KAZIRANGA

Kaziranga is a unique wildlife sanctuary situated in the most fertile basin of the Brahmaputra river. It is mostly low-lying and gets flooded every year. This grassy jungle becomes a paradice in winter when tourists flock there to venture inside. One can go on elephant back or on jeep into the jungle. Rhinos, deers, buffaloes, pelicans, etc. can be seen in their natural environment in such trips. The tourists enjoy the natural scene.
        Kaziranga has an area of 430 sq.km. There are about 2329 rhinos according to the March 2013 census. Out of this 645 are adult males and 684 are adult females. There are around 700 swamp deers and 88 tigers in the park. Kaziranga has the largest population of the Wild water buffalo in the world (about 57% of the world population). Assam has more elephants than any other state in India and Kaziranga alone contains as many as 1,206 elephants (2005 census).
        Kaziranga is flat. Grasslands spread far and wide in this jungle. Grasslands are a treasure of this jungle. All the major animals, like the rhino, elephant, buffalo, and deer survive on grass. There are several large lakes which abound in fish. Tall trees are a rare sight. The animals move from one area of the jungle to another in search of fresh green grass. A true home has everything for the comfort of its dwellers. In the same way Kaziranga caters to all the needs of the animals.
        The Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary is open to the public from November 1st to April 30th. The elephant safari is a very enjoyable experience for most tourists. They usually prefer the early morning trip when the sun is just rising. The elephant safari can be described as a journey on an elephant into the jungle away from the normal road. Four persons can sit on one elephant. To sit on the elephant one has to climb onto a tower and step onto the elephant. While sitting one has to hold the seat well. The elephant ride is quite facinating. The elephant will rock you from side to side, giving the feel of an earthquake. But once on the elephant you are fully in nature. Until the elephant brings you back to the disembarkment point after 45 minutes in total you are in nature bound to your seat. On rare occassions tigers can be seen sleeping in between the grass in the early morning hours. All other animals that are present in the jungle can be seen from the elephant.
       The jeep safari is a 2 hour trip fully adventurous and offers an unique opportunity to see many wild animals. Its starts around 7am. It is best to go when the fog has risen. The jeep is open with no cover to enable the visitors to stand and see on both sides even while seated. Only six persons are allowed on one jeep. With powerful cameras the tourists can take the best shot of the wild scenes.
        The winter season is the time when Kaziranga is full of tourists. All the hotels are fully booked. So one has to book rooms in advance. The elephant safari seat is also difficult to get.

DIBRU SAIKHOWA

Tinsukia is a commercially active district of upper Assam.It is situated at the northeast corner of Assam separated from the national boundary by only a narrow strip of the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Tinsukia is 183km from Jorhat and 495km from Guwahati.

Assam is full of big and small jungles. Most of the preserved large forests are accessible to tourists. Yet few people must have heard the name Dibru Saikhowa and that it is a National Park and a Biosphere Reserve. Forested land is on the decline and any nature-lover today would not mind venturing into a forest if he finds one. Dibru Saikhowa is a good destination for such a tourist. This forested area comparable to the fertile deltaic plain is located 8km beyond Tinsukia.

This is the junction of eight rivers, mostly wet and marshy. The forest is dense is a heaven for the wildlife seekers. Unlike most small forests of Assam, Dibru Saikhowa is covered by diverse flora and fauna. My parent's chief goal of visiting this reserve forest was to see orchids in the wild. And when they were there they found orchids everywhere; on the ground, crowded on the trees. Most of them were in full bloom. The time was November. It is confirmed that Dibru Saikhowa is home to wild horses, river dolphins, Black Breasted Parrot Bill, White winged Wood Ducks, Bengal Florican and other creatures. Wild buffaloes, big wild ducks and river dolphins are a common site. A boat ride is available which will take an inquisitive tourist through the interconnected rivers inside the jungle. The marshy wet lands are seen then. The boat trip is one day long or one can separate it into morning and afternoon trips. The morning trip starts at 8:30 am and the afternoon trip ends at sunset. There is a beautiful view of the sunset over the waters. There are natural hotels at Dibru Saikhowa where one can spend the night.

Namphake

Namphake is a Tai village situated in Naharkatia, Dibrugarh district. It is 170 km from Jorhat. From Jorhat going towards Dibrugarh one has to take a road that lies to the right of the A T road in mid Moran town. The road is quite bad beyond a certain points but there is another way out which is better although not very wide. The village itself is situated in an isolated area away from the Naharkatia town.

There is a Tai community that had come directly from Thailand long before independence, who resides in the village. There are now only a few families in the village, yet they form a strong and vibrant community. I visited Namphake in July’09 and was kept wondering how a small group of non-local people could establish such an organized village.

Before entering the village we found the Buddhist monastery. It is a medium sized compound with a prayer hall. It was established in 1850. We were received by a monk with a well-built figure but very welcoming and courteous. He was the Vante, the leader of the community and who also gave advice to sick people. We sat on mats on the floor and were all ears while he spoke about their tradition and their relation with the Assamese people. He told us that the Tai community had to follow strict religious rules. As they belonged to Thailand they followed the Buddhism of Thailand rather than that of other parts of the world. In the verandah where we sat there were a number of colored strips of cloth hanging on the walls. These were 200 years old and moral codes of conduct are written on them. Besides these there were many other handicrafts which cannot be seen anywhere else in India. Just as we were looking at the various things kept in the hall a small boy came with a huge wooden hammer in hand. He hit a low hanging brass disc a few times. It indicated a particular time. The holy man took us into a strange library. Inside it there were many glass almirahs with strange piles of text books wrapped in cloth. He showed us one of the books. They were not like other books. The pages were big and long and looked yellow due to age. Vante told us that the book was about heaven and hell. There is a book completely of gold which is not shown to visitors.

