rs 30.
Khayerpur is just about 6 or 7 km
from Agartala, but it took us almost
an hour to reach the entrance of the
temple. The road was chock-a-block
with devotees thronging in from various
parts of the state.
The Chaturdash Devta Temple was
the main temple of the Raja of Tripura
Kingdom during the late 18th century.
In the 1870s, the capital of Tripura was
shifted from Udaipur to Old Agartala
(Khayerpur). The 14 deities were also re-
located to Khayerpur and established in
a temple, which is the existing Chatur-
dash Devta Temple. Afterwards, though
the capital was shifted again, this time
to Agartala, the temple remained in
Khayerpur.
Once we reached Khayerpur, we
decided to first explore the core temple
where the main puja was being held.
Though the surge of devotees was
overwhelming, I found subjects for my
camera and started clicking the various
moods of the thronging crowd. While
I photographed them, they were very
cooperative and soon I was in sync with
the rhythm of the place. The crowd had
a different level of enthusiasm. Every
person had his or her story. I had been
to the temple before, but had experi-
a seller at the festival ground
enced nothing like the energy that the

63
triPura
text and photos by s tamal bhowmik
as told to shalini bhaumik
7
I Know
Who All
Came to
the Puja
some come for a spiritual connect,
while others come to earn a
little extra; but together, they make
the kharchi puja a
wholesome experience

timing of the festival
every year lakhs of people gather on Kharchi puja, which is held on the Shukla
64 ashtami of the ashara month in the Bengali calendarusually between the end of
June and the beginning of July
the festival ground

being lit up; (facing
page) getting a little help in ring-
ing the bell
place exuded during the Kharchi puja. guard to the Maharaja, and later a police
I came across a familiar figure, a officer. I learnt that on retiring from
sadhu that I have met in every fair that
I have visited in Tripuraalmost as
government duties (in the royal period),
he took to gambling and made some
sadhus were
though fate has been making me follow money, but soon became bankrupt and selling bells,
him around in the hope of a good photo
session. However, I discovered that he
ran away. The respect saints get, he
said, made him choose this role as his
rings and
cannot speak and likes to remain iso- latest work. rudrakshes etc,
lated. I overheard a foreign couple talk- The crowd was huge, and offered
ing about how well the crowd was being limitless opportunity to photographers and the entire
managed. They found the proceedings hunting for portraits. Sadhus were sell- festival ground
an organised chaos. My search for ing bells, rings and rudrakshes etc, and
faces and moments continued, but I the entire festival ground was a display was a disPlay of
maintained a distance from the devo- of myriad colours and holy parapher- myriad colours
tees queuing up for darshan. nalia. Every year, lakhs of people gather
Another Sadhu I met was a colourful here on Kharchi puja, which is held
one, who had tried out several profes- on the Shukla Ashtami of the Ashara
sions. He had been a body builder, a month in the Bengali calendar - usually

65
for the reCord

According to Tripura royal familys chroni-
cle Rajmala, the names of the 14 deities are
Hara, Uma, Hari, Ma, Bani, Kumar, Ganesh,
Brahma, Prithwi, Ganga, Abdi, Agni, Kamesh
and Himadri. The tribal names of the 14 dei-
ties are Mataikatar, Matai Katarma, Mailooma,
Kholooma, Akhtra, Bikbitra,Tuima, Sanrang,
Kalaia, Garia, Nakchu Matai, Bichukma, Sri-
jemdu and Thoumnairog. Among the 14 head
images 13 are made of brass while one is made
of silver only. These deities are not worshiped
every day except three. The deities are exhib-
ited to the devotees during the Kharchi festival
only. The 14 deities are worshipped by the
royal priest, Chantai. Only members of chantai
family descendants are allowed to take the
post of Chantai. All the attendants of chantai
belong to Tripuri Community.
The word Kharchi is derived from two
Tripuri words Khar or Kharta meaning or Sin,
chi or si meaning cleaning. Final meaning is
cleansing of the sins of the people or the king-
dom. Some says Kha means Earth, Archi means
burning flame. According to Rajmala, Hirabati
the queen of the late king Tripur worshiped
the 14 Gods and Goddesses to get a child. A
child was born from her who had an eye on the
forehead, his name was Trilochon. Whatever
legend says, we see that wherever the kings
of Tripura had relocated after changing the
capital, they carried the 14 Gods. In the year
1760 Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya had
changed the capital to old Agartala and there
the worship of the14 deities started, which is
continued till now.
between the end of June and the begin- On the day of Kharchi puja, the 14 deities
ning of July. are carried by members of Chantai, taken
As I searched for more portraits, an to river Saidra, bathed in the holy water and
old couple caught my eye. The man was brought back to the temple. The deities are
in a red turban, while the woman had then decorated with various flowers and ver-
adorned her white hair with sindur. million is applied on the forehead of deities.
Striking up a conversation, I learnt that Both Tripuri and non-Tripuri participate
her son was abroad and daughter lived in the festivals. People offer different types of
with her in-laws in a different city and fruit, sweets etc. Animals like goat and buffalo,
both could not take care of them. So, and fowls are also sacrificed. People from the
they had decided to follow the spiritual state and outside the state participate in the
path and spent time preaching and vis- festival irrespective of cast, creed and religion.
iting temples and holy places with other They come to pray for their welfare as well
sadhus. The liveliness of the fair was a as the welfare of the society and the state in
deep contrast to this sad tale. general.
The puja in the main temple is done
in a unique fashion. It is a combination SOURCE:Tribal Research and Cultural Institute,
Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Tripura
of vedic and tribal rituals. The idols have

some secrets
the main mantra of the Kharchi puja is kept a secret. Only the head priest, also
66 known as chantai, knows the mantra. this secrecy is well maintained by the chantai
families. and all the chantais reside in a place called rajchantai
a headpiece only, minus a torso. During thing caught my attention. They were
Kharchi, all of them are worshipped colourful beads with letters engraved
simultaneously. It is interesting that on them scattered uniformly on a
the main mantra of the puja is kept a plastic sheet. The cubic beads can be
secret. Only the head priest, also known threaded together and one can basically
as Chantai, knows the mantra. This se- write anything arranging the beads. I
crecy is well maintained by the Chantai struck up a conversation with the seller
families. And all the chantais reside in a who was willing to sell me a 10-let-
(clockwise from left),
puja parphernalia being
sold at the fair; a religious thread
place called Rajchantai.
There are many interesting rituals.
ter keychain for Rs 30. I reminded her
that I had bought one from her in the
being tied on a wrist; beads with One of them involves throwing sweet Tripureshwari temple in Udaipur and
letters engraved; the crowd at the items like batasha, on the temple roof she was bemused and offered another
fair (facing page) a sadhu who
frequents the temples in tripura; and when they fall back they are treated one. I agreed but wanted to click her
a woman devotee; the bead seller as prasadams. One of them almost hit photograph to which she agreed.
jamuna; someone who gave up
his wordly pursuits to become
my camera lens while bouncing back. Striking up a conversation, I discov-
a sadhu Vendors moved amongst the crowd sell- ered that her name was Jamuna and was
ing these batashas. from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. She was at the
Evening was setting in when some- fair with her husband and two neigh-

