Travel: The hills are alive
Kerry Harwin
And their taste in music is good too, proves a visit to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.
On the road from Guwahati to the Ziro Valley, a drive which can take anywhere from 11 to 20 hours depending on weather conditions, it’s easy to wonder whether you’ve made the right choice with your precious days of leave. A road which is hardly worth the name precludes any meaningful sleep and the unprepared soldiers at the state border skeptically review your Inner Line Permit, pausing just long enough to instil a bit of panic before allowing you to pass. For more timid travellers, a hill sojourn to Shimla or Nainital might be preferred.
Although the pastoral beauty of the Ziro Valley’s misty paddy fields ringed by bamboo covered hills offers more than sufficient enticement, the best time to explore the stunning and isolated landscape is in September, when the Ziro Festival arrives and the valley comes alive with rock, blues, folk, Northeast fusion, electronic music, and even a dash of hip-hop.
The festival, now in its third year, started as something of an accident. Delhi-based rock band Menwhopause had travelled to Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, for a show that was cancelled due to a strike. The band decided to spend a few days at Ziro and, inspired by the landscape, the idea for a concert began. “It was just meant to be a few bands, but that became the Ziro Festival,” explains organiser Lubna Shaheen. “It’s just grown ever since. The main idea was to introduce the Northeast to the rest of India and to bring together … a vibrant culture of music in the Northeast” that lacked many venues to show off their talent.
Located a few kilometres from Hapoli, the district headquarters and essential provisioning stop for Ziro travelers, the festival site is situated near the middle of the valley, surrounded by wide open paddy fields and distant mist-lined mountains. Perched on a hill in the midst of open fields, artists on the Ziro Festival’s two stages were buttressed by the breathtaking vistas behind them. But the valley location makes for moist and chilly mornings with clear, blue skied days. At the festival, a raincoat is every bit as necessary as sunscreen.
Rain or shine, the festival highlight is the diversity of acts from across the Northeast; Sikkimese punk shares a stage with Manipuri protest music, Arunachali funk, and traditional Naga folk. You might come to Ziro for the familiar Mumbai, Delhi, and Calcutta acts on the bill, but you’ll go home humming Northeastern tunes.
Of course, that’s assuming that you remember the bands at all. Given the vast array of drinking options on hand at the festival, many attendees are likely to go home wondering exactly how they filled their days. Millet beer, rice beer, blends, and even drinks including a stirring of bamboo ash - which imparts a smoky flavour to the libation and is served in a meter long bamboo mug - were on offer. Delicious and no more than 100 rupees per litre, the intrepid Ziro traveller would do well to stick to the local brews.
If you’re looking for a break from festival madness to clear your head, you’re in luck. A short walk will take you to Hong village, reportedly Asia’s second largest. Raised bamboo houses and pastoral ponds unlike anything in mainland India make you question which side of the border you’re on. Older locals are often weary of outsiders, but speak to younger people and you’re likely to be invited to their home, or - with luck - to the nearby hills to visit their bamboo grove. Listen to their family story as you wander through acres of bamboo, up and down ridges, through the wet and teeming life of the thick underbrush. Far from any road, surrounded by the irrepressible life of the grove, there’s no better way to appreciate just how far you are from home.
BEFORE YOU PACK
Getting there: Regular daily flights connect Mumbai with Guwahati. From Guwahati airport, a car can be hired if you want to journey by road. State buses also ply, but significantly increase the already long travel time.
When to go: March through May and September through November. It’s when you enjoy best weather. Monsoons are also passable, but give the icy winter a miss.
Where to stay: During the festival, your best option is to hire a tent on site (starting at Rs 750/night). For those coming in at other times of the year, we hear good things about Abasa Homestay (03788-225561). Other options include the rustic but comfortable Ziro Resort (03788-225123), and Hotel Blue Pine (03788- 225223) - both budget accommodations.
Where to eat: At the festival, Arunachali tribal food stalls sit alongside those representing Nagaland and Manipur. From pickled pork fat to fish fry, beef jerky, bison, silkworm, and a vast variety of grilled, smoked, and steamed meats, carnivores will face no shortage of culinary delights. During other times of the year, local dining options are limited, but most homes run small shops that provide meals to travellers.
Cost for 10 days: A 10-day trip, excluding airfare, will cost you roughly Rs 35,000 per couple. A trip for the duration of the Ziro Festival (four days), including festival passes, will cost Rs 17,000 per couple (approx.).
Permit requirements: Indian residents must acquire an Inner Line Permit, which can be obtained at wdw.arunachalilp.com.
