Tribal Hills and River Deltas - Travels in Odisha, Chattisgarh and Andhra

Trip Plan

A friend and I planned to travel to Southern Odisha where we spent our childhood and have an authentic experience meeting the Desias or the local tribes as they are known. Staying in a Township, we had a distant relationship with them during our childhood and we wanted to intimately know them and be part of their culture as insiders, as if in search of our identity and reclaim a small part of who felt we were.

Vishakapatnam - Andhra Pradesh

Thotlakonda Monastery

Traveling to Vizag, we stayed near Rishikonda beach. The beach road is superbly developed and probably one of the best beach stretches in the country with the sea on one side and the hills on the other. Development on the hills is limited due to the Kambalakonda Wildlife sanctuary and two buddhist monasteries built in the early centuries, Bavikonda and Thotlakonda. We met up with some school mates and then made a trip to the Thotlakonda Monastery. 

The Monastery is high up in the hills and the road recently made and well maintained by the state Government. Here buddhist Pilgrims from the Oceans would land and then make their way up to Sarnath and Bodh Gaya. 

Koraput and Sunabeda - Odisha

At the school

From Vizag, we took a train to go to Koraput which winds up through the Araku valley, a popular vacation destination in this area. In Koraput, we met up with the cousin of a school friend and went to the local Jagannath temple. From there we went to Sunabeda township, where we grew up as kids. 

The next day, we explored the town revisiting our childhood hangouts and reminiscing on our younger days. We also went to the markets and met up with the shopkeepers, many of who have retired and their sons taken up their place in running the shops. We managed to get a bike and planned to go to Deomali hills which is the highest mountain in the state of Odisha.

We set out for Deomali the next day through Semiliguda, a nearby town. It was a pleasant ride to the hills through farms and some winding roads. From Deomali, there was a new road which went to Talamali, another nearby hill before returning back to Sunabeda. The hills were barren and the dense green cover that we had experienced during our childhood was long gone due to logging and exploitation of the gullible tribals by timber contractors and the mainstream politicians. No wonder, that Naxalism rose in these areas as a response to the exploitation.

Enroute to Deomali

If one is looking for resorts to stay in this area, there are two Desia Eco Stays, one in Deomali and the other in Machkund where there is a lake created by the building of the Machkund dam.

From Sunabeda, we went to Jeypore and on the way, dropped in on another friend's place, this time a person who had a coffee estate near Koraput called Lamtaput. His name is Sujay Pradhan and he took us to his estate to taste his coffee. Koraput coffee is a brand that the Government is trying to promote, similar to the highly successful Araku Coffee. The Government has also been training and encouraging the tribals to grow coffee and sell back to the Government for being marketed under Koraput Coffee which I thought was a good initiative. We need ways to get away from the water intensive rice farming which is common across India. Sujay was trying to promote his own brand of Coffee called Brown Valley and his specialty coffee tasted very good, so there is a good potential for Coffee from these areas. Many Entrepreneurs have been growing Coffee for many years now and this could become a new source of income if marketed well.  

The Paraja Villages - Koraput, Odisha

Paraja Tribe Woman

In Koraput, we got the reference of a person in Borigumma which is a town a little away from Jeypore and we met up with him there after taking a bus from Jeypore. His name was Nageswar Gowdo and he is from one of the local tribes and a PHD scholar who is studying history in the nearby University. Nageswar would be able to take us to some of the nearby villages and meet up with the local tribes in that area. 

The major tribe in the area are the Paraja (which comes from Sanskrit Praja meaning the common people). Their mother tongue Parji is a form of Gondi belonging to Dravidian family of languages. But now most of them living in undivided Koraput district speak the regional language called "Desia". 

The Parajas are simple, friendly and hospitable, but like to remain aloof from the people of other communities as they are shy by nature. Paraja settlements are uniclan in structure and are usually located near foothills where perennial hill streams are flowing down the hills to provide them drinking water throughout the year. In multi ethnic villages they live in separate hamlets keeping social distance from other ethnic groups and maintaining their own cultural identity

Gowdo took us to one Paraja village where we met an old blind man who was the last of the story tellers. He said that the new generation didn't sing the old songs and probably these will be lost with him. He sang a few songs for us and attempted to act it out. Playing musical instruments is also fading away as the younger generation dances to Desia songs from Youtube.

Local Landa

In the evening, we went riding triples to another Paraja village near where Gowdo stays. It was a while that we rode triples (during school days!). Luckily for us, all of us were slim and could fit in. We also tasted some "Landa" made from Ragi. Tribal communities drink Landa at home with younger and older members of the family. This is a fermented drink and is good for the gut. Landa is an essential component of various festivals, is considered auspicious and is offered to appease the gods for good fortune, a bumper yield and good health. 