67
bours. They were having a tough time Meanwhile, Anirban wanted to check was an artist during his college days and
eking out a living in their hometown, so out the other side of the fair. So in- had also dabbled in theatre. A woman
they left home and landed up in Tripura volved was I in capturing these precious customer also made it to the picture
selling beads for a living. Her husband moments, I did not notice that the sun as the shopkeeper was so involved in
told me that they were both happy with had set till the lights were switched on giving me the best shot that he turned a
what they were doing. It was a luxury and the temple glowed. The crowd was deaf ear to her.
compared to the situation they were growing in size and this will be the situ- With this shot I concluded my
born into. He managed the whole busi- ation for the seven days of the festival. journey to the Kharchi puja and was
ness while his wife and two neighbours We stopped for refreshments at a tea really grateful to all the people who
were his employees. I showed Jamuna and snacks kiosk. I asked the shopkeep- interacted with me. We traversed the 27
her photo and she was really pleased er for a shot and he obliged and did not minutes back home with the strong
and her smile was precious. move or even blink his eyes. He said he wish of returning for the next puja.
by flight:
0
km From New Delhi
3.35
hr
Path by bus: 7 KHAyERPuR
Finder From Kolkata Dhaka Agartala km
300 200
km km

68
maniPur
text and photographs by byron aihara
8

69
SanSenba iS a unique feSTival wHere CHildren

Tell THe STorieS of young KriSHna and HiS
friendS THrougH a danCe draMa
children performing gopa-rasa

70
gopalakas assemble for the gopa-rasa
E
vERY NOvEMBER the Meitei Sansenba is its components.
enacted at Manipurs two main Vaishnava The main event is the Gopa-rasa or the dance
temples, the Shree Govindajee on the of the cowherds. This rasa portrays the adventur-
royal palace grounds, and the Bijoy ous Krishna, his brother Balarama, and the other
Govinda at Sagolband. Though little cowherd boys at play in the sylvan fields of Brinda-
known, it is one of the most spectacular dance/ van (Vrindavan).
theatre/ritual events of Manipur. Sansenba festival The story tells how the divine brothers grew up
falls on Gosta Astami or Gopashtami in Hindi. together in the pastoral lands of Brindavan. The
Meaning the tending of the cows, the Sansenba pair, both the divine avatars of Vishnu, had been
festival has both theatre and ritual dance as born in this setting disguised as precocious village

71
children, to play out many a fantastic adventure. years after the inception of the Maha Ras dances in
As they could not well disguise their supernatural the 18th century. The festival was created for the
abilities, they were always performing fantastic devotional entertainment of the royal court and
feats of strength and mischief. The stories of the as an educational play for the patrons of the Shree
Sansenba tell how Krishna and Balarama became Govindajee and Bijoy Govinda temples. Since that
Gopalakas, and how, while playing in the fields, time, the rituals have been enacted as part of the
they confronted and defeated two demons, the Meitei and Bamon Hindu festival cycle. The San-
Bakasura, a giant bird creature, and Dhenukasura, senba is wholly unique, as the drama and dance is
the monster with an ox/donkey head. enacted by children. Nowhere else in the world are
The Sansenba tradition began in Manipur many these episodes from the life of Krishna presented

72
in such an extravagant and grand courtly fashion. trees. This taboo orchard is guarded by Dhenu-
The festival is held on the eighth day of the Hindu kasura, the primitive donkey/ox headed demon.
month of Kartik, which usually falls in November. The Asura angrily confronts the trespassers and a
The Gopashtami tells the story of the young fight ensues. Balarama steps in and vanquishes the
Krishna and Balarama as cowherds. As youths in demon. In so doing the wild orchard has now been
Brindavan, Krishna and his brother Balarama are tamed and liberated.
given the job of Gopalakas. They are initiated by In the companion story, Krishna and Balarama
Narada into the duties of cowherds and also given bring their cows to the Gopalakas favourite pond
lessons by their step mother, Jashoda. The boys and picnic spot. It is here that another wild demon,
join their young friends and joyfully go on their the Bakasura, who takes the form of a giant stork
way into the meadows tending the village cows. comes to terrorise them. The Bakasura makes
During their long days work, the boys grow hun- its appearance and Krishna comes to the rescue.
gry, so they wander into a forbidden grove of fruit Using his cattle herding staff, he strikes and kills

73
the demon. Astounded by the incredible feats, Two life-sized idols of Krishna and Balarama are
the Gopalakas celebrate and praise the two amaz- kept at the Shree Govindajee temple. The statues
ing boys. are intertwined, an arm wrapped over each oth-
For the reenactment, the young children are ers shoulder, and each holding a golden cow horn
richly dressed as little Gopalakas in the traditional in their hand. They both have one leg raised in a
Meitei style, which is a miniature copy of the Maha dancing pose. The idols are sculpted from plaster
Ras Krishna costume. For months before the event, of paris. Richly painted, Krishna is
the traditional costume makers of Imphal are kept blue skinned and Balarama white.
busy constructing these incredible and elaborate These unique idols are taken out
outfits by hand, which take hundreds of hours to (above) bakasura
made of cloth, bamboo of the temple only on this one day
make. Parents use this day to finely dress and show strips and paper mache is being of the year to witness the dances.
brought to the grounds for the
off their children. At the temple, a giant social enactment of the play; (facing
The demons of Sansenba
gathering is made out of the ritual affair. page) krishna and balaram idols are played by actors dressed in
inside the ras mandal

