North East States are called Seven Sisters viz.
Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam.
When Bombay Natural History Society confirmed Namdapha National Park Camp, Arunachal
Pradesh, Commander GVK Unnithan planned to make it big, combining our visit to
at least important cities in these states.
Important things to Note:
- You need Inner Line Pass/Permit to visit Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Inner Line Pass/Permit is applicable to domestic tourists also.
- Download the form from their respective state’s official websites/tourism websites. Fees are applicable. Except Mizoram which has an office at Mumbai, for rest of the states, apply to the resident commissioners at Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, etc.
- Photography charges at Namdapha National Park is prohibitive – point and shoot cameras daily Rs.100/- detachable lens cameras daily Rs.500/- video cameras daily Rs.1000/- besides guide charges, camp charges etc. It is better to go in a group.
There is a contact in Miao who organizes camp
for Namdapha National Park. Phone number on request will be provided.
4.10.2014 (Agartala, Tripura)
Auto drivers
speak broken Hindi with Bengali Accent. We straight away sought the help of a
traffic constable posted at Airport into agreeing for a reasonable fare from
Airport to City Centre for a distance of 12 km. We entered into conversation
with the driver, Nand Singh who we found to be a reasonable person and hired
him for our local tour that evening. Our
immediate aim was to get some bus or share seat transport to Silchar next day.
At the ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminal), we could get two seats up to Badarpur
at Guwahati fare. We asked him other
mode of transport to Silchar and went in search of that. In between, we saw
Ujjayantha Palace (Tripura State Museum), the check post at Bangladesh Border,
where daily Wagah like procedure takes place. This road leads to Akhura railway
station in Bangladesh and hence is called Akhura Road. We missed the lowering
of flag ceremony by a few minutes. There was a cultural programme after the
ceremony. We found out the Sumo service for Silchar but unfortunately its
schedule was two days later. As we had no option, we then went again to the
Inter State Bus Terminal for reserving the bus seat which was in the last row.
Due to Durga Puja Festival, the city was bedecked with colourful lights and everywhere holiday mood was prevailing. We saw the Martyr’s Memorial near the hotel in the evening. Due to its location, sun rises at around 0500 hrs and sets around 1700 hrs.
5.10.2014
(Agartala, Tripura)
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| Martyr's Memorial, Agartala |
Martyr's Memorial, Agartala is on Hari Ganga Basak Road at the City Centre. We saw the tank and artillery used in the Bangladesh War which is kept in the garden itself. Then we left for Inter State Bus Terminal and started our journey to Badarpur at 1230 hrs. The whole stretch is a hilly terrain and we reached Badarpur around 21.00 hrs on NH-44 passing through Teliamura, Ambassa, Manu, Kumarghat, Pecharthal, (all one forest range after other going through hilly terrain) Panisagar, and passing Churaibari Checkpost in to Assam. The road from Churaibari then Longai Forest, Patharkandi, Nilambazar, Karimgunj Bypass to Badapur was one hell of a ride to remember. A wholesale cloth merchant Mohammed (who has travelled all over India) joined in Churaibari and got off at Badarpur. We three were the only souls got off at Badarpur around 2100 hrs. With his help we hired a Tata Indica for Silchar a distance of 35 km and reached around 2145 hrs. As we were on way, we got into conversation with Mohammed and the driver who advised us not to go to Imphal. Considering their advice, we dropped Imphal from our schedule due to security concerns.
6.10.2014 (Silchar, Assam)
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| Barak River, Silchar |
We were discussing our revised plan, as Shillong and Imphal were dropped from our schedule (first one due to landslide enroute and the second due to security concern). Suddenly we though why not Aizwal? On enquiry, we found out it will take 10 to 12 hours to reach Aizwal by road. As the train services were cancelled due to gauge conversion and we had to bank on road transport for our itinerary, the whole plans were to be redrawn. Due to the treacherous road journey we had and expected till Dimapur, we decided to take a day’s rest at Silchar. We saw the Stadium behind the hotel, Barak River and the bridge on it at Silchar which is intersection point of NH 53 (Badarpur, Assam to Imphal, Manipur) and NH 54 (Dabaka, Assam to Tuipang, Mizoram). The Cachar Club, Silchar which is founded in 1897. It offers 5 types of membership and 24 x 7 service like a restaurant/lodge/ billiards/health club/etc. I suggested my partner that we should go to Lumding by road and then take a train to Dimapur, which was readily agreed. I booked a train ticket from Lumding to Dimapur and on that ticket a retiring room at Dimapur. Then we booked two seats in Sumo service (in front row with driver) for our journey from Silchar to Lumding next day morning.
