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Assam, the mystic
land of tea:
Guwahati, the
majestic gateway city to the
North-East and capital of the
state of Assam. The magic land
Assam is a verdant land of the
eternal blue hills, a treasure of
flora and fauna, a mystic land of
tea, the home of one horned
rhino"uni-corn", together with a
numbers of fairs and festivals.
The word Assam is derived from the
Sanskrit word "Asom" meaning
'peerless'. The ancient history
refers to Assam as Pragjyotishpur,
until in 1228, the Ahoms from
North Thailand invaded this land
and established a kingdom, which
came to be known as Assam. So here
I was glad to know about the Thai
connection with Irene smiling. The
irresistible tourist attraction of
Assam lies in her immense green
stillness, the lush green forest,
and the bewildering variety of
wildlife.
ARUNACHAL PRADESH:
Arunachal is one of
the most sparesely populated
states of India, borders China,
Bhutan and Myanmar. There are five
major rivers - Kameng, Subansiri,
Siang (later the Brahmaputra in
Assam), Lohit and Tirap and the
mountain ranges follow the river
systems. Home to a complex mix of
communities, its people are
friendly, colourful and simple.
Its rich flora ranges from the
Alpine to the subtropical, from
rhododendrons to orchids. Its
verdant forests, turbulent
streams, lofty mountains and snow
clad peaks make it a unique place.
Tribes:
There are 26 major tribes and a
number of sub-tribes inhabiting
this area. Most of these
communities are ethnically similar
having derived from the original
common stock but geographical
isolation from each other has
brought amongst them certain
distinctive characteristics in
language, dress and customs.
Broadly, the people have been
divided into three cultural groups
on the basis of their
socio-religious backgrounds. The
Monpas and Sherdukpens of Twang
and West Kemeng districts follow
the lamastic tradition of Mahayana
Buddhism. Noted for their
religious beliefs, the villages of
these communities have highly
decorated 'Gompas' . Though
largely agriculturists, many of
these people are also pastoral and
breed herds of Yak and mountain
Sheep. Culturally similiar to them
are the Membas and Khambas, who
live in the high mountains along
the northern borders, Khamptis and
Singphos, inhabiting the eastern
part of the State are Buddhists of
Hinayana sect. They are said to
have migrated from Thailand and
Burma long ago.
The second group of people is the
Adis, Akas, Apatanis, Bungnis,
Nishis, Mishmis, Mijis, Thangsos
etc. who worship the Sun and Moon
God. Their religious rituals
largely coincide with the phases
of agricultural cycles. They
invoke nature deities and make
animal sacrifices. Adis and
Apatanis extensively practice
wet-rice cultivation and have a
considerable agricultural economy.
Apatanis are also famous for their
paddy-cum-fish culture. They have
specialised over centuries in
harvesting two crops of fish,
along with each crop of paddy.
The third group
comprises Noctes and Wanchos,
adjoining Nagaland in the Tirap
district. These are hardy people
known for their structured village
society in which the gereditary
village chief still plays a vital
role. The Noctes also practise
elementary form of Vaishnavism.
MEGHALAYA
:
Meghalaya is
literally the 'Abode of the
Clouds'. The name describes the
climatic phenomenon that brings
torrents of rain to this region.
Meghalaya is a region of great
scenic beauty; a panorama of lush,
undulating hills, fertile valleys,
250 species of orchids, meandering
rivers, waterfalls, sparkling
mountain streams and lakes. It was
declared the 21st State of India
on 21 January 1972. It united the
areas of the Khasi, Jaintia and
Garo Hills. The state
approximately 22,429 sq. Kms in
area lies between the latitudes
25.10-26.50 N and the longitudes
of 85.49 0 - 92.52 E. It is
bounded by Assam in the north and
the east and the plains of
Bangladesh in the south and west.
The State is divided into three
hilly regions - the Garo Hills
(Western Meghalaya), the Khasi
Hills (Central Meghalaya) and the
Jaintia Hills (Eastern Meghalaya).
Climate :The state of
Meghalaya is directly influenced
by the southwestern monsoon that
originates in the Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon begins in May and
continues until October. Mawsynram
in East Khasi Hills district has
one of the heaviest rainfalls in
the world with a July average of
959 cms. The climate from November
to April is almost dry. Winter
begins in December and lasts until
February.
MIZORAM :
Myanmar and
Bangladesh border Mizoram, the
finger-like projection in the
extreme south of the region. This
region gained a measure of self
government as a state in its own
right. The Mizos have the second
highest literacy rate in India.
Mizoram, predominantly a Christian
populated state, is towards the
southern-most tip of the
North-Eastern states, sharing
borders with Manipur, Assam,
Tripura and then jutting between
Myanmar and Bangladesh. The word
Mizo means highlander, a
collective term given by their
neighbours to a number of tribes,
which settled in this area. They
are orginally believed to have
come from North-Western China and
gradually pushed themselves to
their present homeland, less than
300 years ago. A mountainous
region, Mizoram became the 23rd
state of the Indian Union in
February 1987. The hills are steep
with an average height of 900
metres. Its green thick forest is
rich in flora and fauna. Mizoram
has an area of 21081 sq kms.