We went and met a teacher who made us sit outside his home. Soon a friend of his who was a local leader joined us. They were all young, in their 20s. All of them have taken advantage of Government schemes and got themselves educated. I went through some study material. The textbooks were written in Desia by a NGO called Asha Kiran Society and the hope was that this will make Desia speaking people literate and then pave the way for them to learn Odiya, the state language through bridge literacy material.

The Dancers at the Village

We requested the teacher's wife to arrange for a dance session with some music. She was shy and initially hesitated, but then after a little more prodding took up the task enthusiastically, gathering the village children and ladies to dance for us. They put up a boombox in the village square. The whole village turned up to watch with lot of enthusiasm. We waited for the eldest leader of the village to come who we greeted and then the program started. The songs were mainly Desia songs, but there were some old hindi remixes as well which shows how the local culture gets influenced by the mainstream over a period of time.   

We were keen to taste the local ‘mahuli’ liquor made from mahua flowers and these were brought surreptitiously in plastic packets. It was surprisingly smooth and light, even comparable to the best of Single Malts! As the evening progressed, the dances became more frenetic till we had to  stop when it became pitch dark and we took leave of the village after a lot of photographs and thanks to the entire troupe and village. 

Maths under the street light

While the older folks wore the traditional dress, the younger ones nowadays wear normal maxis and skirts wearing the traditional saree only during occasions. Also the mud huts were concretized with funds coming in from the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana. 

We then went to the next village which Gowdo is from and finally said our byes to our hosts. Before we left, we spied upon a group of kids below the village Banyan tree huddled up under the street light. To our shock and pleasant surprise, we found that they were studying mathematics and a few other subjects along with a tutor. The math was algebra and pretty complicated. The kids were bright, had a twinkle in their eyes and for sure, fire in their bellies. These were the next generation of kids with the hunger to lift themselves up and do well in Society. We were superbly impressed even as my friend immediately video called up his daughter to show her the real India, studying under the street light and ready to blaze their way to future success. 

Jagdalpur - Chattisgarh 

Chitrakoot Falls

From Borigumma, we left for Jagdalpur in Bastar district of Chattisgarh. Even a few years back, this area was the hotbed of Naxal activities, but with the presence of the heavily armed Cobra security battalions and developmental activities being carried out in parallel by the State, these have largely vanished and life was normal across the district. At Jagdalpur, we checked into the hotel and then hired a driver who would take us out for a day tour to the nearby Chitrakoot falls. It was also the week of Maha Shivratri and there was a festival fair going on near the falls where a large temporary market had come up.

The water in the falls was less due to the upstream dam, we were told it would be much more during the monsoon season. After seeing the falls, we went into the market where there were hundreds of stalls and a milieu of crowds. We tried out different types of Mahuli brought to the fair by tribal women in plastic buckets! Feeling nice and high, we set out on a circular route back to Jagdalpur. Enroute, we stopped at a steep ravine called Mendri Ghumar which was a lovely spot and from there we could see miles away into the valley below where the river Indravathi was flowing.  

Traditional Cock Fight

As we were returning back, we spied upon a place where there was a traditional cock fight going on. We were invited to have a VIP seat where we could see the cock fighting events. It was a betting market out there, with different contenders finalizing the duels to be fought based on the bird weight and size. The selected birds were then tied with a steel claw which would mean that this would be a fight to the death with the winner killing the other bird. As the birds were brought onto the fight arena, there was a frenzy of betting with cash trading hands instantly like the stock market and the sounds rose to a high pitch as the birds fought aggressively, till one of them dropped off to his death. The sound of the crowds would then die down with the winners jubilantly counting their earnings while the losers give a sigh of defeat and try their luck in the next round of bird fight.

It was gruesome as well as fascinating. No amount of classroom teaching will teach the science of economics, supply and demand as spending a day in these markets.  

The Godavari Belt - Andhra Pradesh

Paddy Fields

From Jagdalpur, we set out to Bhadrachalam the next day which is a town in Andhra Pradesh in the Godavari River belt. The plan was to stay a night there and then take a boat down the Godavari to Rajahmundry where the Godavari meets the sea. This area is one of the most fertile deltas in India and the rice fields of Godavari have made the Kamma castes of Andhra Pradesh rich and prosperous.  The Kammas are one of the richest groups in Andhra Pradesh with socio-economic and political prominence throughout the Telugu-speaking regions of India. Valuing education along with wealth, in recent times, large number of Kammas have migrated to the United States.

Boat Ride down the Godavari

The boat ride was around 7 hours and would have been a great experience, except for the Indian penchant for music and dance which accompanies every outing. We had hoped for a quiet drift down the Godavari as it went through the Papikondalu Wildlife Sanctuary, bit that was not to be. We also joined in as there was no option and ended up playing housie, listening to loud music and dancing on the deck for Andhra uncles and aunties. For the first time in my life, I got a full house and my friend RK, got the top line. We donated the winning proceeds to the crew and our reward was to dance on the deck with the cast and crew. The crew also put in a dance drama which was quite enjoyable.