And their taste in music is good too, proves a visit to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.
On the road from Guwahati to the Ziro Valley, a drive which can take anywhere from 11 to 20 hours depending on weather conditions, it’s easy to wonder whether you’ve made the right choice with your precious days of leave. A road which is hardly worth the name precludes any meaningful sleep and the unprepared soldiers at the state border skeptically review your Inner Line Permit, pausing just long enough to instil a bit of panic before allowing you to pass. For more timid travellers, a hill sojourn to Shimla or Nainital might be preferred.
But for those with a grander sense of adventure, the Ziro Valley is well worth the journey.
Although the pastoral beauty of the Ziro Valley’s misty paddy fields ringed by bamboo covered hills offers more than sufficient enticement, the best time to explore the stunning and isolated landscape is in September, when the Ziro Festival arrives and the valley comes alive with rock, blues, folk, Northeast fusion, electronic music, and even a dash of hip-hop.
The festival, now in its third year, started as something of an accident. Delhi-based rock band Menwhopause had travelled to Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, for a show that was cancelled due to a strike. The band decided to spend a few days at Ziro and, inspired by the landscape, the idea for a concert began. “It was just meant to be a few bands, but that became the Ziro Festival,” explains organiser Lubna Shaheen. “It’s just grown ever since. The main idea was to introduce the Northeast to the rest of India and to bring together … a vibrant culture of music in the Northeast” that lacked many venues to show off their talent.
Located a few kilometres from Hapoli, the district headquarters and essential provisioning stop for Ziro travelers, the festival site is situated near the middle of the valley, surrounded by wide open paddy fields and distant mist-lined mountains. Perched on a hill in the midst of open fields, artists on the Ziro Festival’s two stages were buttressed by the breathtaking vistas behind them. But the valley location makes for moist and chilly mornings with clear, blue skied days. At the festival, a raincoat is every bit as necessary as sunscreen.
Rain or shine, the festival highlight is the diversity of acts from across the Northeast; Sikkimese punk shares a stage with Manipuri protest music, Arunachali funk, and traditional Naga folk. You might come to Ziro for the familiar Mumbai, Delhi, and Calcutta acts on the bill, but you’ll go home humming Northeastern tunes.
Of course, that’s assuming that you remember the bands at all. Given the vast array of drinking options on hand at the festival, many attendees are likely to go home wondering exactly how they filled their days. Millet beer, rice beer, blends, and even drinks including a stirring of bamboo ash - which imparts a smoky flavour to the libation and is served in a meter long bamboo mug - were on offer. Delicious and no more than 100 rupees per litre, the intrepid Ziro traveller would do well to stick to the local brews.
If you’re looking for a break from festival madness to clear your head, you’re in luck. A short walk will take you to Hong village, reportedly Asia’s second largest. Raised bamboo houses and pastoral ponds unlike anything in mainland India make you question which side of the border you’re on. Older locals are often weary of outsiders, but speak to younger people and you’re likely to be invited to their home, or - with luck - to the nearby hills to visit their bamboo grove. Listen to their family story as you wander through acres of bamboo, up and down ridges, through the wet and teeming life of the thick underbrush. Far from any road, surrounded by the irrepressible life of the grove, there’s no better way to appreciate just how far you are from home.
BEFORE YOU PACK
Getting there: Regular daily flights connect Mumbai with Guwahati. From Guwahati airport, a car can be hired if you want to journey by road. State buses also ply, but significantly increase the already long travel time.
When to go: March through May and September through November. It’s when you enjoy best weather. Monsoons are also passable, but give the icy winter a miss.
Where to stay: During the festival, your best option is to hire a tent on site (starting at Rs 750/night). For those coming in at other times of the year, we hear good things about Abasa Homestay (03788-225561). Other options include the rustic but comfortable Ziro Resort (03788-225123), and Hotel Blue Pine (03788- 225223) - both budget accommodations.
Where to eat: At the festival, Arunachali tribal food stalls sit alongside those representing Nagaland and Manipur. From pickled pork fat to fish fry, beef jerky, bison, silkworm, and a vast variety of grilled, smoked, and steamed meats, carnivores will face no shortage of culinary delights. During other times of the year, local dining options are limited, but most homes run small shops that provide meals to travellers.
Cost for 10 days: A 10-day trip, excluding airfare, will cost you roughly Rs 35,000 per couple. A trip for the duration of the Ziro Festival (four days), including festival passes, will cost Rs 17,000 per couple (approx.).
Permit requirements: Indian residents must acquire an Inner Line Permit, which can be obtained at wdw.arunachalilp.com.
