Eastern ecstasy: Unspoilt destinations you must see

From spotting the endangered white-winged wood duck and the Royal Bengal Tiger in Nameri to the virgin beauty of the meadows in Tamenlong, eastern India is the nation’s unspoilt beyond.

ASTHA NATURE’S HOME, ASSAM

Located at Abhayapuri, a small picturesque town in Bongaigaon district of Assam, Astha Nature’s Home is a paradise for nature lovers. This beautiful wooden cottage (Chang Bungalow) with spacious verandahs on both floors has an excellent hill view, much to the delight of tourists. In fact, this luxury resort paves the way for the tourists to have a glimpse of the wonderful scenic spots in its surrounding places. The resort has four double-bedded air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. It also has two tenthouses, which can easily accommodate 10 people.

Astha’s wildlife tours of Manas National Park, Ultapani Nature Reserve, Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaziranga National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary and Kalamati are full of exhilarating adventures. The USP of Astha Nature’s Home is the world-class accommodation and its hospitability. It has an excellent dining hall and all traditional cuisines are served on request, adding to an exotic cultural experience for the tourists. There are a lot of places around the resort to offer you that perfect weekend getaway.

Koya Kujia, four km south of Abhayapuri and only 15 minutes' drive from Astha Nature’s Home, is one of the finest creations of nature. It consists of 81 large and small water bodies, which are separated by 26 low hillocks. This natural wetland has thousands of species of fishes and aquatic plants. Just 10 minutes' drive away from Astha is the Ganesh Temple. The temple was built around 10th century A.D. This religious heritage displays the finest sculpture and a rich architecture. Surrounded by a chain of hills and hillocks, Tamranga Beel, the three wetlands are located just half-an-hour away from Astha. Amid unmatched scenic beauty and enchanting sunset at Tamranga, tourists can enjoy bird watching while boating in a canoe. The greenery of Bamungaon is a dream destination for amateur nature lovers and bird-watchers. Co-managed by the community and the state forest department, the visitors can find some of the important species of flora and fauna such as golden languor, leopard, barking deer, python and red-jungle fowl. Bishnupur and Gharasiya satra are another tourist attractions, which are excellent repositories of the great Vaishnavite culture and tradition of Assam.

By Dhiraj Kumar Sarma

NAMERI, ASSAM

It was about 8 a.m., but the sun was already perched high in the sky, unlike in, say Delhi or Mumbai. It’s quite natural, because we were in North-East India, where the sun rises more than an hour before the central and western parts of the country. To be precise, we were in Nameri, the national park nestled in the foothills along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, famed for the highly endangered White Winged Wood Duck, and, of course, the Royal Bengal Tiger. We had travelled around 20 km upstream along the banks of the Jia Bhoroli River on the Nameri-Bhalukpung road that goes up to Tawang and beyond. Jia Bhoroli is famous for two reasons: one, it’s a haven for anglers who are crazy over its golden mahseers and two, river rafting. Our SUV, in fact, had two inflatable rubber rafts atop it, and as soon as we reached the spot where we were to go into the river, our guides swiftly unloaded and carried the rafts to the river.

Rafting on Jia Bhoroli is an almost-soul cleansing experience, with the thick forests of Nameri National Park on your left keeping your eyes occupied in the hope that you would spot a wild elephant herd or other animals, even as local villagers who accompany you on the raft keeps telling you stories about the place and occasionally hum a tribal tune or two. On the way, stopping at an island on the river they also pick up driftwood, used later as fuel to cook a sumptuous meal of local cuisine on the river bank (you are allowed to land on the right bank, but not on the left, which is the national park bank). It’s probably the most-heavenly meal you would have for a long, long time.

The rafting takes almost the whole day and is worth every bounce of the raft on the fast-flowing river. Jia Bhoroli presents a calm picture of itself if you visit Nameri in non-monsoon times, but as the rains pour, it, helped by tributaries like Diji, Dinai, Doigurung, Nameri and Dikorai, assumes a menacing avatar like most rivers in the North-East do during monsoons.

But Nameri is much more than just rafting. Easily accessible by road, located around 220 km from Guwahati, it’s the perfect place for a weekend outing, and you will be forgiven if you take an impromptu decision to prolong your stay at the Nameri Eco Camp, where we stayed, or at the nearby Assam Tourism facility, both set amidst tall trees. The Eco Camp, a property of the Assam Bhoreli Angling and Conservation Association, was, in fact, till recently, the only accommodation available for visitors to the national park. Its tented and bamboo-and-wood stilt-house accommodations, with the most basic facilities, are the perfect setting for a stay in natural environs for city dwellers craving for a break from their concrete jungle lives.