We finally reached Rajahmundy and spent the evening with our school friend, Suresh and his family who is based there.

Sri Rama Sadan

The next day, we set out for a trip down the delta into the verdant green fields. Enroute RK wanted to find the village of his origin which he had seen in a Youtube video and we ended up going to a small village called Peruru near Amlapuram. There we found a house called Sri Rama Sadan. The lady who came to greet us was the owner of the house. She had returned back from the US and built the house in the local tradition. We took a tour of the house which was built using local materials and had a large courtyard and a Gowshala (Cow Shed) at the back. It was a nice tour and we had a good conversation with her and her  philosophy of life and why she came back to take care of her parents and in-laws. 

Yanam

We then rounded off our trip by going to Yanam (Part of Pondicherry !)which was at the sea edge and turned back from near Kakinada to come back to Rajahmundry. All the way, I was imagining how the area can be turned into the next Schenzen if only our politicians had the vision and will power as the area had everything going - lot of land, river delta, a port, rich crops and commodities and well drawn roads from the hinterland to the sea. 

The next day, after saying good bye to our friend and his family, we caught the flight back to Bengaluru completing an eventful trip that will be remembered for a long time for the diverse experiences that we had.

   

  

Chettinad - A hidden Gem

Traveling to Chettinad 

Chettinad means Land of the Chettiars and this region consisting a few districts is located in Tamil Nadu, India. It was historically the homeland of the Chettiar community, a prosperous merchant and banking class, whose legacy is reflected in the grandeur of the region.

The origin of Chettinad was in the 13th century when the Nattukottai Chettiars migrated to Karaikudi from the area of Cauvery Poompattinam after a massive flood destroyed their houses and business. This new settlement eventually became the Chettinad region of 96 villages in 1947 and over a 600-1500 square mile area, out of which around 76 villages still exist today. 

Today, the Chettinad region is well known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Some of these have now been converted to Heritage vilas and hotels. 

Chidambara Vila

We were looking to stay for a few days at one of these places but most of them were booked out. We finally managed to get accommodation at Chidambara Vilas which is a 110 year old heritage home, now converted into a hotel. The plan was to stay for 2 nights and 3 days and then travel to Madurai before returning to Bangalore.  

Chidambara vila was built between 1897 to 1904 on a one acre plot which was gifted by the Maharaja of Pudukottai to Krishnappa Chettiar, a powerful and influential family known for their financial prowess and traditional Chettinad heritage. The villa has been leased to the Sangam group to manage the property which restored it over 3 years to ensure that the authentic heritage of the house is preserved.

The Chettiar Community

The Chettiars were traders and financiers across Southeast Asia, particularly during the second half of 19th and early 20th century when they were at the peak of their economic power. They were the major banking Hindu community of South India.

For centuries, the Chettiars were traders in salt and semi-precious stones. They always led urban lives and had little interest in cultivation. It was the British who first asked the Chettiars to finance rice cultivation in Burma. Even though they started as the agents of British banks in Burma, the Chettiars swiftly graduated to being money-lenders. The community had trade contacts with Vietnam, SriLanka, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.  

Chettiar Mansions 

Mansion Interiors

The Chettiars sent back the money earned abroad to save. At home, they mainly engaged in banking and later ventured into agriculture, industry and other businesses. Settling down in the Chettinad region, they built large mansions from their riches. These mansions have an unqiue architecture imbibing influences from all over the world along with combining Tamil traditions. The community is organized around 9 clan temples. Each member of the Chettiar community belongs to a clan and each clan has its own temple.

The mansions are all built in a South-North/East-West grid pattern with Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. Many of these mansions were built using a type of limestone known as karai. In fact, this is why this area is called Karaikudi. The mansion walls were polished with a paste made out of egg whites and palm sugar to give them a smooth texture and for their cooling qualities. These walls can be cleaned and are strong enough to last centuries.

Vila Tour

One of the perks of staying at the hotel was an hour long free tour of the Vila which was conducted by the Manager. We were taken through the architecture of the house, building design and materials used. It was for us one of the highlights of the trip. 

Abandoned Villas

We also did a village walk in Ramachandrapuram. All around the village, there were abandoned villas which were built from early British rule to the 1940s. Walking around these abandoned houses and looking at their facades was an amazing experience. The village had houses, a school where Mahatma Gandhi had once visited, a temple and a tank. 

The village tank was in the outskirts of the village. Rain water from each house is taken by underground drains which collectively terminate in the tanks. When the tank overflows, the excess water runs into the adjoining tanks through provisions in the previous tank 

Facade

Facade Stucco Work

The mansion’s facade is embellished with stucco figurines, murals, ornamental balustrades, cornices and domed towers. In the centre are tall stucco figurines of Gajalakshmi (the goddess of wealth) depicted standing on a lotus, flanked by elephants pouring water from pots held in their trunks, and women chamara -bearers. Above the Gajalakshmi statue are flying angels with garlands in their hands. Gajalakshmi symbolizes protection and prosperity and is the leitmotif of the facades of all the mansions. 

