Dirang - Charm of Arunachal

 
Dirang is a small lovely town in Arunachal Pradesh. It gets visitors mainly because people take a break here on the way to Tawang. But it has a charm of its own.

Situated in a green valley, it offers lovely mountain views. 'I love Dirang' carved on the mountain captures the eyes. Clear night sky gives an opportunity to look at the bright stars.

Absolutely beautiful Dirang monastery is adorable. H.H. Dalai lama stays here when he visits Arunachal. It is a new monastery... The sculptures and colors are fresh. Lovely plants around add to the beauty of the place. Dirang valley looks amazing from the top. 

If you haven't seen kiwi plant, you may visit Kiwi garden. It is not a commercialized place. Agro tourism is unheard of.  You can walk in just like that. It was off season for kiwi plants. The plants were pruned. And we could just spot a lonely kiwi fruit. 

There is a sheep breeding farm as well. But sheep had gone for grazing. 

Sangti valley near Dirang is also a good place to relax. Sangti river flows quietly among the mountains. The village also also has few Homestays.

There is just one narrow road going from the market with no parking space. People park the vehicles anywhere they wish. Because of this there is always a traffic jam. We were stuck here on the way to Tawang for 1 hour.

Young boys in the town love to fly around on their mountain bikes.  One offered free advice to our driver on how to drive across the narrow roads.

Arunachal is filled with green, natural beauty.  Women here are absolutely hard working. One can see them in action most of the time. Carrying a baby on the back, they go on with their lives. Difficulties bring people to action.

Arunachal is not developed like other parts of the world. That's why it is serene, calm, and peaceful. Natural beauty is in abundance at places such as Tawang, Dirang. 

Arunachal has a unique charm. Simplicity of the place and people definitely gives you something to learn and cherish.

Meghalaya - The abode of clouds

Meghalaya is serene with rich biodiversity. It is truly an abode of cloud coming from the Bay of Bengal. Well, Cherrapunji (Sohra), Mawsynram- the wettest places on earth are located here.

Beautifully flowing waterfalls are all over. Meghalaya looks different in Monsoon and Winter. At the end of winter, most of the waterfalls were either dry or had less flow. However, the water accumulated below was crystal clear with blue-green water. The same water becomes muddy in Monsoon.

If you travel Cherrapunji from Shillong, you will be disheartened to see the huge environmental destruction. Mountains are being flattened taking out limestone from them. Yes, the same limestone is needed for making cement. The cement industry thrives on deposits of limestone from some environmentally rich areas like Meghalaya. The rampant construction work taking place all over the country requires cement. Where does it come from and at what cost?

Due to mining, the particulate matter in the air is at an alarming level. In a remote place like Cherrapunji, the air pollution level is high.

Moreover, stones needed for construction are also collected by destroying hills. They say the stones are also dispatched to Bangladesh illegally. 

Well, destruction is easy, conservation needs efforts.

Meghalaya is divided into three regions. Khasi, Garo and Jaintia. Each region has unique terrain with different ecosystems. Most of the people are converted to Christianity. People generally like to keep their surroundings clean. Most of the villages organize cleanliness drives regularly.

Khasis - the largest ethnic community in Meghalaya is one of the last existing Matrilineal society in the world. The youngest daughter inherits ancestral property and it is her responsibility to look after her parents in old age. Husbands live in the mother-in-law’s house and the children take the mother’s surname.  Women also work outside and household responsibilities are equally shared among family members. 

Truly, Meghalaya is a unique state in India and special among seven sisters as well.
Do visit Meghalaya- the abode of clouds (before the destruction level goes to peak and everything is leveled)!

Nameri - An Adrenaline Adventure

Nameri - a place of pure wilderness, a place to experience an adrenaline adventure is a lovely sanctuary placed on the border of Assam and Arunachal.

The Nameri landscape just mesmerizes us as if it has directly come out of some wallpaper.  

Here, we can go on a nature trail inside the jungle and get an adrenaline rush with the thought of coming across wildlife face to face. Encounter wild elephants, hear the scary sound of barking deer, walk with the forest guard armed with a gun. The silence of the forest speaks differently. The chirping of the birds fills the space.