The kitchen at the camp, located in Potasali village, offers mouth-watering local cuisine, including various dishes of locally available fish varieties. And in the morning, you wake up to the calls of numerous wild birds, including hornbills. The Eco Camp also organises the kind of rafts we used for our rafting expedition, if one might call it that. And all this at fairly reasonable rates. Mind you, the Eco Camp facilities are very basic and if you look for star hotel comforts, you better not venture there. After all, it’s all about the experience of living closer to the nature, rather as close to nature as possible. If you want a real luxurious stay and can afford it, you should opt for the Wild Mahseer Lodge, a magnificent Colonial-era tea garden bungalow in nearby Balipara.

The Nameri National Park is located about 35 km from the district headquarter town of Tezpur, famous for its historic ruins and of course, the magnificence of the mighty Brahmaputra River that flows alongside. It shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. Together they occupy over 1,000 sq km forested by tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests. It is perhaps the only national Park where you are taken for a guided tour on foot, but the downside is that you rarely get to see many animals as they are mostly in the hilly forests.

Experts say that Nameri, part of the Eastern Himalayan ecological hotspot region, is one of the richest areas in terms of plant and animal varieties. And while it is usually the kind of place one goes to on weekends, Nameri can also be the perfect stopover for visitors going up to Tawang, famous for its Buddhist monasteries up in the Arunachal Pradesh mountains. Well, we will make that journey too, someday, we tell ourselves as we bid adieu to Nameri after a three-day stay that rejuvenated our body and soul.

The nearest airport is Saloni about 10 km from Tezpur, but the best way to travel to Nameri is to fly in to Guwahati and then hire an SUV or any other sturdy vehicle to travel by the reasonably good road. The nearest railway station is Rangapara which is 21 km from the park.

By Utpal Borpujari

TAMENGLONG, MANIPUR

It’s a long and winding road, way too far and dangerous to go, they say. But many who travel to Manipur would not miss an opportunity to visit Tamenglong, the native place of Rani Gaidinliu who took an active part in India’s freedom struggle. It lies in far west Manipur, 150 km away from Imphal. The region is largely ignored, unexplored, and is little-known to the country. But with high-quality oranges in abundance, it has found a niche in North-east India and is popularly known as the Land of Oranges.

Starting out early on a winter morning, leaving behind dusty trails, the drive to the place takes you through endless lush green meadows and crystal-clear streams, low lying hills, narrow valleys and dense forest. Halfway through the journey is a small fast-emerging township Longmai (Noney) where most travellers stop for food. After passing through several small, sleepy hamlets, perched on a mountain top is Tamenglong. Hot piping homegrown red tea is served to visitors as a welcome drink. An interesting feature that one finds in all the villages is the traditional village gate called Raengaan. It is set amid the woods and serves as a resting place for travellers.

With an area of just 4,391 sq km, it is rich in wildlife. Home to the rare Blyth’s tragopan hornbill, Tamenglong is also called the Land of Hornbill. The Barak waterfall (Ahu Khoudon) is a trekker’s delight. About 20 km downhill from Tamenglong town, the waterfall is famous for its beautiful unique formation and mystical nature. One can enjoy traditional river rafting, boating and angling here. Other interesting places are the Zeilad (lake), Tharon Cave, Buning meadows and Mt. Kisha (Kacha Khou) in Magulong village. Winter months from October to February are the best time to visit the place. Tamenglong can be reached through roadways. Buses and taxis ply during the day between Imphal and Tamenglong. The nearest airport is at Imphal.

By Asanna Gonmei

HUNDRU FALLS, JHARKHAND

On a balmy winter morning, we decided to venture further than our usual haunt, the Hazaribagh Lake, in the heart of Ranchi where one can rub a shoulder with the ubiquitous “sahib” on a walk, followed by gun-toting bodyguards. That may be the portly district magistrate or the young superintendent of police keeping Maoists at bay while trying to stay fighting fit. But for now, away we go. About 20 minutes' drive on the winding road up the hill and you reach a place where bungalows are yet to make an appearance. At the top of the Canary Hill, the cool breeze blowing from the Damodar Dam in the distance makes you feel tipsy even without a drink. There is a forest rest house and the lone figure around; the chowkidar in his khaki dress gets the typical Indian boiled milk tea in disposable glasses.