A Chettinad house extends from one end of the lane to the next and the doors are in perfect alignment. If the doors are open, standing on the main door of the house, one can see the subsequent doors all the way to the parallel lane.

The entire building was built on an elevated plinth which keeps rains and floods away. This practice came from their fear of water as their earlier livelihood was washed away by floods from the sea. 

The building is divided into portions called ‘Kattu’ and each house has a Mugappu, Valavu, Irandankattu, Moonankattu & thottam

Reception Area  - Mugappu 

Mugappu with Main Door at the back

This is the reception area at the entrance of the house. The outside verandah called Thinnai is a raised platform for guests with two rooms on either ends for conducting business. Large Wooden pillars support these platforms. A key element of the reception is the Kallupetti which is the accountant’s desk. 

The courtyard showcases Belgium glass decorations, Italian tiles, Victorian furniture and chandeliers. This area was used to conduct business and entertain visitors, while entry to the rest of the house was restricted to family.

The main door which leads to the living area of the house is made of Burma teak and intricately carved with ornate wood work and figures of Gods and Goddesses. Delicate floral filigrees adorn the high door frame. 

Living Area - Valavu 

This is the living area of the house with an interior courtyard which is used for living for during ceremonies. Raised platforms form the corridor around the courtyard which have several living halls and double storerooms that are allocated to each married son to store their personal belongings. These are generally on the ground floor.  

Kolam in the Valavu Area

Living rooms and bedrooms are mostly on the first floor. Window niches and arches above are decorated with stucco work or paintings. Murals can be seen on the top of the doors.

The main Valavu which also has the Pooja Room is still used for family functions and festivals. In the courtyard, there were two large Kolams that were made every day by a lady early in the morning after washing away the previous days Kolam. It is a ceremony worth watching.

All the floors are laid with Italian marble Black and White, Granite and  Athangudi tiles. Japanese and Spanish tiles are used for side walls. The courtyard is designed for collecting and harvesting rain water. 

Dining and Kitchen

The Irandankattu is used for dining with storerooms for storing crockery and cookware. The last courtyard at the rear end of Chettinad Home is the Kitchen area or the Moomankattu. This served as the women’s domain where the women of the community reared children, engaged in cooking and in preserving foods. 

The Thottam is the Garden with stables and cowsheds.

Roof and Pillars

Pillars

Chettinad roofs are uniquely designed for air cooling and collecting rainwater. The repetition of rectangular plots, the organization of the houses in successive courtyards and the hierarchy of the pavilions with sloping and terrace roofs has created a specific roofscape, unique to Chettinad 

The pillars in the houses are made of Wood, stone and Granite. Wooden columns are mainly used for inside areas and stone pillars for the courtyards (main or kitchen). In a later period, granite pillars were used in the outdoor thinnai.

Managing the Business

We got some interesting insights from our hosts about the way the business was managed. For example in the reception area, one side of the Thinnai was used for disbursing loans and the other for collecting payments. Each payment was separated into the Principal and Interest and stored in separate rooms for easy book keeping. The norm was that any additional investment or expenses of the house can be taken only from the Interest and the Principal cannot be touched. Touche!   

Each son was given one profession to handle and these would be rotated on a yearly basis to build trust amongst them. For example one son would be given the money lending business while the other would take care of farming. After a year the roles will be rotated. Also, each son would have to get experience in another Chettiar family before being allowed to independently manage the business. This is to ensure that the father is not soft on them!

The lending interest rates would be set by one of the Chettiar families in Chennai and communicated daily. Every Chettiar family then had to offer the same interest for the day so that there is no undercutting. 

Chettinad Meals

No trip to Chettinad is complete without savoring the unique Chettinad meal. Chidambara Vilas had a special thali which was supervised by a lady whose family used to cook for the same Chettiar household and what followed was a delightful feast. 

Kavuni Arisi (Black Rice) Payasam was the first sweet dish to taste before diving into the rest of the food. 

There were soups like Murunga keerai (a flavourful and healthy soup made with drumstick leaves) and Karuveppilai Kozhi Rasam (a thin peppery chicken bone soup). 

Malli Saadam or Jasmine Rice was provided along with Pulao. This was accompanied by vegetables -  Vatha Kuzhambu (Dried vegetable Gravy),  Vazhaithandu Kootukari (Banana Stem cooked in Toor dal and tempered with coconut and tadka), Beetroot Potato Podimass (stir-fry dish made with beetroot and potato), Kovakkai Masala ( ivy gourd also known as tindora or dondakaya cooked in a flavorful masala gravy), Vendakkai Milagai Mandi - (Lady's finger green chili subji) and Senai Varuval (Elephant Yam fried dish). 

