PATHIKAhobhagya October 2015 Editor's Note Publisher Multicolour Media Pvt. Ltd. Welcome readers to the travel paradise. We have included exciting traveler’s escapades and our exclusive Editors photography section will talk more about it. So be ready Chandni Shah for a beautiful travel experience with our cover story on Rashmi Nargundkar the amazing seven Union Territories of India. Water lovers you will be spell bound by the segment which Designers covers the breath taking beaches and make you fall Pooja Kalangutkar in love. Those of you who love trekking, you have our Natasha David expert advising you with do’s and don’ts. Correspondents Travel and yummy food can make travelling a Chandni Shah fantastic experience. Tasting different cuisines is what Rashmi Nargundkar a food lover does. Have you heard about the Awadhi Pooja Kalangutkar cuisine? ... if not go through our special cuisine section, Natasha David it is for you. Promod Pillai People who travel always have unique, funny and of Contributors course surprise trips to talk about and yes you will read Angel Kaul them too here. The funny quote from a travel buzz said “if you look like your passport picture, you probably For advertising related enquiries email on: need the trip”. So guys get going and plan on an [email protected] exciting holiday spree and tell us about it. For editorial related enquiries email on: [email protected] Mrs. Rashmi Nargundkar Ms. Chandni Shah For comments and feedback email on: Editors. [email protected] CONTENTS VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2015 COVER STORY 13 SUPER 7 : TOURING INDIA'S UNION TERRITORIES SPECIAL STORY I AND II 1 SEVEN SISTERS. AND A BROTHER. 22 TELENGANA : REDIFINING BOUNDARIES CUISINE 17 AWADHI FEAST STATE IN FOCUS 4 KASHMIR : SIX HIGH ALTITUDE LAKES TREK INDIA'S SECRETS 21 THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT FEROZ SHAH KOTLA TRAVEL OTrafNON SCREEN SCREEN 5 GOURMET ON THE GO PHOTO FEATURE 9 incredible images of Adventure and Nature. EXPERIENCES 20 tales from the north, south, east and west of ADVENTURE 18 THE ART OF TREKKING SPECIAL GUIDE 7 HOME STAYS : ATITHI DEVO BHAVA AT ITS BEST SEASONAL TRAVEL 11 WINTER DESTINATIONS IN INDIA October 2015 PATHIKAhobhagya Seven Sisters. And a Brother. These seven states in the north east of India have an abundance of cultural and ethnic heritage, biodiversity, and immense tourism potential. These states are Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. These states are not often shown on the news or media, and are therefore very often avoided in the tourism field as well. They are often called ‘Paradise Unexplored’. Did you know? : In 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of India and the eighth sister, though some say brother. Travel Freak Natasha Rubina David takes you on a tour to the North East. It is surrounded by the other six states, and acts as a gateway to them from ASSAM the rest of India via 20km width of land at Siliguri, West Bengal. It is known for its dark green tea gardens, forests of Sal trees, and the one horned rhino at the Kaziranga National Park. Here’s another national park of Assam that lies in the shadow of famous Kaziranga. Manas National Park: This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a Project Tiger reserve, Elephant reserve and biosphere reserve. It is located at the base of foot hills of the Bhutan- Himalayas. Manas is famous for large numbers of Wild water buffalo,rare and endangered endemic wildlife like Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog. Agrang is the name of the only forest village located on the premises of this park. Getting there: Guwahati is the closest location linked to other cities and states by air, road and railway. NAGALAND One of the smallest states of India, Nagaland is very mountainous, with evergreen forests and a trove of fauna and flora. This state has a very rich history, including a battle in WW 2! This state has a majority population of tribals, with 16 major tribes. Known as the land of festivals, each tribe has its own traditional list of festivals, mostly agriculture based as that is their main occupation. One of the most famous festivals is: The Hornbill Festival Launched by the Government of Nagaland in 2000, this festival aims to bring all the different tribes under one roof for a spectacular cultural show. It takes place annually from 1st to 7th December. It takes place at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama. The festival is named after the state’s famous bird, the Great Indian hornbill. Traditional Naga Morungs Exhibition, sale of arts and crafts, food stalls, herbal medicine stalls, shows and sales, cultural medley – songs and dances, fashion shows, beauty contest, traditional archery, naga wrestling, indigenous games and musical concerts, the Konyak fire eating