when it started
the sansenba began in Manipur after the inception of the Maha ras dances in the
74 18th century. the festival was for the devotional entertainment of the royal court and as
an educational play for the patrons of the shree Govindajee and Bijoy Govinda temples
fantastic costume. The most imaginative is the one The play complete, the life size idols of Krishna and
for the Bakasura. A fanciful birds head made of paper Balarama are carried to a portable chariot. The party
mache is attached to a frame of bamboo strips some then forms a procession and parade out to the green
four meters in length and covered in white cloth. It is open field adjacent to the kings royal palace. Here
a truly playful yet nightmarish representation of the the idols are placed at the west end of the field, facing
mythical demon. east, where they watch the drama unfold.
Before the main Gopa-rasa dance takes place, all The most spectacular and
of the little Gopalakas, about 50 to 60 in number, anticipated part of the Sansenba
assemble inside the temples ras mandal to watch
a theatrical play of Jashoda, Narada, and the young
(clockwise from left), a
young gopalaka; actors
dressed up as dhenukasura and
now takes place. The dozens of
costumed children form a circle
Krishna. The chosen pair of children who play Krishna demon; (facing page) balarama and dance the Gopa-ras. They
and krishna chariot at the court-
and Balarama take part in the drama. The two will also go round and round dancing in
yard of shree govindajee temple
lead the dances and later confront the demons. the classical Manipuri style, their

75
bright costumes sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. light. The procession returns to the temple for the
After this, Krishna and Balarama confront the demons. closing ceremonies with the statues of Balarama and
There is a short theater play depicting the defeat of Krishna installed back into the temple until the next
Dhenukasura and Bakasura at the hands of Krishna years festival.
and Balarama. A puja is then held for the idols, which
completes the rituals. By then it is late afternoon byron aihara lives in santa cruz, california and has published a book
with the setting sun bathing the scene in a golden on his research titled dance music and ritual in manipur.
by flight:
0
km From Delhi
3.35
hr
Path IMPHAL
by train:
Finder Dimapur
From Delhi 38 2.30 Kohima 4.30
hr hr hr

76
throwing caution to the winds, and discovering a place where

everything is pleasant
muktha warrier
a view of loktak lake from

sendra resort

77
M
y trip to the Northeast Why was it there only near the cot- their breathtaking panoramic beauty.
was an escape from the tage? Was it because it was connected The sun painted the sky with a magical
scorching summer of Delhi. to the history of the place, singing the hue with its golden rays. On the spur
My husband Unni, being a memoirs of martyrs who sacrificed of the moment, the child in me sprang
project head in the company he works their lives in the many wars. Or was it into action, capturing all possible
for, has to travel a lot, across India. His the General himself, soulfully singing frames of beauty, recording all melodies
trip to Imphal was one among these a melody from the past? Or, possibly, from nature..
journeys, and to my delight he was sym- it was just me creating a surreal mix of
pathetic enough not to leave me alone fact and fantasy. floating national park
in the polluted, horrid environment of The next day, we went to the Keibul
Delhi (apart from that our wedding an- the misty lake Lamjao National parkthe worlds one
niversary too was nearing). The Loktak lake is about 45 minutes and only floating national park. The
So, on a fine June morning, I packed drive from Imphal, through the lovely park is a vast swamp which is primar-
my stuff and began my journey to a spot villages of Manipur, their houses made ily composed of moist semievergreen
that I had only ever seen on a map. of brick with tin roofs and bamboo forests. A water way through the park
I had heard that Northeast, bordered gates. I could breathe unpolluted fresh provides year-round access by boats
by Myanmar and Bangladesh, is termed air everywhere. Along the way, at a plying through the Loktak Lake to Pabot
a sensitive/disturbed place. Since the distance we could see the beautiful hill Hill in the north. The distinctive nature
area is under AFSPA (the Armed Forces ranges clad in mist. The weather is of the park is that it is too deep to be
Special Powers Act), we got many warn- always pleasant there, and with the marsh, too shallow to be a lake.
ings not to risk going there. On top of onset of cyclone Mora it started raining The park is the natural refuge of the
that, Unni received a dubious WhatsApp too, giving a lovely backdrop to the endangered Elds deer or brow-antlered
message from a person with a profile trip and our stay in Sendra Resort deer (Cervus eldi eldi), also known as
picture of a lady holding a gun. We had located atop Sendrathe island-hill the Sangai. Also called the dancing deer,
to postpone our trip once because of which is surrounded by the water of the the Sangai is the state animal, and has a
this. Still, we went ahead with our itin- Loktak lake. pride of place in the folklore and culture
erary, with me determined to accom- We stayed in a lonely, lake-view cot- of Manipur.
pany Unni no matter what came. tage. As evening set in, I felt the place On Sundays there are no boat ser-
It turned out to be a good ideaeven eerie with loneliness and darkness vices, but we were lucky enough to get
the view from the flight itself was so creeping in. But gradually I got addicted a boatman who agreed to take us for
pleasing, with the drastic change from to the harmony of the musical orches- a short run through the narrow water
a dry grey landscape to a cool green tration by frogs and crickets, with the passage. The narrow canal was sur-
panorama. tiny fireflies flashing lights here and rounded by tall grasses and other plants
there. That night I slept peacefully, on a floating mass of dead vegetation
a melody of the past listening to the lullaby of nature. and soil. It was very difficult to row the
On one afternoon, we went to see In the Northeast, the sun rises and sets tiny wooden boat through the narrow
Kangla Fort, which is a historic site early. Early in the morning, around 4 waterway, so Unni helped the boatman
with ruins from the Kingdom of Ma- oclock, we were greeted by the sweet by rowing from the back of the boat.
nipur. The complex is a vast place with chirping of birds, and in front of our I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of
temples, war memorials, cottages, etc., eyes, the vast lake and nature unfolded the voyage, watching the green flora all
surrounded by a moat full of water. around with the grass tips touching
There is also a memorial where the As- me as if they were welcoming me by
sam Rifles were once stationed. extending their tender hands to em-
The historic complex is blessed with
lush greenery, flora and fauna and small
gradually i got brace me. I saw rare, colourful flowers
and faunaas well as unusual bugs and
ponds. We could also hear the familiar addicted to the spiders peeping out from their hide-
chirping of many birds. While we were outs, black butterflies and aqua-blue
walking towards one of the cottages in
musical orches- dragonflies fluttering aroundthough
the complexwhich once belonged to tration by frogs the star inhabitant, the Sangai deer
Field Marshal General WJ Slimmy ears wasnt anywhere to be seen. I hoped
caught a different, melodious sound and crickets, to catch a glimpse of the dancing deer
from the distance, similar to that of with the tiny on the floating grass, but it was not to
a cuckoo. Strangely, I could hear the be. However, we did spot two of them
chirping the entire time we spent walk- fireflies flash- through binoculars from a viewing
ing around the cottage, but could no ing lights here point from where we had a wide view of
longer hear it when we moved out of the park.
the premises. and there We could see the hill range in the