Nameri is the home of endangered white-winged wood duck. But they are very few in numbers and difficult to spot.

We stayed in Balighora nature camp. It is made of sustainable bamboo huts. Experienced a night sky with bright stars, caught hold of a lonely firefly as well. Spotted lovely yellow Mynas and different kinds of colorful butterflies as well. 

River rafting in the Jia Bhoroli river is also a little adventurous thing to do. The water was not particularly flowing vigorously. So it was good to get a first-time experience of river rafting.  Non-swimmers and children can also ride on the boat. It was good to spot beautiful landscapes of the jungle,  different birds like divers, ruddy shelducks, kingfisher, etc.

On the way back from river rafting we closely got a glimpse of a wild elephant trying to enter the village zone.

The villagers often bear the nuances of elephants destroying the crops. But anyway, most of them are living on the land of forest belonging to the Government. Elephants have the right to stay there just like them.

Nameri - a beautiful sanctuary that gives an altogether different life experience.  We are fortunate to experience pure adrenaline adventure here. May the forest here stay lovely and fresh forever!

 

Tawang - the town of peace

 

Tawang makes us turn inwards. The beautiful Giant Buddha statue adorning the town belittles our existence. We are so small in front of the vastness of the universe. 

The peaceful face of Lord Buddha gives an inner calmness. 

The lovely snow-capped mountains beside the statue provide an enchanting view. And we definitely fall in love with Tawang. 

We can also see Buddha's pictorial life story near the statue. `I Love Tawang` just beside that gives the feel of visiting a tourist spot. 

Buddhist culture is predominantly seen all over the town. Tawang is an important pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama. We also visited the house where he was born. 

Inside a hall, there are eight stupas. In another hall, we see pictures of 14 Dalai lamas. The feet of the 6th Dalai Lama is engraved on the stone. His skull is also engraved. There is some significance of the human skull in Buddhist philosophy.

We also see 7 bowls filled with water in front of the Buddha statues. You may check this post to understand the significance of water offering.

In Tawang, there is a big monastery at 10000 ft on one of the mountains. We saw the monastery first time. It was a humbling experience. The smiling face of H. H. Dalai Lama makes you feel at ease. The large statue of Lord Buddha calms the nerves. 

Biscuits and chocolates are offered in the bowl of Buddha. That was pretty unusual as we normally see prasadam (offerings)  like Pedha, sugar in the temples. We can also see small statues of Buddha with various finger mudras on the upper floor.  Budhdha's teachings are inscribed on the wall.

There is a small museum on the premises showcasing various items used in the monastery since ancient times. Quite an interesting collection of the artifacts it has. It also has a corner with the history of the monastery. Old photos of Rajeev Gandhi and other dignitaries visiting the monastery are also hanged.

Monks spend time in the monastery following the Buddhist rituals. There is a large library with a collection of scriptures, manuscripts. But it was closed when we visited the monastery. 

Apart from the main monastery, there is a nun's monastery as well called Ani Gumpa. A nun living there kindly offered us tea as little snowfall started. 

My daughter was overjoyed to see snow outside and happily, made a snow woman!

We also visited the Tawang war memorial. More on it in a different post! Madhuri Lake, Bumla Pass are other attractions near Tawang. But due to heavy snow, we couldn't visit :-(

Buddha's town Tawang is happy and peaceful despite the frequent power cuts, limited internet connectivity, bad roads. We were shivering with cold as heaters in the hotel were mostly not powerful.

In the end, Tawang- the town of peace definitely gives the tonic to lead a peaceful life despite all odds!

Kaziranga - the land of Rhinos

 

Kaziranga- the land of Rhinos is truly India’s (and Assam’s) pride! 

Green grasslands, serene water bodies, and lovely landscapes make it unique. Never-seen-before birds make it a lovely place. One must visit Kaziranga at least once in a lifetime to cherish the moments.

Kaziranga is truly the land of Rhinos. As we entered the Kaziranga reserved area, our driver Monirul enthusiastically showed us a bunch of them.  Yes. They were far from us..but it was a delightful sight.