MANIPUR :
This little corner
is a paradise on Earth where
Mother Nature has bestowed her
bounty extra generously. Manipur`s
exotic scenery, mystic atmosphere
and salubrious climate are all
that fascinate tourists. Abounded
with festivals, Manipuris are best
introduced by their world famous
"Manipuri Dance"- one of the major
dance forms of India. South of
Nagaland, Manipur borders Myanmar.
The state is inhabited by over two
dozens tribes. Manipur claims to
have invented the game Polo, the
main sport of Manipur. Loktak Lake
with floating- Weed- Island and
dancing deer Sangai, is of tourist
interest. Nestling deep within a
lush green corner of North East
India, is the wondrously beautiful
little Shangrila called Manipur.
Literally meaning - "a jewelled
land", this little corner is a
veritable, paradise on earth.
Untouched and undiscovered,
Manipur promises to be the great
tourist discovery of the 21st
century. An oval shaped valley
surrounded by blue green hills,
rich in art and tradition has
inspired descriptions such as the
"Switzerland of the East" with
cascading rapids, tripping rivers,
carpets of flowers and exotic
blooms. It lies to the south of
Nagaland & north of Mizoram. It
shares the international boundary
with Myanmar on the western and
southern side.
NAGALAND: Capital
: Kohima
The state of
Nagaland, covering an area of
16,488 sq. km. is encircled by
Assam in the north and west, by
Burma and Arunachal Pradesh in the
east, and Manipur in the South.
The state is predominantly
dominated by Naga communities and
hence, it forms a single cultural
region generally definable by
common cultural and linguistic
traditions. This state was carved
out of the territories that were
earlier known as Naga Hills -
Tuesnsang Area(NHTA), through the
State of Nagaland Act, 1962. It
was inaugurated on 1st December,
1963 by the then President of
India, Dr S. Radhakrishnan. The
state lies between 2506 deg and
2704 deg of the equator and
between the longitudinal lines
93015 deg E. The Barail range
extending from the south-west via
North Cachar runs up to Kohima,
with its highest Peak, Japvo,
attaining a height of 3,048 metres.
Handicrafts :Nagaland's
handloom and handicrafts own a
reputation for their quality. The
beautifully hand woven tribal
shawls of various tribes, Naga
mekhelas (Sarongs), Naga hand
bags, which are exquisitely and
intricately designed, have won
worldwide appreciation. The new
generation of Nagas have ventured
into fashion designing on a
commercial scale, reproducing
fabrics that represent the past,
fused with modern taste. They have
handicrafts like beads, cearlands
& baskets, made of cane & bamboo.
TRIPURA (the Tiny
State): Capital:
Agartala
Tripura, the second
smallest state in the country, is
almost surrounded by Bangladesh.
Inspite of having 19 tribes, the
majority of the population of
Tripura is Bengali. Situated in
one of the remotest corner of the
country, Trpura is one of the best
potential places that caters the
taste of everything from palaces
to lakes and hill station.
Neermahal, a summer resort at
south Tripura, built by late
Maharaja Birbikram Kishore Manikya
way back in 1930, attract a good
number of tourists every year. The
Ujjayanta Palace, a dominating
built in Agartala, was built by
Krishna Kishore Manikya Bahadur in
1901. 60% of the total area is
under hills and forests. This tiny
state has an area of about 10,500
sq. kms and is inhabited by
largely 19 tribes Bengali,
Manipuri and other communities.
History :
The ancient history
of Tipperah or Tripura is shrouded
with mystery. We come to learn
from Rajamal that more than 150
tribal kings ruled Tripura since
the legendary period and King
Ratnapha got the title "Manikya"
from the Lord of Gauda. But recent
readings of Tripura Coins have
proved that Ratna had his two
predecessors Maha Manikya and
Dharma Manikya. Hence it is
perhaps reasonable to conclude
that with Mahamanikya, the
historical period of the "Manikya"
Dynasty started, which continued
till 1949.
The history of the
rulers of Tripura in medieval
period is the story of continual
fights, particularly with the
Sultans of Bengal. During the
British period, some English
officials were eager to occupy
Tripura, but it was opposed by
others. However, the office of the
British Political Agent of Tripura
was created in 1871. After the
death of Birbikram Kishore Manikya
in May 1947, a Council of Regency
under the leadership of his
widowed wife Maharani Kanchanprava
Devi took over the charge of the
administration on behalf of the
minor prince. The Regent's rule
came to an end on September 9,
1947, when due to popular
pressure, the agreement of Merger
of Tripura with the Indian Union
was signed by the Maharani on 15th
October 1949. Finally, Tripura
became a full-fledged State in
January 1972. The original
inhabitants of the land, i.e. the
hill people were noted for their
tolerance and passive obedience.
It is only in the 19th century
that they started protesting
against the oppressive Feudal
System.
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