78
(clockwise) sadu chiru

waterfalls; the melliflu-
ous music of govindajee
temple; the writer at keibul
lamjao
distance, with dark monsoon clouds name itself depicts the importance and from home to fight wars.
hovering around them. Our boatman equality of women in commercial as Cheerful, affectionate women, clad in
warned us of heavy rain and suggested well as in all socio-economic fronts in colourful phanek and enaphi(traditional
that it would be better to return before Manipuri society. This vibrant multi- Manipuri attire) greet you warmly in
it began; otherwise the journey through ethnic market is said to be 500 years Manipuri. Phanek is made of handloom
the marshy land would be difficu risky. old and is the hub for vegetables, fruits, material, stitched together to give a
Since there was no space to turn the pure handloom textiles and more; all sack-like appearance. Phanek, along
boat, Unni and boatman swapped their the materials being sold are either with handloom enaphi and blouse make
roles, now with Unni at the helm and cultivated or made at home by women. the complete set.
the boatman at the back. It was alto- In almost every home one can find a The only problem that you might
gether a nice, unique experience.. handloom unit. Only married women face is that without a proper guide/in-
can get a space to do business here. terpreter you may not be able to explain
a market run by mothers After a quick glance through the his- what you exactly need.
Ima market in Imphal is the largest tory I got to know that the market was Manipur has a different culture,
all-women run market in the country. established for the ladies to run their dress and lifestyle. However, I found
Ima means mother in Manipuri. The family, while all the men had to go away their diet quite similar to that of South

79
ima market run by

mothers in imphal; inside
kangla fort (above) general wj
slims cottage inside kangla
fort complex; a boat ride
in keibul lamjao
Indians, with rice as a staple food. They culture and heritage, notwithstanding ble, though I missed seeing the pristine
have gone through many tough phases the existence of insurgency movements. state flower Siroi lily, which blooms
in history. The city even witnessed Among the other tourist spots that we only during the monsoon. This seasonal
World War II and has a war memorial visited like the orchid garden, Sadu flower is found only in the upper reach-
for martyrs. Yet the people are so sim- Chiru waterfall, Loktak lake and worlds es of the Siroi hill ranges in the Ukhrul
ple and friendly. only floating safari park Keibul Lamjao, district of Manipur: peak blooming time
Adjoining the market is the Imphal another must-visit place is the Shree being mid May till June. We couldnt go
Polo Ground, the oldest polo ground in Govindajee Temple. The music from the there due to our time constraint, as it is
the world. It hosts international polo Govindajee templewith the sounds of far away from Imphal.
championship during the Sangai festival the mridanga, double conch and other The cool monsoon, the fresh air and the
once in a year. instrumentswas so mellifluous. The melody of nature made my days there
Even being the capital of Manipur, rituals and traditions in temples are so beautiful and rejuvenating!
Imphal is a slow-paced, low-profile quite different from those in temples
place. We all know it as a sensitive area, down south. muktha warrier is from kerala and now based
but once you visit you will get to know Overall my trip to the Northeast was in delhi. she loves to travel and is passionate about
the true beauty of the place with its rich worthwhile, informative and memora- nature, music and literature.

80
rugged terrain on the way

to saramati peak

81
nagaland
text & photographs by arup saikia
9
what its like to climb the pristine mt saramati peak, the

highest peak in nagaland

82
(clockwise) a section where

the climb was almost vertical;
a view of thanamir village; one
step at a time

83
i
t was in September that I decided to take a
break from the hustle of regular life. My break
was going to be a solo bike ride on my Avenger
220 from my home town, Sivasagar in Assam, to
Kohima in Nagaland, where I would meet other
members of my team for the trek to Saramati peak.
I reached Kohima around 3pm and met the other
members who came riding from Guwahati.
Our goal was to explore the Mt Saramati peak,
one of the prominent peaks of South East Asia.
At an altitude of 12,552 feet above mean sea level,
Saramati peak rises above the surrounding moun-
tainous terrain of the Nagaland-Myanmar border.
As the highest peak in Nagaland, Saramati has
pride of place among the people residing in the
surrounding villages. Situated in the extreme south
east of the state, the peak remains snowcapped
throughout the winter months and the snow
gradually melts and flows into the Likimro river
during the summer.
The closest village to the base of Mt Saramati
is Thanamir village in Kiphire district. On my way
to Kohima, I had thought that Id ride my bike
till Thanamir village, but that evening, the other
members of the team dissuaded me from the idea,
saying that the road was narrow and slippery and
the location was remote. And so, I kept my bike at
the guest house where we stayed for the night.
The next day, on the 6th of September, we
(a team of 16) packed into two pre-booked Tata
Sumos and started our journey to Thanamir village.
We started at 7 in the morning and reached Pun-
gro, a subdivision of Kiphire district, in the even-
ing. At Pungo, we did some last minute shopping
for the trip. Some of us bought torches, some pur-
chased food, and some tried blades and daggers
while others enjoyed the humble hospitality of the
villagers. In the evening, members of the local ad-
ministration, including the ADC, Chonpen Ezong,
came to meet us. Ezong gave us some safety tips.
He also assured us that he had relayed information
of our passage to relevant local authorities of the
area. We were very grateful to the local adminis-
tration and Ezong who boosted our enthusiasm
with their immense support. We halted for the
night at the government guest house in Pungro.
The ambience and hospitality was incredible.
Early in the morning on the next day, the ADC
reminded us of a couple of dos and donts and
flagged off our journey to Thanamir village, which
was about 35 km away. On the way we could feel
the road getting steeper. We reached the village
around 2 pm, unpacked our bags and rested for
a while. For its extensive cultivation of apple and
pear, Thanamir is also known as the Apple Village.
With the permission of the villagers we plucked
apples from the trees and relished the fruit in the

apple village
Pungro is is a subdivision of Kiphere district whereas the closest village to the
84 base of Mt Saramati is Thanamir village in Kiphire district.It is also known as the
apple village as apples grow abundantly there
view of saramati from a