Paruppu Nei (Ghee Dal), Suraikkai Sambar (Bottle gourd sambar) and Paruppu Rasam (Ghee Rasam) accompanied the vegetables. Other side dishes included Green Peas Vadai (Vadas made of green peas), Maangai Pachadi (Raw Mango chutney) and Nilakkadalai Thuvayal (Peanut chutney)

Non Veg items that were included were Kozhi Varutha Curry (Roasted Chicken), Meen Varuval (Roasted Fish), Meen Kuzhambu (Fish Gravy), and Muttai Poriyal (Egg Stir Fry)

Finally, there was the Yoghurt and Aval Payasam (Flattened Rice Payasam) to finish off the meal.

Places to See 

Chidambara villas is located in a village called Ramachandrapuram, a little away from the main hubs of Kanadukathan, Athangudi and Karaikudi all towards the south where most of the heritage buildings and the antique market are located. Athangudi is the location for the spectacular Athangudi Palace and Athangudi tiles which are made in the village. Karaikudi has the Antiques market, one of the finest antique markets in the country with exotic authentic antiques available at down to earth prices. 

Over the course of the next 2 days, we went around the Chettinad area. To the south in Kanadukathan, we toured the VVR Heritage house which is well preserved. The Athangudi Palace in Periyaveedu is well maintained and is a must see. Finally we went to the Karaikkudi Antiques Market and bought a spectacular wooden Window framed painting of Lord Krishna which we proudly installed at our home. Very soon, our tour of Chettinad was over and we left for Madurai to see the Meenakshi temple and thereafter back to Bangalore.

In and around Tawang

 The Road to the Tibet Border

The road to Tawang from Chug Valley took around 6 hours and we took the Sela Tunnel instead of going up the pass. We would cover Sela Lake on our way back. Passing by JaswantGarh War Memorial, we reached our homestay late evening.

Tseten Homestay is a lovely place located at the entrance of Tawang Town about 3 Kms before the Market area. This would be our base for the next 2 days as we explore Tawang and its nearby sights. Next day morning, we decided to travel to the Indo-china border as there was a possibility of rain the day after and we didn't want to take the chance.

Way to Holy Waterfalls

There are various border points and most tourists go to the Bumla Pass which is the route the Dalai Lama had taken to escape to India. However, we travelled up to Chumig Gyatse Holy Waterfalls, where recently a border road has been built. 

The Holy Waterfalls has significance in that it is a sacred place in Arunachal Pradesh which was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche by the Tibetans), the great yogi and tantric master who lived in the 8th century AD. It is also the location where the Yangtse clash took place between the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army on the night of December 9, 2022. Violent clashes took place between the two armies which confronted each other with nail-studded clubs on a ridgeline above the waterfalls.

At the Waterfalls

To reach here, we travelled towards Bumla pass, then 6 kms before Bumla, one takes an eastward turn. The scenery around the lake and the pass (at an altitude of 4,200 meters) leaves you spellbound. Of course, one encounters a heavy military presence, due to the proximity of the border and the constant Chinese belligerence. 

The drive goes past Panga Teng Tso lake and we stop for a bit at Gribtsang Tso (Nagula Lake). Then after driving through the high plateau, one reaches grazing grounds and further ahead a thickly forested area with extremely old and tall pine trees. From there, we can see the gorges further down with the river flowing below after which sharp turns on the road high above climbs up to the ridge.

Chug Valley and Bishum-Phudung

Chug Valley

The Chug Valley is about 10 Kms from Dirang and offers an unique experience of Monpa culture and its culinary practices. Once we reached there, we were greeted by Lekyi, a Monpa woman from a neighbouring village who took us around the fields and the valley. 

We first went to see a Chuskor which is an indigenous technique of Monpa community to grind millets and grains by using flowing water to run a wooden turbine. We then got to know about making Mon Shugu which is a traditional handmade paper used in Monasteries and prayer wheels. All around were fields where we could see oranges, kiwis and other seasonal fruits being grown. 

We then went up to the Village Gompa. In the Center of the fields was an impressive sitting statue of Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. 

After walking through the fields, we went up to the old village. Enroute, we met some locals who were dry roasting corn to make it into a snack (Kakung) and we stopped to watch and taste it. 

The old village was a quaint collection of original Monpa houses. We were led to a 100 year old house for lunch and it was an unique fusion dining experience blending traditional Monpa cuisine with contemporary culinary techniques. Run by a group of ladies from the village, this curated experience turned out to be one of the top highlights of our trip.

Shergaon and Sherdukpens

The Travel Route

Every year I pick up a state in North East India and go for a visit through Chalohoppo, a travel experience company based out of the North East. Last two years, I had been to Nagaland and Meghalaya and this year I chose West Arunachal Pradesh. September was a good time as the Monsoon would be receding and it wouldn't be too cold. I reached out to two of my friends from College who joined me and we booked our slots and flight tickets. 