Straight out of a scary Bollywood flick, he scowls at the first question you ask. “Nobody cares for old men and old forest lodges these days,” he mumbles, but you just ignore and engage him further and he loosens up. “Maoists are a threat here, but it is usually safe in the day. Anyway, what is here to see?” he asks. How could he have known the starvation for cool, moist air and the pin drop silence amid wilderness that city living induces?

The next day, we venture even further in the opposite direction. On the highway to Ranchi, at about 75 km is Ormanjhi, from here we take a left turn and enter Chano village. This is, however not the main route. But it is worth the effort and provides some adventure. About 35 km on the village road and we reach Hundru falls. But first we meet the odd mongoose and an arty fox, which crosses the road right before the car is about to pass, prompting us to stop and look. At about 8 km on this road is a sign pointing to the Getalsud Dam and Muta crocodile breeding centre where one can take in the view of the majestic waters or go for a dekko of the reptiles.

Proceeding on to the main destination, we waded through an ankle-deep stream and then started the descent. Some 700 steps to climb down. All the while going down you can hear the roaring waters of the River Subarnarekha, but cannot see it till the very last stage. And there it lies—a majestic, 320-ft high fall of crystal white. If only Jharkhand could conserve its natural wealth, package it right and provide a safe and comfortable stay to tourists, the state would enthrall the nature lovers to no end. There are the likes of Joshua Roerich, 47, a German who came as a tourist but never returned. He is married to local tribal Geeta and together they make Madhubani paintings for a living.

By Anju Yadav

THE WILD MAHSEER LODGE, ASSAM

If you want to experience the romance of the famed tea-life during the British Raj, then all you have to do is to take a trip to the Wild Mahseer Lodge, located on 22 acres of certified organic land right in the midst of Balipara tea estate in Assam. It’s a 20-minute drive from Tezpur airport. The resort has four independent bungalows with three or four suites each. It has all the romance of Victorian architecture—spacious rooms, elegantly furnished with a cheerful log fire and a stream lapping nearby. The amenities, however, are modern with an eye on the luxury traveller.

The main heritage bungalow has been restored from a 108-year-old property, the restaurant was a garage for tractors and the conference room, police barracks. The whole ambience is a recreation of the planter’s life during the British raj—the cuisine is similar to the anglo-Indian meals that was so popular then (and now), the meals are served around a fireplace or an open bonfire by liveried orderlies. The food is all homegrown and organic. All the places have been named keeping the tea terminology in mind. The meals are served at the First Flush, a shed that has the feel of a winter garden with lots of plants.

For those who don’t want to laze around the lawns, play a game of golf or simply join in a tea-plucking and tasting session; there are organised tea treks. The tea tourism is somewhat on the lines of the wine and whisky tours in Europe. There are also organised cruises on the Brahmaputra to spot river dolphins after which the boatman takes you to a nearby island and cooks a fisherman’s meal over a bonfire. For the Indiana Jones, there is river rafting and visits to nearby adivasi villages. The sanctuary of Kaziranga is close by, so an entire day can be spent on a jeep or elephant safari where you can spot rhinos, deer, wild boar, hornbills and sometimes even a tiger. It’s also close to Arunachal Pradesh so you can visit the oldest Buddhist Monastery in Asia in Tawang. The idea is to bring back a lifestyle and experience of a planter’s life with all its perks and none of the work.

By Priya Sahgal

RAJRAPPA, JHARKHAND

Goddess Kali, the ferocious incarnation of the sombre and all-endowing Goddess Durga, occupies the highest place in the large Hindu pantheon of Gods for some in the northern and eastern parts of India. At Rajrappa, about 75 km from Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, Goddess Kali is worshiped as Chhinnamastika. The main temple has the headless deity standing over the bodies of Kamdev and Rati on the lotus bed. The mythology and the folklore refer to Markandeya Purana that say the Chhinnamastika is another name for Goddess Kali or Chandi. She cut off her own head to quench Jaya and Vijaya’s—two of her yogini emanations—thirst for more blood. It even finds a mention in Vedic texts like Durga Saptashati.

While some say that this is a depiction of the conquest of the supreme being over the human beings’ worldly desires, others believe that the headless goddess is the source of cosmic power and the separation of the mind from the body, suggesting the freedom of consciousness from the material confines of mortals. Being one of the shaktipeeths in the country, tantrik rituals and animal sacrifices are performed here.