vantage point
serenity of the rural setting. The fruit there was so a stream flowing downhill. We fetched water from
abundtant that you could buy 10 juicy apples for it to quench our thirst. It was so refreshing that it
just Rs 10. took all our fatigue away. I, along with five other
We toured the village, and in the evening, the members, had reached the camp early and since it
local villagers came to meet us. They made us fa- was cold at that altitude of 3,800 metres above sea
miliar with Mt Saramati and the ways and means to level, we gathered firewood and started a bonfire.
get there. They were also kind enough to provide We also started preparations for dinner. In about
us with three guides, who would assist in bringing an hours time all the team members reached
us back to the village in case anything untoward base camp. We cooked dinner, had fun exchang-
happened on the way. ing travel stories, had our dinner and then slept
On the 8th of September, we started our trek under the stars. It was a cold and dark night, with
at 7am, up the mountain that would lead us to the echoes of bats and other nocturnal creatures
Saramati. After we had been trekking for an hour, cutting through the silence occasionally. But the
we found the gradient of the path becoming very experience was sublime.
steep, almost vertical. It made trekking very diffi- Before we retired for the day, it was decided
cult; we climbed up the mountain gradually, taking that we would start trekking from the base camp
frequent breaks in between. Our drinking water to the Saramati peak by 3 in the morning so that
was finished by the time we reached the half-way we could see the sunrise from the top of the peak.
mark and we had to manage without water for the Next morning, on the 9th of September, everyone
rest of the journey. woke up on time, except me and three other mem-
When we finally reached the base camp, we saw bers. We were feeling unwell and we decided to

85
(clockwise) trekking to
base camp; flowers on the
way; at times the trail is
narrow and dangerous
take rest for an hour or so and then catch up with that point we trekked together.
the others on the way. All the others left; four of us Trekking is extremely challenging in these parts.
stayed back and fell back fast asleep. It is advisable to have a trained guide with you, es-
At around 4:30 am I woke up and as I stepped pecially if youre a fresher in the world of trekking.
out of the tent, I could feel the freshness of nature The path was dangerous and steep. It was slippery
and it was like I was being fully re-energized. and mountainous too. At some stretches, the trail
Aruj Das, one of my best friends and fellow team was so narrow that the width was just 2-3 feet.
member, decided that we should start the trek One wrong step and we could have fallen down
if we were to see the sunrise at the peak. So the to a depth of 2,500-3,000 feet. We also had to do
other two stayed back at the camp and we started some serious rock climbing at several places. We
following the trails of the group ahead. The guide were not carrying any rope and had to depend on a
from the village had marked trees and cut stems climber to come down the cliff.
of the plants growing on the wayside as markers I was about 200 metres ahead of the rest of
for us, and we followed them relentlessly as we the group and just about to reach the Saramati
trekked uphill. peak, when another member caught up with me
After about an hour, we could hear echoing and we both stopped, too exhausted to continue
voices in the distance. We thought that we had further. Rain started pouring and the rest of the
reached them, but it was just an illusion created group joined along. Finally the rain subsided and at
by the geographical terrain - they were miles away around 8 in the morning we reached the peak. The
from us. After another hour of continuous trek- place was one of tranquility; at an altitude of 12,552
king, we managed to catch up with them and from feet above sea level, the scenery was magnificent.

86
(clockwise from below) thanamir

guest house; atop mt saramati peak;
the writer a few metres below the
summit; stark and misty at times
The breathtaking view was worth the arduous trek. path that was already dangerous was getting even
In the early morning light, the colourful flowers more slippery and every step that we took seemed
fresh from a morning shower offered the best of an invitation to fall. Every team member fell 40-50
the flora. We saw birds flying above the mountains, times on the way. We started to worry about a par-
we could hear the stream flowing and birds chirp- ticular big rock which was on the way. As already
ing. From that height, we also caught glimpses of mentioned, we had no rope and therefore it was
Myanmar. We stayed at the peak for an hour and necessary for us to do the rock climbing before
then we decided to march back to the base camp. sunset. Fortunately everyone surmounted the
Around 3.30 pm, we reached the base camp challenge unscathed.
where we cooked lunch for the entire crew. The On our way back to the village we had to pass
initial plan was that we would stay for the night through seven big rocky mountains. We managed
at the base camp, but due to the shortage of food to negotiate them all, but night was falling and it
our team leader suggested that we should start grew darker and it was almost impossible to locate
trekking from the base camp to the village at night. the markers that we had left behind on our way up.
It was a scary thoughtsome may even call it a Since most of the team members were slow, I and
mistakebut as we did not have any other alter- three members along with one village guide, de-
native and decided to go along with the plan of cided to move faster and reach the village so that
trekking at night. After all, if we couldnt have fed we can cook dinner for everyone. The two other
ourselves at night, how could we have trekked the guides came with the rest of the group.
next morning? After a strenuous trek, straining our eyes to
So we started trekking from the camp to the locate the marked spots, finally at midnight, we
village at 5 in the evening. After one and a half could see lights from a distant village. The lights
hour, it started raining, adding to our woes. The seemed like stars shining on the ground. We were

saramati stats
saramati the highest mountain range is situated in Kiphire district of Nagaland
and is in the extreme east of the state bordering Myanmar. Standing at 3841 mts 87
above sea level, saramati Peak remains snow covered throughout the winter months.
the team takes a breather
relieved that we were almost there. The lights ap- were completely drained out and none of us was
peared to be near but it turned out to be quite far in a condition to climb up again. So we gave some
from us. We pursued the lights for another 2 hours money to the villagers, bought them food and
and then came the time when the village was in water and requested them to check for the others.
front of us. But as it was very dark, we lost our way; We asked the Sumo drivers to accompany them
even the guide was having a hard time finding a and all of them obliged. Finally, between 9 and 10
way into the village. After half an hour, we located in the morning we were happy to see all the team
tire marks on the embankment of a river nearby. members back at where we started.
We figured out that the trail of the tire would lead So this was our trip to Mt Saramati. Now when I
us to the village and we followed it till it did so. look back I am happy I have one sweet memory to
Five of us finally settled at the guest house at 2am. cherish forever. If you can feel the adrenaline rush
Three hours later, another team member in you, remember the nearest airport and railway
reached the guest house. We asked him the where- station is in Dimapur. After getting off the plane or
abouts of other team members and he told us they train you may head towards Pungro and experi-
had lost their way. He informed us that it would be ence the surprises that unfold on the way. Very
possible for them to reach the guest house only if soon, youll find yourself where youve always
someone went up to guide them down. But we all wanted to be!
by flight:
0
km From Delhi
2:15
hr
Path by train: 2.30
Kohima
300 Pungro 35 Thanamir SARAMATI
Finder From Delhi Dimapur hr km km
38
hr