demonstration, pork- fat eating competitions, the Hornbill Literature Festival, Hornbill Global Film Fest, Hornbill Ball, Choral Panorama, North East India Drum Ensemble, Naga king chilli eating competition, Hornbill National Rock Contest, Hornbill International Motor Rally and WW-II Vintage Car Rally, all make this festival a must visit. Getting there: 12 km from Kohima, Nagaland’s capital, by road. 1 TRIPURA This state has five mountain ranges passing through it, and also many rivers. It has the highest number of primates compared to other Indian states. Tripura boasts of three ecosystems, mountain, forest and freshwater. Tripura was a princely state during the British rule, and boasts of many palaces. One of these is: Neermahal Palace Neermahal, or Water Palace, is located in the middle of lake Rudrasagar in Tripura. It was built by King Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman as his summer residence in the 1930, and took nine years to complete. The palace is a mixture of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. Neelmahal is the only water palace in North East India and the second largest after Jalmahal in Rajasthan. In winter large numbers of migratory birds assemble on the lake. The Palace has well laid out gardens and floodlights add to the ambience. Although it is in near ruins and the river around it is shrinking due to the growing population in Tripura, the government has set aside money to restore it. Getting there: Good roads connecting Neelmahal to Agartala, which is further connected by air and also roads to other major cities. ARUNACHAL Known asPRADESH the land of the rising sun, most of the state is covered by the Himalayas. It is the largest and the north-easternmost of the north east states. The history of this state makes for a fascinating read, especially before planning a travel adventure there. Here is something you might want to put on the itinerary for that trip: Tawang Monastery It is the largest monastery in India, and second largest in the world. The 5th Dalai Lama accorded Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso to found it in 1680-1681. It is three stories high, covers an area of 140m2, and is enclosed by a 952 ft compound wall. Its library is renowned for old scriptures, and many festivals are celebrated in this monastery. It has about 400 monks. A good time to visit is during their festivals like Losar, that marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. Dancing in colourful masks and costumes is a fun feature of their festivals. Getting there: The monastery is at an elevation of 10000 feet. The nearest town is Tawang, connected by road, rail and air services. MANIPUR Called the ‘Switzerland of India’, this state lies in an oval shaped valley surrounded by Blue Mountains. The outer area of Manipur has the topography of rugged hills and narrow valleys, and the inner area is a flat plain. The state has four major river basins and many lakes. One of these lakes is: Lotak Lake It is the largest freshwater lake in the Northeast and the only floating national park in the world, Keibul Lamjao, floats over it. It is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai or Manipur brow- antlered deer. Phumdis, a heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matters at various stages of decomposition floats on the water and is a famous feature of the lake. Not only does the lake support the economy by providing a tourist attraction, it also is a source of hydropower, irrigation and drinking water. 57 species of water birds, 14 species of wetland associated birds including 28 species of migratory waterfowl, and 425 species of animals. This area is flooding with biodiversity. Getting there: It is well connected by road and air. Imphal, the capital city of Manipur is 39 km away from the lake, by road. 2 October 2015 PATHIKAhobhagya MEGHALAYA ‘Abode of clouds’, as Meghalaya is popularly known, is the wettest region of india, therefore having a forest cover over one third of the state. These forests are known for biodiversity of animals, plants and birds. Amongst waterfall hopping, caving and living in a tree house, one can also visit this place: Root Bridge In Cheerapunji, Meghalaya, bridges aren’t built, but are grown. They take around 15 years to grow, and can take the combined weight of 50 people at once. This only one of its kind feature in the world is grown from the Ficus Elastica Tree. These living root bridges were an innovation by the local tribal in order to cross the torrents of rivers that fill up in the summers. Initially they would grow two fig trees on the opposite sides of a stream. Over the years, the entire community would participate in joining and networking the roots of the two trees. This example of MIZORAM Known as the ‘land of blue mountans’, Blue Mountain is its highest peak.