The goddess here is in her most ferocious form, depicting one of the 10 mahavaidyas—forms of Goddess Durga. There are temples dedicated to all of her incarnations here. Hindus throng the temple complex for solemnising marriages, tonsure ceremonies of children and other religious ceremonies throughout the year. Beyond the ancient Chhinnamastika Temple, there are newly built temples and one of them is devoted to the Sun God. This is one of biggest temples in the complex, showing the god riding his seven horses and filling the world with light and life.

But Rajrappa is more than gods and goddesses and temples. Being located on the confluence of rivers Damodar and Bhairavi, the place is blessed with unmatched natural beauty. The approach road to Rajrappa passes through the coal mines and washeries of Coal India subsidiary, Central Coalfield Limited. And even before one can discover the mysteries of coalfields, the jungles of Jharkhand give way to sand and rocks. Meandering over them, the River Bhairavi creates a 30-ft waterfall to meet the Damodar. Though during the monsoons, the rivers swell to their ferocious best, the strong currents prevent boat rides that can be enjoyed in other seasons. A small but exhilarating boat ride along the rock face is comparable to the much-fated view of the marble rocks of Bhedaghat on Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. The best time to enjoy a sun and sand picnic is between October and March but the temple is open all through the year. Located off NH23, it is well-connected by the road from Ranchi (75 km), Ramgarh (40 km), Bokaro (60 km) and Hazaribag (70 km). A word of caution: not a place for overnight stay. It is advisable to stay in Ranchi, Hazaribag or Ramgarh.

By Anju Yadav

GERUKAMUKH, ASSAM

Gerukamukh has the 2,000-MW hydel hydro-electric project undertaken by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. But for the people of Assam, this picturesque place is much more than the centre of a huge political uproar. The scenic village located in Dhemaji District of Assam is a popular picnic destination. About 70 km from north Lakhimpur and situated on the border of Arunachal Pradesh, Gerukamukh is the place where the Subansiri River comes out of the Arunachal Pradesh hills to the plains of Assam. Angling is a favourite sport here and the Assam Tourism Department often organises angling competitions. One can easily see fish swimming in the crystal waters of Subansiri. The more adventurous ones can also camp at the river island. Nowadays, many Missing tribals have set up farms on the island.

Other places of interest around Gerukamukh include Podumoni Than, Basudev Than, Bordoibam Bilmukh and Malini Than. Podumoni Than is the temple of Durga. Opposite to this is the Podumoni Park which is often used for local movie shootings. Basudev Than is another place of worship where goats and pigeons are sacrificed. The Bordoibam Bilmukh Bird Sanctuary is around 30 km from Lakhimpur with diverse natural heritage. You can also experience the wild from close quarters by staying at the Chang Ghors (raised bamboo houses) at Missing villages.

Malini Than is around 65 km from north Lakhimpur which has ruins of old temples. Legend has it that Lord Krishna rested here while going back to Dwarka with Rukmini from Kundil Nagar, now known as Sadiya. The view of the mighty Brahmaputra from the hilltop of the Malini Than is breathtaking. Mohori camp, on way to Gerukamukh, is famous for its local cuisine. People from all over Assam come here to taste pork cooked in Missing style. Kharika pork (smoked pork) served with Apong (Missing Rice beer) and Bhoot Jolokiya (Ghost chilly—the hottest chilly in the world) is one of the hot favourites. Pork fried with bamboo shoot is another delicacy never to be missed if you visit Gerukamukh. Fish from River Abonori and baked in banana leaves are also very popular.

The reserve forests of Kakoi, Subansiri and Dulung are rich in flora and fauna. Asiatic buffaloes, rhinoceros, tigers, slow loris, clouded leopards, wild dogs (Dhole), Himalayan black bears, sloth bears, marvel cats, swamp deers, white-winged wood ducks, Bengal floricans, pythons, fresh water dolphins and golden mahseers can be spotted here. The river Subansiri is known for its dolphins. It’s said that gold was previously extracted from the sands of Subansiri, but after the 1950 earthquake, the course of the river changed and no proper studies have been conducted again about this. Old people in Gerukamukh still recount stories about how they used to boil around one quintal of sand to get some 10 gm of gold.

The best time to plan a holiday at Gerukamukh is between December and April. The nearest Airport is at Lilabari, 25 km away from Gerukamukh. The place is well-connected with Guwahati from where daily buses ply to the town.

By Uttam Pegu

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