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| View of Meter Gauge Bridge on Silchar-Lumding Section |
We started our journey at 0700 hrs and Silchar-Lumding road takes the route of NH 54. The road was looking like a wallpaper through the windshield but after some time becomes very much like a village road and by the time you reach Lumding, you will be coated with a layer of white dust/mud (all your luggage on top of the vehicle even if covered with tarpaulin). NH-54 (Silchar-Lumding) goes along the Jatinga river which is flanked by the meter gauge line on the other side. The meter gauge alignment joins NH-54 somewhere near Dhamchara between Chandranathpur and Bandarkhal railway stations. We could not enjoy the train journey on this scenic section as it was closed for gauge conversion. We reached Lumding around 1530 hrs and after our lunch went to Lumding railway station for our onward journey to Dimapur.
Outside the Dimapur railway station, “Yellow Zonal Taxi” Sumo services run to Kohima. Again on share basis viz. 2 in the front with driver, 4 in the middle and 4 in the rear. It took 3 hrs to reach Kohima. “Yellow City Taxi” can be hired for local sightseeing. Kohima looks like Shimla as both are on a hill. First we went to the State Museum where various types of weapons used by Nagas, various head gears of tribes and ivory armlets worn by Nagas, everything connected to the State is exhibited. The skulls in display at the State Museum, Kohima are real trophies taken during head hunting raids. Head hunting was universally practised by Nagas. The taking of head in war earned the warrior an exalted status of fame, honour and glory not only in this world but an honourable place in life after death.
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| View of Kohima City |
Later went to War Cemetery. Kohima is the city where, British and Indian soldiers resisted the Japanese of April 1944. Formerly the grounds of the Deputy Commissioner's bungalow, little remains of the battlefield save the white concrete lines of what was once the tennis court. This the final resting place of more than 1,420 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War, most of whom fell during the siege of Kohima and the fighting which followed its relief.
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| Tree Shoot which was Sniper's post |
There is a flowering cherry tree in the Cemetery which is of historical interest. The original tree was used as a snipers post by the Japanese and was destroyed in the fighting which raged around the tennis court and marked the limit of the Japanese advance into India. The present tree is a shoot from the old stump. Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for the commemoration of almost 1.700,000 members of the Commonwealth forces who gave their lives in the two world wars. The graves and memorials of these men and women, who came from all parts of the Commonwealth and who were of many faiths and of none, are found around the globe in 153 countries.
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| Tennis Court |
The majority of those laid to rest at Kohima War Cemetery were members of British regiments. But alongside them are more than 330 members of Indian units, and eight flyers who served with the air forces of Canada and Australia. At the highest point of the cemetery stands the Kohima Cremation Memorial which commemorates more than 900 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were committed to fire in accordance with their faith. Among several memorials within this cemetery is a monument to the men of the 2nd Division. It bears the world famous epitaph: 'When you go home, Tell them of us and say: For your tomorrow, We gave our today’.
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| For your tomorrow, We gave our today.... |
We came back to Dimapur by the same “Yellow Zonal Taxi” whose driver accompanied us on our sightseeing. The train to Ledo was after midnight. In the wee hours, we caught Guwahati-Ledo Express at Dimapur and reached Ledo at 10.00 am.
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| Lekhapani Railway Station Now |
Ledo is the last station on East of India. We were picked up at Ledo railway station by Kadir, for our journey to Miao. Lekhapani used to be the last station and it lost its status on 26.8.1993. Lekhapani was a major coal loading terminal of the meter gauge network of Northeast Frontier Railway. It played a significant role during movement of allied armed forces during the Japanese blockade in World War II. Lekhapani marks the beginning of the famous Stilwell Road constructed upto Kunming in China by Allied Army between 1942-45.
You can read about the Stilwell Road (Ledo Road) here
16.10.2014
(Parashuram Kund, Arunachal Pradesh & Tinsukia, Assam)
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| Parashuram Kund |
We started our journey from Miao to Parashuram Kund via Jagun, and crossing the Dihang river to Bordumsa (Arunachal Pradesh-Assam Border), Chowkham, T. Junction (from where one can go to Miao via shortest route), Wakro. The Kund is small water fountain which merges with Lohit river. This is the place where Parashuram has washed his sin of killing 21 generations of Kshatriyas. On Sankaranti day, a big festival is held here. The Kund can be reached via pathway having some 100 odd steps on the ascent and then 200 odd steps on the descent. In between you can find temple. We also washed our sin? at this Kund. After luch nearby dhaba, we started our journey to Tinsukia. On our way we saw a Buddhist Monastery at Chowkham, then we reached Mahadeopur, Dirak (Arunachal Pradesh-Assam Border), Kakupathar, Rupai. We stayed just outside the Bus Terminal.
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| Buddhist Monastery, Chowkham |
We hired a taxi for a distance of about 45 km to the Dibrugarh Airport for catching our flight. The road from Tinsukia to Dibrugarh is bordered on one side the railway track and on the other side tea plantation. We reached the airport by 0700 hrs, and it was locked. As we were passengers, the option was to go inside and wait for the airport to open or come later. We took the first option and waited for an hour and half. Later we boarded the flight to Mumbai via Kolkata.
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