The 3 Musketeers with Ashiq

Three other women solo travelers were in our group and I was happy that two Trip Leaders who I had met in my earlier travels were joining us. One was Nick Doley who is from Majuli, Assam and Vikho was from Nagaland who I had met during the Nagaland trip 2 years back. We also had Pawan who was from Manipur and joined Chalohoppo recently. Ashiq was our driver whose patience and happy disposition was crucial for a smooth drive through the long roads of Arunachal. 

The plan was to drive up from Guwahati entering Arunachal and moving alongside Bhutan's eastern border to Tawang. Enroute we would be staying at Shergaon and Dirang before reaching Tawang, our final destination. We would also be going to the Indo-Chinese border from Tawang on one of the days. The overall round trip was for 8 days.

Arunachal Pradesh - Land of Tribes

Arunachal has a huge diversity of population and about 23 major tribes and 100 sub-tribes live in the state. To categorize the cultural spheres broadly, West Arunachal Pradesh is populated by the Monpas, a tribe who follow Tibetan Buddhism. In the lower areas near Shergaon, there is a Buddhist Animist tribe called Sherdukpen. Central Arunachal Pradesh is populated by the Tani tribes who are a Sino-tibetan ethnic group and migrated from their homelands into Arunachal and Assam. They are animists and have their own religion called Donyi-Polo. The Eastern part of Arunachal is populated by the Mishmi tribes who are predominantly animists.

Borong

Borong Nature camp

June 2024

Borong Nature Camp

After a long drive from Yuksom through some beautiful scenery, waterfalls and a pleasant cloudy weather, we arrived at Ravangla town. Since Borong would be isolated, we stocked up on drinks and snacks and after having a good local lunch started off towards Borong. The Borong Nature camp consists  of a few cottages on a steep slope overlooking a valley. Below you can hear the sound of Rangit river coming up faintly. The river separates West sikkim from South Sikkim. Across the valley, there were clouds but on a clear day you can see the snow capped mountains peeking through. 

Sanjok Gurung is the owner and host of our homestay and we were welcomed by him and his family after which we settled down into our cottages. Sanjok, he told us later is originally from the Silk Road area in South Eastern Sikkim, where he has a hotel. A few years back, he bought about seven acres of land in Borong where he grows crops and has made a few cottages. The tourist season was almost ending with the rains about to begin. Once the rain starts, he would close the camp and go back to his home. The camp has a few of his relatives helping out including his sister who works as an employee in a nearby school.  

Sanjok Gurung, our host

Over breakfast the next day, Sonjok told us his life story. He had been a monk and he spent over 12 years in Bilakuppe, near Mysore Karnataka studying to become a monk before he left and started his own business.  He said he learned a lot about doing business from the Tibetans in the monastery who are by nature very good traders. We asked him whether the Monasteries get enough children to study and become monks. He said that typically in the lepcha community, one of the kids is given to the monastery as a monk, and nowadays people just have one kid. So, the monasteries have been getting students mainly from Nepal instead, generally from poor families. Religious identity seems to be fluid nowadays and Sonjok interestingly told us that some of the original inhabitants, Lepchas have been converting to Christianity whereas some of the Rai's who are originally Hindu Brahmins are converting into Buddhism. 

On one of the evenings, Sonjok talked about the path of becoming a Lama in Buddhism. He has been to many countries as part of being a Lama. They have to go through extensive training and be ready to teach and preside over rituals. They can at any time decide to leave the monastery and lead a life of a householder which is what he did. However to become a monk, they have to take permission of the parents as this is a life of celibacy which cannot be reverted. Sonjok also said that once of the key philosophers who they had to study was Nagarjuna who was from region of Amravati. He is considered as the most important philosopher of Buddhism and is compulsory study material. I made a mental note of getting a book and learning more about Nagarjuna's philosophy.

We asked Sonjok about Organic Farming and whether there is demand for organic produce since Sikkim is known as an Organic State. He said that there is a huge  demand, but the population growth in Sikkim has slowed down and thereby number of people in the farms have been reducing. The government of Sikkim has even promised one government job per family in Sikkim because of which many people now prefer government jobs instead of the hard work of tilling their farms. Further, the government has progressive policies like 1 year paid leave and 3 months paternity leave.  Many farms are now converting back to forests. 

Nowadays most families opt for only one child. The government in fact gives economic incentives for families who have a second kid. Some families have been adopting children from tribal areas in the Dooar plains of West Bengal, but this is becoming lesser due to strict adoption rules and hassles of integrating them into the community.

Local Organic Market

Above our camp on the opposite Mountain, one can see the Eklaviya foundation school. On day 2, we decided to walk down to the river to experience the hot springs. Halfway down the path, we saw a Church. A man called out to us and joined us. He said his original name was Gurung but he has now converted to Christianity and his new name was David "bro". David had a stall near the hot springs where we could have some snacks and change into swimming clothes. Apparently a lot of people come from Bhutan and Nepal to the hot springs during the winters.