56
90
88
wat arun is also known as

the temple of dawn

89
Thailand text & PhotograPhs by olivia Nambam
Temple Tour and shopping in

Bangkok and Beach fun in paTTaya
T
hE NEWS of the Mora cyclone spreading a while. A little later, we set off to look around the
like wildfire, and the dark clouds hover- Pratunam night market in a tuk tuk provided by
ing over the Northeast certainly did make the hotel. A ride in a tuk-tuk is a must experience
us anxious about whether anticipated in Thailand. The market is a shopping paradise and
flight from Kolkata to Bangkok would be cancelled. you would never want to leave the place if you are
However, in the safe hands of our pilot, we arrived a shopaholic. It was our first night in Bangkok but
on the 4th of June at the grounds of Suvarnabhumi my mother had already bought a new suitcase to
International Airport. We were finally in Thailand, put the goods that we had purchased. Then we
the land of thousand smiles. headed back to the hotel by 10pm and had a good
As soon as we stepped into the airport, we were nights sleep on the comfy beds.
greeted and welcomed with wide smiles and the Bangkok is also known for its temples and great
common swadikap with folded hands. India being architecture. The next day was our temple tour.
one of the few countries whose citizens are offered The car came at eight sharp with our guide, Ms.
visas on arrival, it is a great advantage for Indian Boom. We were taken to the pier of the
travellers to visit Bangkok. There are several tour Chao Phraya river. From there we took a large boat
operators inside the airport, and we booked a tem- along with the other tourists and headed to Wat
ple tour for the next day. Arun. Wat Arun is also known as the temple
Of the several options of transport from the of dawn. It is one of the most magnificent temples
airport, one can hire one of those pink and green in Bangkok, not only because of its riverside
coloured taxis or travel by the BTS sky train. location but also because of its unique design.
Those taxis, I must say, were quite fascinating to Wat Arun is partly made up of colourfully
look at. From the airport, we had one drop us off decorated spires and stands majestically over
at our hotel in Pratunam. Pratunam is a bustling the water.
district marked by one of Thailands tallest The next temple was Wat Pho where the reclin-
buildings, Baiyoke Sky Tower. It is one of ing statue of Lord Buddha resides. Wat Arun is
Bangkoks most colourful and chaotic areas, fa- almost directly opposite Wat Pho and is very easy
mous for its wholesale and fashion factory outlets to reach. We took a shuttle boat from Wat Arun
and street markets. to get to Wat Pho. The third and the last temple
We reached our hotel by evening, and rested for we visited was Wat Benchamabophit. It is one of

56
90
Bangkoks most stunning temples, also known as headed back to the hotel.
the marble temple or Wat Ben. As it is classified The next day, we decided to visit the famous
as a first class Royal temple, it is also a temple of Safari World in Bangkok. It is not just an ordinary
significant importance. zoo where one can see animals caged in a box. It
Even though it was a hot day, the temples were is a whole different world. There are number of
worth a visit. Following the temple tour shows you can watch in the Safari World.
we stopped at the famous MBK mall to do some We watched a few of them which included the
shopping. orangutan show, the sea lion show, the
For the evening we had booked the Calypso dolphin show, the cowboy stunt show
Cabaret show at Asiatique. It showcases ladyboys and the spy world show. It was quite
impersonating Beyonce and Elvis and the enter- (above): wat ben or
the marble temple; thrilling to see orangutans drumming
tainment quotient is that of glamour and fantasy. (facing page) ladyboys at the away and performing a round of Muay
calypso cabaret show
It was an over-an-hour show but it was definitely Thai boxing. The sea lions and the dol-
the best I have ever seen. The show came to an end phins proved that they had it all
with a rousing applause from the audience and we by dancing to Bollywood music and

91
saluting the audience with a namaste. It was a tir-

ing yet one of a kind tour and it ended by five in ThE CALyPSO CABARET
the evening.
At 8pm that night, we headed to join a dinner hAD LADyBOyS IMPER-
cruise on the Chao Phraya river. We had made a
booking on the White Orchid river cruise through SONATING BEyONCE
the hotel. Once the liners arrived, groups of people
boarded their respective cruises. The one we were AND ELVIS ANd thE
on included performances by a singer, a huge buf-
fet dinner with international and Thai cuisine and a
short cabaret performance.
ENtErtAiNmENt quO-
On the 7th of June, we checked out of our hotel
after breakfast and headed to Platinum Fashion
tiENt iS thAt OF GlAm-
Mall. Then we left for Thaniya plaza, which is a
paradise for golfers. It is a mall solely dedicated
Our ANd FANtASy

56
92
90
(Clockwise): Dolfins at
safari world; the reclining
buddha at wat pho; night
market in bangkok

93
to golfing equipments. My father being an ama-

teur golfer wanted to visit the place and buy a few
things there. After that we left Bangkok for Pattaya
in a taxi.
Pattaya is a major seaside city on the Eastern
Gulf Coast of Thailand, about 150 km southeast
of Bangkok. This coastal city is known for its
beaches and nightlife but thats not all. Pattaya
also offers endless possibilities when it comes to
accommodation and entertainment. Its image is
growing from a seedy beach town to a destination
for a wider audience; whether young or old,
families or business travellers, Pattaya has some-
thing for everyone. We stayed in Amari Residences
located on the Pratumnak hill. It offered the
most scenic view and the service was good. In
the evening we explored the city a little. We
visited the famous Pattaya night market and the
Walking Street.
The next day, we booked a speedboat and rode
off to Coral Island. The ride was exciting though it
was a bit bumpy and rough. I would advise travel-
lers with backaches not to ride on a speedboat.
Once we reached the island, we had refreshing
coconut juice and went on to play in the water.
There are various things one could do on the
island. There is paragliding, underwater adventure,
banana boat rides and ski jet rides. My sister and
I chose the ski jets as we had never tried one out,
and had an amazing time. After spending a few
hours on the island, we left for Pattaya city and
the writer with a cutout checked out of our hotel the same day. Then we
of kpop star psy at show dc
mall; korean food at korea headed back to Bangkok.
town, bangkok We stayed at the Centre Point hotel in Sukhum-
vit, which is another famous district in Bangkok. It
is also known as the commercial centre of Bang-
kok. Tired from all the travelling and fun,
we decided to tuck ourselves in and rest that
night. The next day, we went on to explore
Sukhumvit. My sister and I are avid fans of Hallyu
which is the term for Korean Wave and we have
wanted to visit South Korea but the plan did
not really work out. Though we were in Thailand,
we were indeed very lucky to visit Korea town and
eat delicious Korean food. We also visited
the Korean cultural centre in Bangkok. That af-
ternoon, we visited a mall which recently opened
named Show DC, which is also known as the Mall
of Korea. There were cafes dedicated to famous
K-pop stars and celebrities and any K-pop fan
would love it there.
It was finally the day to end the fun. We moved
to the airport that night since our flight was early
morning. Even though we spent only a week there,
there were a lot more memories to carry than our
luggage. If anyone is looking for a budget friendly
destination, this is it.

