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Home , Agartala, Neermahal, Tawang Monastery

(Ms. Sonya Hellen Sinombor of KOMPAS Daily Newspaper wrote two articles about her visit to Northeast on invitation by the for ‘International Tourism Mart’ in , which was organized by Ministry of Tourism in association with the State on 22-24 November 2018.) 1. Sihir dari Timur Laut India (Magic from ) (published on Sunday, 10 February 2019 )

Magic from Northeast India Even though it is at the Northeastern tip of India whose land is rather separate from the territory of India, the city is located on the banks of the and directly borders with (only about 2 kilometers). It has historical sites and magnificent buildings of the kingdom in the past, both in the heart of the city and on the outskirts of the city. The place is now the Agartala tourism icon. At the end of 2018, in the last week of November, I and several journalists, including travel agents from a number of countries, were invited to attend the "7th International Tourism Mart (ITM) 2018" held by the Indian tourism ministry in the city of Agartala, in collaboration with the government of the State of Tripura and other states in northeast India. Certainly satisfied to witness the performances of ethnic cultural arts from eight states in Northeast India (Tripura, , , , , , , and ) on the opening night of ITM 2018. I also had the opportunity to visit exotic and charming places. The visit was carried out before enjoying a tour in the Himalayan Mountains on the India- China and Bhutan border, in Arunachal Pradesh. During my three days in Agartala, I had a chance to visit , the magnificent Ancient Building which was a relic of the Tripura kingdom which was built around 1899-1901 by Raja Radha Krishan Mankya. Right next to the palace is a lake with calm water surrounded by gardens with various plants. To get to the royal building, tourists have to walk about 500 meters from the gate through a large park that is very neatly arranged. From a distance the white building was decorated with three domes, with a higher central dome because it was built three stories above the palace building. Luckily, that day, Friday 11-23-2018, we were accompanied by Sandipan Mitra, one of the ITM 2018 committees who was also an employee of the Tripura State government, so that the car we were riding in was allowed to park not far from the palace building. Right in front of the palace, a row of stairs plastered in front of us. The steps from the end of the park directly connect the palace building on the second floor. It was almost dusk when I along with Herman Moniaga and Sonny Effendi Emun (from an airline that served the Indonesia-India route) entered the Ujjayanta Palace on Friday. After climbing the stairs, visitors immediately enter room after room in the palace which is also a museum. Only allowed to see, it is forbidden to take pictures of anything in the room. Like most royal buildings, from the best tile or marble floors in the past, the wood attached to the palace doors also looks very sturdy. Most of which are displayed in the room are photographs of the royal family in the past and photographs depicting cultural arts, people's lives from the northeastern states of India. Not all rooms may be visited by tourists. The central part of the palace was directly connected to the house where the royal family lived. When I left the palace, it was dark. However, when leaving the palace and turning around, we saw exotic views from inside the palace. The building is bathed in light. Unfortunately the time was short. A piercing cold wind made it impossible to linger to enjoy the splendor of the palace. That night, we returned to the hotel where we stayed.

Palace above the lake The next day, we were invited to visit Neelmahal, known as a palace on water. Its location on the outskirts of Agartala. After traveling by bus for around 90 minutes, (distance from the city of Agartala around 53 kilometers), over the border with Bangladesh, we arrived at the outskirts of Lake Rudrasagar. Down from the bus we were immediately greeted by hundreds of local people, then enjoyed an Indian dance performance in a tent on the edge of the lake. A few moments later, we moved to a motorboat which then drove towards the middle of the lake, which at that time looked shallow. From a distance we witnessed white buildings that were shaped like castles in pictures from fairy tales. In less than 10 minutes, we arrived at the wooden pier which was intentionally built to become a connecting road to Neelmahal. "Wow, it's beautiful," said cool, journalist from Sydney, Australia. Neelmahal is a former Tripura royal palace built by King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya. The palace was built by a British architectural firm, Martin and Burns, specifically for the king, which began in 1930 until it was completed in 1938. The architectural design of the building was a blend of Hindu and Muslim traditions and culture. Neelmahal is the residence of King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya in the summer. We entered the palace complex. On the steps of the entrance to the palace, we were greeted by a friendly smile by a number of young girls dressed in traditional Indian. Some tourists took a photo with them. Entering the palace, we find empty oval spaces and squares. There are 24 rooms in , consisting of a living room, a dancing room, a bedroom, an entertainment room, a dining room, a guard room, a generator room, a kitchen room. The spaces in the west wing of Neelmahal became the residence of the royal family. There are two circular stairs leading to the top of the palace which are open spaces. In that room there was a watch tower guarded by officers dressed in royal uniforms. I took the time to go up in the watchtower and watch all parts of the lake which covers about 5 square kilometers and various sides of Neelmahal. After enjoying the grandeur of the building, that morning we were asked to gather on the east side of Neerkamal, in an open space specifically for cultural arts performances. We watched performances of traditional Indian dances and musical dramas while enjoying some traditional Agartala cakes and drinks. By noon, the air in Neelmahal was very hot and stinging, we shifted to another larger open space and there were several trees. Before leaving Neermahal, we enjoyed a traditional Indian menu lunch, which is generally curry spices. Neermahal is one of the tourist destinations in Agartala. To attract tourists, every August each year, the Tripura Negarah Government and tourism travel associations usually hold a "Neermahal Water Festival". Boat races on Lake Rudrasagar, followed by various types of boats, are the most interesting attractions around Neermahal. The same festival was held in December. Not only Ujjayanta and Neermahal, Agartala also has The Heritage Park, a park in the center of the City, which is filled with various plants, and there is the Sukanta Academy, a science museum in the heart of Agartala. A small planetarium was also set up in the academy's complex to attract students, researchers and scientists. However, Agartala, which is the second largest city in the Northeastern region of India after , is a quiet city. The airport is only for domestic flights. To get to Agartala, tourists can use flights from Calcutta International Airport or from Guwahati. The city center of Agartala has not been arranged, there is not even a large shopping center in this city, except shops. I did not find a place to buy souvenirs from Agartala. Transportation in the city is still very traditional. On the protocol roads, transportation such as becak and bajai are still common. Do not be surprised if you meet a driver who drives a car while honking. Regardless of its shortcomings, Agartala refracts magic from the face of India which is not yet well known.

