Uncover the Seven Sisters of India: When to Travel, What to Eat, Drink and Explore!
The enchanting states that comprise India’s northeast, spanning Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, are home to magnificent terrains, exotic flora and fauna, and diverse and unique culture. Lovingly called the ‘Seven Sisters of India’ for their distinct matriarchal cultures and adoration of nature, here’s our round-up of the things that make this sisterhood well worth a visit.
Covering approximately 2.6 lac square kilometres, North East India is truly a paradise on earth considering its vast range of biodiversity hotspots. A getaway to this region ensconced in the untamed lap of ‘Mother Nature’ is one that is filled with adventure, leisurely hill-station towns, exotic festivals, wildlife trails, unspoiled trekking routes, and more. It is also home to India’s largest tribal communities with the Nagas, Khasis, Jaintias, Mizos, Boros, Garos and Kacharis proudly flaunting their cultural identities through language, art and cuisines as Seven Sisters of India.
The ideal time to visit this region is from November to May, picking the chilly winter or temperate summer as preferred. However, the monsoons here are equally wonderful if staying indoors and enjoying the highest rainfall regions of the world is on your to-experience list.
Assam:
What to See: The one-horned Rhinos of Kaziranga National Forest
What to Eat: Khaar, Duck Meat Curry, Masor Tenga, Aloo Pitika, Ou Khatta
Where to Stay: Kaziranga, for its wildlife resorts.
What to Experience: Bihu celebrations, January, April and October
Nagaland:
What to See: The Kohima War Cemetery
What to Eat: Rice, Pork With Bamboo Shoots, Boiled Vegetables, Spicy Chili Sauces
Where to Stay: Kohima, for its rich verdant forests and valleys
What to Experience: Moatsu Festival, May
Meghalaya:
What to See: Cherrapunji, highest rainfall in the world and its living root bridges
What to Eat: Pumaloi, Pudoh, Jah, Minil Songa, Doh-Neiiong, Nakham Bitchi
Where to Stay: Shillong, for its cascading falls, winding roads and natural beauty
What to Experience: Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, November
Mizoram:
What to See: Kungawrhi Puk, a cave of beauty and legend
What to Eat: Chicken, Pork, Beef, Fish, Bai, Koat Pitha, Panch Phoran Tadka
Where to Stay: Champhai, a rice bowl of scenic stepped paddy fields.
What to Experience: Chapchar Kut, March
Tripura:
What to See: Ujjayanta Palace, Neermahal Palace, Heritage Park
What to Eat: Mui Borok, Berma, Bangui Rice, Meat Roasts, Bamboo Shoots, Chakhwi
What to Stay: Agartala, for its mix of heritage, culture and natural wonders
What to Experience: Ashokastami Festival, March/April
Manipur:
What to See: Loktak Lake, India’s largest freshwater lake
What to Eat: Leafy Vegetables (Aquatic And Terrestrial both), Fish Curry, Chamthong, Ooty
Where to Stay: Imphal, for its meandering rivers, lush green valleys, lakes and misty mountains
What to Experience: Cheiraoba, April
Arunachal Pradesh:
What to See: Taktsang Gompa, the largest monastery in India
What to Eat: Rice, Bamboo Shoot, Pika Pila, Marua, Chura Sabji, Pehak
Where to Stay: Tawang, a Tibetan hub along the Tawang Chu River
What to Experience: Ziro Music Festival