The Seven Sisters
Assam
The Assam valley is home to the mighty Brahmaputra river which hosts the largest river island in the world called Majuli, the one horned rhino found only in this part of the world, roams freely thoughout the Kaziranga National Park, it is the birthplace of Indian oil industry in Digboi and is the largest producer of tea in India.
The valley resonates with the sounds of drums and ‘gagana’ (traditional mouth harp) during the springtime festival of Bihu, and the old, young come out to dance to the bihu beats dressed in the splendid Muga chadar mekhela ( traditional dress for women) and kurta (traditional shirt for men), the handwoven raw silk specially made in Assam.
Arunachal Pradesh
One of the most vivid and multilingual tribal areas of the world homes about 26 major tribes and numerous sub tribes in its alpine, geographically diverse region. Surrounded by Bhutan, Burma and China in its three sides, a wide variety of wild flora and fauna can be found in this land of Monpas, Sherdukpans, Apatanis, Adis and many more tribes. Arunachal is also the land of orchids, rare and classified as endangered.
The diversity of culture and language between the numerous tribes in Arunachal gives birth to beautiful textiles characterized by geometric patterns.
Manipur
The name Manipur means ‘ the land of gems’ and true to its name this state is a region full of hills and lakes nestled in its beautiful valley. This is a land rich in art, culture and literature. The people of Manipur have an inherent love of performing art with lyrical beauty and rhythm. Watching the Manipuri classical dance, the Raas Lila, which recounts the celestial and eternal love between Radha and Krishna, is breathtaking. The costumes worn for the dance is picturesque with different types of intrinsic artwork embedded into it. Hand weaving forms a important part of the socio-cultural tradition of the Manipuri people.
Mizoram
Perched on the high hills of the north-eastern corner, sharing long borders with Bangladesh and Burma, is a storehouse of natural beauty called Mizoram. Never ending streams, deep gorges, scenic landscape and rich variety of flora and fauna makes Mizoram a breadth taking travelling experience. Add to this the impeccable hospitality of the Mizo people. Mizos are a close-knit society with no class distinction and no discrimination on grounds of sex. They are the third most literate state in India.
Mizo women are born weavers who produce what can only be described as art on their looms. The original garment of the Mizos called puan, worn both by men and women, has intricate woven patterns that come from the deep-rooted tribal consciousness and heritage. It can be said that the women of Mizoram weaves their dreams in the fabrics with great labour till each design narrates a story of its own.
Meghalaya
Meghalaya means ‘the abode of clouds’ and served as a hill resort for the British when they ruled India centuries ago. It is also called the ‘Scotland of the East’ because of its beauty.
The capital city Shillong is the rock capital of India. There are numerous talented men and women from this region who live and breath rock. A trip around this region will make your heart skip a beat with exceptionally beautiful places like Cherrapunji which is named the wettest place on earth as it recieves the highest degree of rainfall. The other famous landmark is the living root bridge of Meghalaya.
Nagaland
Naga means ‘hillmen’ thus Nagaland stands for ‘the land of hillmen’. Nagaland has always invoked a sense of mysticism and awe intensified by its remoteness and geographical location. It’s rugged and divinely beautiful terrain beckons travellers to explore into its deeper nooks and corner where you will still find tribes, which you never thought existed.
Nagaland is a fascinating region with more than 16 tribes and sub-tribes who have their own culture, tradition, language and dialects. The region celebrates many festivals out of which the Hornbill festival is the most famous one attracting spectators from all around the world.
Tripura
Tripura has a long historic past, its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore. Due to its geographical closeness to Bangladesh, Tripura has a lot in common with Bangla culture including the language. It also has a unique tribal culture replete with beautiful tribal handicrafts and handloom. Tripura is most famous for its bamboo handicrafts and artefacts