 

We stayed at ATDCs Aranya tourist lodge near the central zone. Kaziranga is a tourist hub after all. So, if we imagine that it would be a quiet and peaceful place. We surely get dejected. In fact, the main road has heavy traffic. Overspeeding vehicles are charged as there are animal crossing zones. The encroachment of villages and agriculture left little space for wildlife. During the floods of Brahmaputra wildlife enters the village zones. The only positive aspect is that the poaching of animals, especially rhinos, has been curbed to a greater extent.

 

There are three zones, Western, Central, and Eastern.  Wildlife safari from each gate takes us to various locations within Kaziranga wildlife reserve. We can locate rhinos in each zone either through jeep safari or elephant safari. There is no good or bad zone. But the western range has good chances of spotting rhinos from an eye's distance.

 

Thanks to the internet, we chose the eastern zone. It has Sohola Beel which is a freshwater lake formed by six(?) water bodies.  We can spot many migratory waterbirds in that region. I have got a newfound interest in observing birds. So, despite booking a hotel in the central zone, we traveled to the east gate at 7 am. (without a cup of tea!)

Along the lake, we spotted hornbills, storks, Indian roller, bee-eaters, parakeets, Siberian goose, kingfisher, eagle, owl. I cannot identify birds on a micro level..but surely know the above categories. Next time, if we decide to visit Kaziranga again, I would choose a bird watching tour!

Elephant safari has a greater chance of seeing a rhino at arm’s distance. But we came to know later that it is only available in the morning time. On another note, safari is an expensive affair. It surely makes a hole in your pocket ;-). Mostly one sticks to the either-or way while choosing a safari.

 

We were lucky enough to spot one rhino at 200 meters. He was busy munching on the grass. Well, he is lucky. He can eat the same thing throughout the day the whole year. We, humans, are quite picky eaters. We easily get bored eating the same stuff. 

 

Sorry for the diversion from Rhinos! So, grazing Rhino just once looked up and stared at us. Our Kaziranga safari was सुफळ संपूर्ण with that look! 

 

We also spotted many deers. My daughter found them absolutely cute (in her own style). Yeah, they were quite close by.

We have done quite a few safaris till now and most of the time we were disheartened not to spot great wildlife. But Kaziranga was different.

The landscape of the mighty Brahmaputra made it different.

Giant and cute (!) rhinos made it unique.

Mesmerizing birds made it lovely!

Kaziranga - the land of rhinos is surely the sight to behold!

Double Decker Root Bridge - Crown of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is famous for its root bridges. Double Decker root bridge is the crown among these bridges. It is built on the Umshiang river at Nongriat village.

The path is arduous. Climbing down 3500 steps takes you to the Double Decker root bridge.  Reaching the destination is easy. But climbing up 3500 steps to come back takes the breath away.  Moreover, the leg muscles remain stiff for two days.

The trek level is moderate here. A normal person who walks regularly can trudge the path.

But I must say, all the efforts are worthwhile!  

The green jungle and its sound speak to us.  As if giving the message, stay evergreen for life! The unseen birds sing sweetly. Their singing lingers in the heart. 

First, we come across a narrow bridge. One person can commute at a time. The stream below flows softly with clear water. The bridge trembles as we set our foot on it. But nothing to worry! It is sturdy enough to carry weight.

The second bridge has iron strips.  Again we see a small waterfall and clean water.

Then few steps we have to climb up to reach the double-decker root bridge.

We had started our trek at 6:15 am from Tyrna village. Our accommodation was quite close to the starting point of the trek. We reached our destination by 7:40 am. The view was breathtaking. The morning rays were falling on the bridge from behind.

 The calm fish were swimming in the water. 

From the bridge, one can go up to Rainbow falls trekking on rough terrain. It is a kind of adventurous trek. So, we decided to skip it. Spending half an hour by the bridge, we started our journey back.

I was exercising regularly before coming. But I had to take a break after climbing 100/200 steps to catch up on my breath. My dear husband never huffed or puffed. A result of gymming regularly and avoiding junk! And my dear daughter was guiding us from the front along with our guide. So proud of both of them!

