Northeast is one of the most unexplored regions of India. Except a few known tourist spots, the region lies truly virgin due to the fact that it has always remained out of the mainstream travel itinerary. From variegated cultures to colourful nature, from simple, happy people to lip-smacking delicacies, and from the unsophisticated charm of the places to their uptown fashionable persona, Northeast is serene and yet mysterious. What seems from above might just be a sedate screensaver for the real adventure underneath. If you are turned on enough, you can start planning for your next holiday! You have been drinking tea for ages, without really knowing what a tea garden is like. Visit Assam and see for yourself. The lush green gardens, the workers plucking tea leaves and putting them inside their tupas (baskets to carry the tea leaves) and singing songs at work, renders a truly Wordsworthian sight. Worth a look for that warm cup of morning tea! And just in case you fancy putting up at a tea garden, there are some old, British tea garden bungalows that have been renovated into heritage resorts.
You have read about monasteries and monks and you want to see them out of the romantic Bollywood song sequences. The Rumtek monastery in Sikkim for instance, gives you a colourful view of the abode of God, as spirituality seems to pervade the whole atmosphere. Besides, since you are not allowed photography inside the sanctum sanctorum, you miss out on the beautiful golden statue of Buddha if you’re trying to have a glimpse of it in travel brochures and the idiot box. You can also play a game of football or cricket with the shy monks if they are taking a recess from their classrooms.
You’ve heard about desi rock and want to check out the Northeastern flavour of the genre. Come to Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Assam. From soft rock to death metal, blues to country ballads, you’ll get a taste of everything if you can manage a pass into one of the local shows. If you don’t make it to the shows, why, you can also hear it at any of the evening hangouts of the local guys in town. It is most likely that every other young man you come across, has grown up playing the guitar and singing Bob Dylan songs.
You have never tasted pork and rice and don’t understand why it is such a fetish in the Northeastern hangouts in your city. They call it jadoh in Meghalaya. It is almost a rage for meat lovers all throughout the Northeast. There are many other ethnic Northeast Indian cuisines that suit the general Asian palate – many of the dishes being stewed, boiled and full of herbs. In case you’re sticking up your nose at bamboo shoots, take a chance. With chillies, they make a mouth-watering pickle. So next time you want to try an Anthony Bourdain, welcome to the Northeast.
Trekking is all that comes to your mind, when you think of hill stations. You need to know what more can be done other than that, when you’re up there. You can stow away the rest of the world, rent a cottage for a week and spend some quality time alone or with your mate. You can simply take a stroll along the marketplaces that sell everything from plant saplings to local souvenirs. The salesman’s smiles come for free though. You can also visit one of the heritage sites or villages around, if you have the time to splurge. Most of them have legends running through them.
You have always liked watching Jackie Chan, and want to know about the Indian forms of martial arts. Take a trip to Manipur. Thang-ta is a traditional Manipuri martial arts form that was used to fight against the British, during the Indian freedom movement. What began as a survival strategy, turned into a deep rooted value system that holds the spiritual philosophy behind the art form. The training imparts lessons in culturing the mind as powerfully as the body. A glimpse of the men in action might enable you to understand the Shaolin Temple movies better!
You learnt that there are many other dance forms in the Northeast other than the ones with spears and shields that you saw on the Rajpath, last Republic Day. We know you’ve heard about Bihu, but even Bihu has its variants across the state. Spirituality and humaneness being some of the prime virtues of the region, dances like Sattriya and Sankirtan can be seen heavily inspired by the religion of humanity. Some dances are also inspired by nature like the Cheraw dance of Mizoram which involves bamboos.
You wonder if there actually is something like a one horned rhino or if it was some non-extant species, casually discussed on Discovery. Come to Kaziranga! In spite of the dwindling numbers, the Kaziranga National Park is host to the famous one-horned rhino that has strolled past your TV screen ever since you were a child. By the way, if you’re a wildlife enthusiast you might also like to have a look at the golden langur, a priority species at the Chakrashila wildlife sanctuary; the only sanctuary in Asia where it is conserved. Take the camera along; authorities ensure 100 per cent sighting of the primate over there.
You need a quiet place to read your latest pick from the book stall. The weather being hospitable almost throughout the year, a trip into the woods can become your ultimate romantic experience. So whether you want to disengage yourself from the world and read, or pen down your introspection, be our guest. All you need is some time, good company, your credit card, a little bit of cash (because they don’t use credit cards everywhere) and a free mind.
You live a fast-paced metro life, and you haven’t known heaven since the last vacation. You deserve a break! Northeast India is not called ‘paradise unexplored’ for nothing. There is a certain kind of solace in its hilly terrain and the verdant surroundings that pacifies the city-weary soul. It is some sort of a retreat that gives you the ultimate vacation next door when you don’t want to crash your bank balance on a trip to the Caribbean Islands.
So the next time you’re hit by the travel bug, mark Northeast on your itinerary, pack your bags, get set, and go!