2. Eksotika Timur Laut (Exotic Northeast) (published on Sunday, 6 January 2019 )

Exotic Northeast India has many tourist places but Arunachal Pradesh is different. This region in the Himalaya is glorified with rich biodiversity like hidden pearl in Northeast India. In Arunachal Pradesh, natural persona of its hundreds of year’s old age cultural heritage is guarded by loyal people who maintain cultural Art, tradition and Ancient civilization. Far from crowded cities in India, people live here under the shadow of Himalayan mountain peak which is covered with snow. This region is also known as “Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains”. Certainly because of its scenic beauty of the morning. Even, Department of Tourism, Arunachal Pradesh, India claims that this region as “Shangri-la” or “Lembah Harmonis Mistik” like which is described in the novel, Last Horizon of Karya James Hilton (1933). In the end of the November 2018, I with the other tourists from foreign countries got the opportunity to enjoy grandeur plateau of Arunachal Pradesh which is directly adjacent to China, especially and Bhutan. Moreover, when we reached , plain at the height of 4.170 meter above sea surface, located at the boundary between the district and west Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh. Lane which connect Tawang to Dirang and Guwahati presents stretch view of stone mountains and foggy valley, step surface where local people live, and Indian Army camps which keeps boundary between India and China until Bhutan. Main gate of Sela pass stand decorated lined up of colorful (flag hope), not far from gate of Sela pass, there is a Sela Lake. Reflection of blue sky makes water of the lake as living painting. On the way to Tawang City, we stopped by Jaswantgarh War memorial, that place became witness to the history of the great battle between Indian and Chinese forces known as India-China War 1962. For two days in the city of Tawang, Gandhi Dharang, an Indian journalist who was also a tour guide, invited us to visit a number of ancient monasteries. The first place we visited was Ani , One of the oldest monasteries built in 1595, accommodating 50 female monks. That morning, in the place known to people as Brahma Dung Chung Ani Gompa or Thukje Chueling there was only a nun praying in front of Ani Gompa, We met some nuns washing cooking utensils in a spring flowing from behind a hill. By noon, we went to , about 5 kilometers from Ani Gompa. The most popular Buddhist pilgrimage place in Tawang is around 400 years old (built in the 17th century) and is one of the landmarks of Arunachal Pradesh. This monastery became a spiritual source for Buddhist monks from Mahayana school of or followers of the Gelukpa . Antique things, books and manuskripts about the Buddhism are well preserved at the place. The monastery is also relatively open to travelers. We had the opportunity to observe young monk monks taking food in the kitchen, walking through the lonely halls of the monastery. Towards evening, we went to the Ugyenling Monestry, an ancient monastery built in 1487 AD. At the birthplace of the , We were welcomed by a monk who is usually called "Lama". There could be witnessed a number of personal items from Tsangyang Gyatso, also photographs of the Dalai Lama I to the Dalai Lama XIV. In the stillness of the night, the old one performs a prayer ritual and sounds a gong, presenting an inner atmosphere that is difficult to describe. There, we also had time to drink water from a stone urn which is said to be the place to drink the 6th Dalai Lama. In Tawang City also Dirang Monastry, Nuranang Waterfall, and a number of other charming places. This area is also famous for being home to 500 exclusive and rare orchid varieties, 500 bird species. Not to forget, home to snow leopards.

Similar to Tibet Being on the India-China border makes the culture or profile of local residents in Arunachal Pradesh more like Tibetans, than most Indian citizens. The art of culture and the manner of dressing the locals also show more resemblance to Tibet.There are 26 large tribes and sub-villages there. "If we go down to big cities in India, we are often mistaken for Chinese people, even their passports are often requested," said David Sangtam, a writer who is also a tour guide in the state. Arunachal Pradesh is just one of the tourism destinations in Northeast India that is now being heavily promoted by the Indian government. On November 22-24 2018, dozens of journalists from a number of countries were invited to attend the "7th International Tourism Mart 2018" in Agartala, Tripura, which was held by the Ministry of Tourism of India with the Department of Tourism of the State of Tripua and several other states in northeast India. To reach Arunachal Pradesh, the nearest international airport is Guwahati Airport in Borjhar, 26 kilometers from , the capital of Assam state which is also in northeast India. Before arriving in Sela pass, also took time to stop by the famous Monpa Village called "Dirang Dzong". There, there is an ancient village on a high hill surrounded by stone fortifications, where about 50 heads of families live. Don't miss the opportunity to greet residents who live in hundreds of years old stone houses there. Exotic village! *****

[Articles: informal translation]