By 10 am, we finally reached back to our accommodation. A sense of accomplishment filled my heart. The experience was one of a kind. And taught me a lesson to look after my health.

Our guide Muang was a happy fellow with a constant smile on his face. He enthusiastically showed us the construction work of his new house. He makes two 2-3 trips per day to guide travelers to the bridge. He was wearing the jacket all the time and seemed not to be sweating at all. And I was drenched in sweat by the time I came back.

A double-decker root bridge is located on difficult terrain. There are other root bridges in Meghalaya as well that are easily accessible. The one is near Mawlynnong, India's cleanest village. 

Root bridges are formed by living roots of a species of rubber plant, native to the northeast region. The roots of this plant are interlinked to each other to form a bridge. Khasi tribe from Meghalaya has invented the trick to interlink the roots. The bridges are sustainable and sturdy.

The bridge is unique and worth visiting. However, the journey towards the bridge is more beautiful. It touches the soul and brings calmness to the mind. Nothing matters in this world in front of the sheer beauty of the nature!

Double Decker root bridge is definitely the crown of Meghalaya.

The views still linger in my heart..

Dawki and Mawlynnong – Memories forever

 Dawki and Mawlynnong are the places in Meghalaya to create memories forever.

From Cherrapunji or Sohra, it takes three hours to reach Dawki. Dawki is the farthest town in Meghalaya situated on the border of India-Bangladesh.  Dawki’s Umngot is the cleanest river in India with mesmerizing green water. It truly is clean! In Monsoon, the water gets muddy, but otherwise, it is pristine.

Once we entered Dawki, from the hilltop we saw a huge crowd on the Umngot riverfront. We were dismayed by the thought of standing in the queue for a boat ride. To our surprise, the crowd was from Bangladesh!

On the riverfront, there is a huge rock that marks the border of India-Bangladesh. The upside part of the river belongs to India and the downside is to Bangladesh. Security personnel standing beside the rock does not allow Bangladeshi residents to come to India’s side. The only exception was the Bangladeshi photographers who earn their living by taking pictures for the tourists. Even though not needed, we also took photographs from one such photographer. (With an exchange of Bangladesh currency; i.e., Taka!)

We took a boat ride and entered the tranquil water. Also, we drank a few sips from the river. Elegant ladies from Dawki were catching fish from the river to prepare their meals. They get meager income from selling the fish. We couldn’t see much fish in the river.

The boat took us to the end where the water was turbulent due to rocks. The riverfront with round rocks was marvelous.

Taking pics, we sailed back to the starting point. With memories to cherish for a lifetime, we started our journey towards Mawlynnong, India’s cleanest village!

The road towards Mawlynnong runs along with the Bangladesh border fencing most of the time.

Meghalaya is a very clean state. Most of the villages carry out cleanliness drives to keep their surroundings clean. However, Mawlynnong is an ideal village model. The homes are adorned with gardens. Beautiful flowers bloom in most of the front yards. Efforts have been taken to promote tourism and create livelihoods for people residing in the village. Tourists can leave in the homestays as well.

There are other attractions near the village. One of them is a single root bridge. It is a bridge formed by the roots of the rubber plant. Meghalaya is famous for such root bridges. More on root bridges in a different post.

Balancing rock is another interesting place and an opportunity to take funny pics. A huge rock balances on very small support. So, one can pose like Hanuman or Krishna to lift a Parvat.

Traveling to Dawki from Sohra, we can experience changing plant diversity. Sohra is a wet desert with no vegetation except grass. Then on higher altitudes, we see temperate coniferous forest plants like pine, fir. As we go down vegetation changes to the tropical form. 

Dawki is at a lower altitude. It has an ample amount of betel nut (Supari), Bamboo trees. Plant to make a broom (Broomcorn) is abundantly seen here. Making brooms is the means of livelihood for people. So, the broom in your home may have come all the way from Meghalaya!

Traveled back to Sohra, we slept peacefully relishing the day spent well. Dawki and Mawlynnong truly gave us memories to last forever!