Gurung David Bro

The hot Springs was a great experience. The hot water poured out of an opening on the ground and had collected in a pond which was green in color due to the algae. We sank into the water and soaked in the heat. David collected the hot water at the entrance of the spring and gave it to us for drinking. It was therapeutic and smelt of Sulphur. After spending a few hours, we climbed up back to the camp which took us almost 2 hours since it was a steep slope.

The Sikkimese don't have much of a breakfast. People have their lunch at 10:30am. Then they have some tea or snacks in the office and have their dinner at 5:30pm. By 7:30pm they go to sleep and wake up by 0430 AM. Such healthy living! Sanjok joked that during the tourist season they had to keep awake till almost midnight as the Bengali tourists would come down for dinner only by 10 PM! 

We noticed that smoking in public places is strictly not allowed in Sikkim. Also goods cannot be displayed in front of the store, garbage is collected diligently and there is minimal honking and noise. There's a big difference in terms of the discipline and the look and feel between Sikkim and the plains like Siliguri. A lot of it is due to the local hill culture of community feeling, respect and cleanliness. Sanjok told us that the Government had even sent some officials to Bhutan to learn from them where the environment is even better. 

After a few days, it was time to go back. Sanjok arranged for a car and we packed up and drove away towards Siliguri. We left with a happy and yet heavy feeling, our hearts filled with wonderful experiences and warmth of the people. As we got off the hills into the West Bengal plains, I wistfully looked back at the forests and the greenery of Sikkim, probably the best preserved in India and the last Shangri-La. 

Hung Hri

Hung Hri Monastery Hike

June 2024

On Day 2 of our hike, we moved from Dubdi monastery to Hung Hri monastery. We descended into the valley to meet the river and stopped for some time at Elephant Falls. In between 2 streams of flowing water, the rock was shaped like an Elepant's head, hence the name. The water was pristine and fresh.

We then stopped by a farmer's place for some local wine. He was the older brother of the farmer we had met at the camp site and also related to Sanjeev. Our guides and the farmer and his wife then made some Tongba, a millet wine for us. Ragi is cooked and combined with a khesung, which is a local microbial culture and kept for a few days. Manish mixed water into the fermented millet and then squeezed it to get a cloudy liquid which he then poured into glasses for us to drink. It tasted like Sake - warm, slightly alcoholic and smooth with a mild, milky, mushroomy taste.

After a few glasses, feeling nice and fuzzy, we started our ascent to Hung Hri. For lunch we stopped at another relative of Sanjeev, where we took a small nap. In the room inside, I could see that their son was preparing for the civil services exam as there were lots of notes and learning tips stuck onto the wall.

Finally we reached our homestay in the evening just as the skies opened and it started raining . The homestay was attached to the monastery, a beautiful place overlooking the fields and the valley below. The homestay owner and his wife helped us settle down for the evening. They have three daughters, of whom 2 of them were at home that evening. The youngest one is in sixth standard and the middle one is in 11th standard. Both the daughters study at the Eklavya foundation school which is a residential school for the local communities and an hour away by bus. The daughters along with a group of students had come with their teachers over the weekend to camp at the monastery. They made their own food and generally had a good time before going back the next day. 

The next day, we climbed further up to the Hung Hri Top and found a solitary monk staying high up in the mountain. Food is sent from the monastery for him and he had a makeshift house with a basic kitchen to manage. The monk knew only Tibetan, so even the locals found it difficult to communicate with him.  

After having lunch back at the homestay, we started our descent down the valley. We spent some time at the hanging bridge near Phangrong before reaching our new home stay called the Tarebahim. The homestay was in our guide's village and the hosts were related to Sanjeev. We were apparently the first to stay in the homestay and were given a traditional welcome with a shawl. 

The whole family and our guides prepared the dinner for us. We were impressed with Sanjeev and Manish, they were masters in everything! One of the relatives set up a Karaoke and he tried to teach me to sing a Nepali song, Sadhai Sadhai by the band Mantra. We all took turns singing while the cooking was on. 

Day 4, we went back to the hanging bridge. There was a small waterfall and a crystal clear pool. We spent the day jumping into the refreshing water and swimming. After a few hours, we started our descent back to Yuksom. Along the way, we found a new home being built on the slope. The whole village men had joined in to build the house as is the custom. Someone was splitting the bamboo, while others were putting the the roof together. 

After reaching Yuksom, we said our byes to Sanjeev and Manish who had become our friends. It was a great trip with fond memories and insights into the lives of the locals. After a few days, we started our Journey to Ravangla and further on to the Borong valley, our next destination.

Dubri

The Trek up to Dubri

June 2024

Sanjeev and his friend Manish are our guides on the trek from Yuksom. On day one, we trekked up to the Dubri monastery and camped a little bit higher near the monastery. Due to the wet season, there were leeches everywhere and we had to periodically scan our shoes and clothes and remove the leeches.