56
90
94
patan square
nepal text by sudiPto de ; PhotograPhs by sNigdha bhowmick
on a Temple Trail in kaThmandu,

a spiriTual desTinaTion for hindus

57
95
bhaktapur square
some tiPs
* Non-Hindus are not allowed
inside many of the temples.
* shoes are not allowed within
the temple premises.
* there will be many hawkers
accosting you, if you are not in-
terested in what they are selling,
politely ignore and move on.
* Photography in the inner
sanctum near the idol is strictly
prohibited.
* entry to the Durbar squares is
usually through a ticket and it
is imperative to bargain on the
guide fee.
pashupatinath temple complex
N
EpAl iS a Hindu dominated capital city of Kathmandu to rediscover and sadhvis. A guided tour will take
country and it is quite visible these magnificent beauties. you around the temple premises. The
in the architectural layout of tour takes you from the East Gate to
the country. Each of the rulers PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE the West Gate where there is a massive
built a temple to outdo his predeces- The first temple that we visited was the statue of Nandi bull, a companion of
sor. This resulted in some magnificent Pashupatinath temple. A temple build Lord Shiva.
places of worship dotting the landscape as the abode of Shiva, this gargantuan The main temple complex has two
of Nepal. Most of the palace complexes structure has been rebuilt after the partsan inner sanctum where the idol
in the erstwhile kingdom had a plethora earthquake of 1979. A Unesco Herit- of Shiva is kept and the outer corridor
of temples where the kings offered age site since 1979, the main temple is where you can walk around. The inte-
prayers. These temples usually have a built in the typical pagoda style. Many riors of the temple are done in plush
pagoda styled theme and many of them ashrams have sprung up around the colours of gold and adorned with lavish
are prominent Unesco Heritage sites. premises of the main temple and the inlays on the walls. The corridors are
We went on a temple trail around the surroundings are crowded with sadhus made of arches with intricate wood-

56
96
90
work. One of the things that caught our

eyes was the gold-plated roof of the
main pagoda. The prasad that is offered
here are Rudraksh Malaas. These are
prayer beads, which are available in the
shops outside.
The temple is located on the ghats
of the Bagmati River and these ghats
are used for Hindu ceremonial rites,
specially for cremations. The ghats are
dotted with private temples that were
built by various kings. The scene behind
the main temple was surreal with the
rising smoke, processions of white clad
mourners and ash covered sadhus mak-
ing for a heady mix.
BUDHANILKANTHA TEMPLE
The next temple that we visited is one
dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Although
Budhanilkantha temple is much smaller
in size compared to Pashupatinath
temple, it is famous for the statue of
a reclining Lord Vishnu. The statue of
Lord Vishnu lying on his back on an
eleven-hooded serpent is in the mid-
dle of a pond with other smaller idols
around it.
KATHMANDU DURBAR SqUARE

One of the holiest of places in the whole
of Nepal is the Kathmandu Durbar
Square. Not only had kings from earlier
generations chosen this as their capital,
even the coronation of Nepals last king
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah was held
here. Although there are many temples
here, the Taleju temple built by Mahen-
dra Malla in last 16th century holds the
prime spot. The temple is constructed
in a typical Newari style and is elevated
on platforms to form a pyramidal shape.
Other temples include that of Jagan-
nath, Kotilingeswara, Mahadev and Ma-
hendreswara. But the one unforgettable
image we saw during our trip was that
of the Kalbhairava ten-foot tall formi-
dable figure of the God of destruction.
(clockwise from top) the statue

of a reclining lord vishnu at
budhalinkantha temple; thangka
painting at a school in patan durbar
square; flowers and holy parapherna-
lia outside pashupatinath temple; a
sadhu plays his harmonium

57
97
The Kathmandu Durbar Square also swambhunath stupa

houses the Hanuman Dhoka Palace
Complex, which was the royal Nepalese
residence till the middle of the 19th
century. Just like the others, there is
intricately carved woodwork and panel-
ling on the exterior of the palace, which
has now been converted into the King
Tribhuvan Memorial Museum and the
Mahendra Museum.
PATAN DURBAR SqUARE

The Durbar Square at Patan flourished
under the reign of the Malla kings in the
early 17th century. The red brick-tiled
pathway has imposing feats of Newari
architecture on both sides. The Krishna
temple is a massive temple, which
dominates the entry to Patan Durbar
Square. The temple also houses a gigan-
tic bell that was used to communicate
with the other two brother cities. The
interesting part about this temple is the
carvings depicting episodes from the
Ramayana and Mahabharata.
As you move ahead, youll see many
other temples. A lot of these structures
got damaged during the 2015 earth-
quake and are since being restored.
There is a huge number of pagoda
styled temples with small idols inside
them, specially the Bhimsen temple. He
is considered to be the god of prosper-
ity and business.
The kings personal palace is a mix
and match of stone, brick and wood.
The walls of the palace are made with
red bricks while intricately carved
wooden pillars support the structure.
The main palace square Keshav Narayan
Chowk also has a temple. It has now
been converted into the Patan Museum. doors of the palace with 55 windows by figures of animals in increasing com-
One of the indigenous arts that you are adorned with some very intricate plexity and are reminiscent of an era
can see at the Patan Durbar Square is woodwork, while statues of the king gone by. Also famous for its pottery, the
Thangka Artintricate painting of dei- and the queen adorn the external parts small lanes of Bhaktapur Durbar Square
ties and mandalas (spiritual and ritual of the palace. The palace walls have old are lined by shops selling pottery and
symbols in Hinduism and Buddhism) on murals and also stone sculptures built the pride of Gurkhas, the khukri. The is
fabric. We found many schools where into the walls. There is a tunnel leading also famous for its pottery.
young painters were hard at work. to an abandoned pond behind. But all The temples of Nepal hold a mystical
these pale in comparison to the royal aura around them and also provide a
BHAKTAPUR DURBAR SqUARE bath. Adorned with figures of snake at deep insight into the rich history of the
The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is expan- the head, borders and one rising from country. There is a seamless intermin-
sive. Besides temples for Bandrinath, the centre, the royal bath can give you gling of the Buddhist and Hindu
Jagannath, Omkarnath, Rameshwar and the shudders. cultures in Nepal and these heritage
Hanuman, there is even a nine-storied The nine-storied pagoda style Nyat- sites provide you a sense of tranquillity
temple and a Golden Gate which leads apola temple is another impressive tem- you wouldnt have experienced
to the entrance of the palace. The ple. The stairs of this temple are lined elsewhere.