The place where we pitched our tents was on a flat ground with a beautiful view. There's a farmer's house nearby who stays with his wife, and small kid with a patch of garden. The farm was given by the monastery to them for about 1000 rupees a month. In their village there was a landslide and so they had to come here and restart farming. Typically they farm potatoes and they also have cows, which gives about seven odd litres of milk every day. They also have a few goats and chickens. 

We had interesting dinner discussions with Sanjeev and Manish. Sanjeev is a Buddhist from the Limbu community and his friend Manish is chhetri. Both of them have been close neighbors and friends ever since they were kids. Both of them started talking about South Indian movies and we found out that a lot of people in Sikkim watches these movies in OTT which was quite a revelation to us. They were aware of all the movies, the heroes and the actors, many of who I was not aware of or just heard about them. The conversation veered around Mahesh Babu, Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and many more as we settled down for the night.

Next morning, we had another interesting conversation around cryptocurrencies. Sanjeev has  a Dada Ji, who apparently heard about crypto in 2008 by one of the travelers. He was told to buy Bitcoin at that time which would have been a few cents or dollars which he ignored and regretted later. Now he is an expert in crypto and he has been educating all the folks in Yuksom. They may not have a demat account for stocks but have an account in Wazirx, a local crypto exchange! 

Sanjeev was explaining to the farmer and his wife in Nepali what the entire blockchain technology was and how it cuts out a bank like SBS (State Bank of Sikkim) where there was a scam recently. 

It was a surreal conversation high up in the mountain passes, something I would never have imagined. The farmer nodded his head completely understanding the concept of decentralization and power going out of these centralized banker scamsters.

We finished breakfast and said our good byes to the farmer and his family. Giving some money to the mother for the baby, we moved out to the jungle trail for the second day of the trek. 

Yuksom

Yuksom, a quaint town at the edge of civilization

June 2024

Yuksom is a quaint small town with a square consisting of a few shops where most of the locals can be seen hanging around. It is the beginning of the Kanchenjunga National Park and there are many treks starting from there. We boarded up at the hotel Pemathang (Pema means Lotus and Thang - a place) which is owned by the nephew of Danny Dengzongpa, the famous Filmstar from Sikkim. The day to day running is managed by another partner, Writh Dasgupta. Writh works as a sound engineer at T-Series in Delhi and stays in Yuksom during the season. Our caretaker was a cook called Gurung who in an earlier career used to be part of many trekking groups. He made some wonderful healthy dishes for us. Locally grown foods in Sikkim are potato, cabbage, carrots and leafy vegetables like Rai Saag etc. while tomatoes and Rice came from the plains. We saw a lot of maize crops growing around which is combined with rice for food as part of their staple diet.

Danny Dengzongpa is from Yuksom and studied in the local school. In fact a lot of land, hotels and property in Yuksom is owned by his family though he is not from the Chogyal or the royal family. We were told that Danny doesn't come to Yuksom often and the last time he was here was with Jackie Shroff  to promote his beer, Dansburg and also when his brother had passed away recently.

Gurung Monastery

In the middle of the square is a Gupta restaurant. The owner did his catering studies in Bangalore from a private firm near Domlur. He manages the back end  while his wife and daughter are on the front end of the restaurant. The lady served up some beautiful vegetarian fare and it was the only place where we could get curd, a staple for one of my vegetarian friends.

Kathok Lake

The town was abuzz with news that a young man and woman who were guides had just lost their lives in a freak accident - they were struck by lightning in the nearby Singalila mountains. The whole town for forlorn with grief as many of the town folk knew them.

At the square we met by chance, Sanjeev Limbu who runs Smile Sikkim, a trekking agency. A young enthusiastic man, he recently started out on his own and I instantly took a liking to him. We told him that we wanted a low intensity trek and he planned out a village to village trek for three nights and four days.

Coronation Throne

Sanjeev also gave us a local itinerary for the day and we went around Yuksom starting from Gurung Monastery, Coronation Throne and ending at the Kathok lake and Monastery. The path to Gurung Monastery was through the Secondary High School and we could see children playing football early in the morning before school started. Football is extremely popular and all across our journey, we saw football fields even high up in the mountains. No wonder, India's two well known footballers - Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri are from Sikkim. 

Near Gurung monastery, we saw a beautiful house overlooking the valley and were told it belongs to a teacher. Teachers are one of the highest paid Government jobs in Sikkim, so looks like the state has got its priorities right. Every where we went, we saw children dressed smartly in their White and Black school clothes going to school. 

Meanwhile, Dasgupta gave us a reference of a homestay in Ravangla which is also in West Sikkim called Borong nature camp, which we decided would be our next destination after Yuksom. We dropped going to Gangtok and East Sikkim as we heard stories of packed crowds, washed out roads and heavy traffic. We decided not do this point based tourism and go to "Pointless" places instead where we could relax, explore nature and hang around with the locals.