98
designed for tourists. visitors can sign up for

a variety of courses, including a two-hour
Shooting Adventure where they learn to fire
assault rifles and sniper rifles, or a special
survival and navigation programme where
they spend up to two days training within
harsh conditions to sharpen your skills,
reported telegraph.co.uk.
single-Parent disCount
Single-parent families will no longer have to
pay more than their fair share when going on
holiday, thanks to new package deals that a
tour operator claims puts an end to pricing
discrimination. in what is being described as
an industry first, Virgin Holidays has secured
deals with some of its favourite all-inclusive re-
sorts in the caribbean at rates that dont punish
lone parents. according to a report in telegraph.
co.uk virgin has struck a deal with 10 resorts
which it says will save single-parent families
an average of 398 for a seven-night package
holiday in the caribbean.
Chateau for sale at 50
Scented Flight
anyone with aspirations of becoming king or
queen of the castle should heed the call of a
French campaign looking for people to become
part owners of a remarkable 15th century cha-
O UR SENSE of smell is remarkable, and can easily trigger memories and emotions.
Recognising the power of our sniffers, businesses are starting to add a special
aroma to their brands. Airlines are capitalising on this olfactory opportunity, and
teau for just 50 (46.25). Adopte un Chateau,
the crowdfunding operation looking to raise
500,000 (462,000) to take ownership of the
chateau and restore it to its former glories, is
many are beginning to utilise scents on-board. Among others, Singapore Airlines, asking interested parties to buy shares starting
All Nippon Airways and Turkish Airlines use fragrances to enhance the passenger from just 50. If successful, all contributors
experience, from scented towels to an almost imperceptible, pleasing perfume in will become owners of the building, reported
the cabin. Soon, airline passengers may experience FIVE, a new cabin fragrance telegraph.co.uk.
diffusion system from Zodiac Aerospaces California-based Pacific Precision
Products. Zodiac is marketing FIVE to business and VIP aircraft operators who fly
tooting joins worlds
everything from Learjets to 747s, according to a report in cnn.com. Coolest Club
Tooting, the south London neighbourhood
has joined the ranks of the worlds coolest
city areas according to Lonely Planet. The
guidebook publisher, which hailed captivating
tootings multiculturalism and originality,
PlastiC straws outlawed for the same period in the past decadewhile visitors is known for including publicity-generating
Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa has become the first to the city and le-de-France region rose by 14.6 per surprises in its lists of best destinations (earlier
of its kind in hawaii to entirely end the use of plastic cent, reported telegraph.co.uk. this year Leeds made it into the top 10 places
straws on its property. childrens drinks and blended to visit in europe) but for residents of tooting
tropical drinks are now served with eco-friendly paper being ranked alongside other up-and-coming
straws, while other drinks are only served with paper 150 fares flight hotspots around the world merely confirms
straws on request at the hotels dining establishments The low-cost long-haul revolution is expected to touch tooting is a brilliant place to live and visit, ac-
and special events, reported travelpulse.com. down in India next year with no-frills carrier Scoot cording to guardian.com.
aiming to launch non-stop flights from Europe to cities
including Mumbai and Delhi for around 150. The
Paris on a high budget subsidiary of singapore airlines says sierra leone raCes ahead
tourists are returning to the French it hopes to start flights between india and Sierra Leone tops the list of countries where
capital in record numbers, despite Europe using its so-called fifth freedom tourism is growing fastest, with iceland and
fears over terrorism and a warning privilege, which allows airlines to carry South Korea not far behind. This country on
by Donald trump that Paris was passengers between two foreign countries the west coast of africa has plenty to
out of control. Figures released as a part of services that connect with recommend it, among them national parks,
by the regional tourism authority their home country, according to a report in mangrove swamps, sandy beaches and the
(CRT) for the first half of 2017 telegraph.co.uk. Loma Mountains in the north. The country
suggest Paris and the surrounding saw a whopping 310 per cent rise in visitors in
le-de-France region are on course 2016, in part due to the country being declared
to hit a ten-year tourism high. Ho- anti-terror PaCkage Ebola-free at the end of 2015. Sierra Leone has
teliers in the Paris region registered Caliber 3, which describes itself as the leading been revealed as the country with by far the
16 million guests for the first half counter terror and security training academy in fastest-growing tourism industry in the world,
Eiffel Tower
of this yearthe highest number Israel, offers experience packages specifically reported Dailymail.co.uk.

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Scaling Saramati Peak: Climbing Nagaland's Highest Mountain

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volume no. 02 | issue no.

10 honeymoon with a dif-

sikkim through the eyes

how a mountain and its avian population what a team of riders

the region comprising the

ultimate diy frame by frame thailand

Subscription amount for

SAvE Kindly attach a copy of the payment along with your

Outdoorpeople, Flat No 601, Samvad Apartment, Sector Alpha-1,

I am enclosing cheque/DD No.................drawn on (specify bank)

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

celebrated in the second week of november

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

galo lady in traditional attire september-october 2017

How Mandala and iTS avian PoPulaTion

the one and only birding

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

orange bellied leafbird grey chinned minivet

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

darjeeling woodpecker rufous fronted tit

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

green shrike babbler

himalayan forest thrush black throated sunbird

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

green tailed sunbird

grey chinned minivet

white naped yuhina brown throated fulvetta

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

about 40 years ago.

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

stripe throated yuhina

beautiful sibia winter wren

bifurcated from its parent species of Alpine thrush

whereabouts in 2016 by ornithologists, depending on their breed-

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

grey crested tit

yellow browed tit

rufous vented yuhina spotted laughingthrush

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

how sikkim paved the way to

the writer taking a break

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

the road that leads to

the exotic location, I am not sure, but those momos

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

(clockwise from right)

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

it poured the whole night.

at an altitude of 17,490 ft,

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

sum sylem falls at the

september-october 2017 Discover inDias northeast

an impromptu photography tour of

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017

ThOuGh WE hAD AR-

wah rashi waterfall

Discover inDias northeast september-october 2017