We learnt that the village was self sufficient in every way. They cultivated their own food and weaved their own clothes. The Tai people have their own language and script also.

After about 2hrs we left the monastery surrounded by beautiful shrubs and trees. A few yards from the gate was the river Buri Dehing. A sandy lane leads to the village. We decided to visit the first hut and did not disturb the other families. The hut was raised on pillars. A small staircase led to a open verandah. There the family received us. An old lady gave two plates full of a kind of edible fern boiled with dry fish which gave it a repelling smell. We ate all as we were very hungry. Then they showed us their kitchen. They used an earthen fire-place. There the man of the family showed me a unique weighing instrument. It had one pan only to keep the object. The weight is fixed by the tapering bar on which the pan was hung. The hanger with the help of which the instrument is held can be sifted on the bar to fix 1kg or ½.

The old lady showed us a few hand woven cloth pieces. These clothes are not only rare and difficult to get but are the only ones available in the entire world. They are the muga silks, coloured with natural colours.

The hut’s floor is made of bamboo strips and the roof is of overlapped leaves of a certain kind palm. The leaves for the roof are submerged in water for a long time which make them long lasting.

Our ignorance about Namphake was coming to an end. We returned with vivid memories of a very civilized group of people different in belief, faith and way of life, whose forefathers hailed from a foreign country. It was an educative tour. It taught us how people unaffected by modernity can live such a good and standard life.

Besides seeing the monastery and the village, tourists can have the traditional Tai meal, which is available on prior request. A book and a CD with beautiful photos of Tai festivals can be purchased from the locals. There is nothing else. You will enjoy the village atmosphere.

MAJULI

On land in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra.

Majuli is in a process of uncontrolled erosion. It is being destroyed and everything is going under water. It is now much smaller than it used to be 15 years ago. When I was a small boy, I had heard that the farming fields of Majuli were very fertile. It was a place where a sumptuous feast was no problem. During the rain, the fields get flooded. The silt that the floods lay is the cause of the fertility uncommon in Assam. Potato, rice and various vegetables are chiefly cultivated. Besides this, even now fishing is done widely and a great catch is a common affair. You will be surprised that both small and big fishes are the main constituents of a traditional Majuli meal. Also, milk & curd are widely available.

I have visited Majuli once. It was in 2007 November to see the Raslila, the theatrical performance of the birth of Krishna and the stories related with it. It is a major event held annually in November. Majuli is about 25km from Jorhat. Jorhat is the place nearest to it. From Jorhat town you will have to take a taxi to Nematighat (17km), where you will get ferry ( big sized boats carrying lots of people and vehicles) to go to Majuli. The ferry ride is about 2hrs 20 minutes depending upon the season (if rainy it takes longer). You get down at Kamalabari ghat in Majuli and take a taxi to Garmur. In Garmur there are 3 small lodges. We stayed in the bamboo one. It takes one full day to tour Majuli. And the places to see are the 4 centers of pilgrimage, also called Satras. Each of them look different. The first one is a simple worship hall where you will see earthen lamps and the other objects related to worshipping. The 2^nd & 3^rd are well-built complexes with museums and guest houses. The forth is where you find the unique earthen handmade colorful masks. During the tour, you will see that Majuli has a scenic beauty. The water bodies, the lonely & sandy roads, the wonderful sunset and birds are all that constitute Majuli.

Raslila is held at night in the satra auditorium. It is actually a play and you will enjoy it. Loud music and roaring voices fill the air. The actors move vigorously on the well-decorated stage relating the story. The part of the play for which the audience wait to see, is when the background curtain is raised to show the full moon and the cows grazing in the field behind the stage. The play ends just before morning.

Inspite of the heavy erosion Mujuli is still fit for tourists. A person from any part of the world can come up to Kaziranga and go a little further to reach Jorhat & from there go to Majuli. You can do a lot of fishing, boating and bird watching to distress your mind there.

The only problem is that Majuli is still very backward. Proper market places are rare. Standard hotels and food is not readily available. Majuli in short is an island village.

CHERRAPUNJEE

Sunny days are few here. But still bright dry days are not rare and can be the best time to make a trip to this wild and sparsely populated place. There are many sites to visit in Cherrapunjee. But what should not be missed are the spectacular water falls. No one hates a silent, natural and isolated place if he spends only a few moments there.

Here is some useful information for a tourist who is thinking of undertaking a trip to Cherrapunjee.

• Visit Cherrapunjee in early summer (March to May) to enjoy the rain as well as the waterfalls. But if you want a bright sunny weather go in February (note you won’t find the waterfalls then). It is better not to venture into Cherrapunjee in June & July as there are thunder storms. There is lightening at head level which is dangerous and strong winds will always blow away your umbrella. The rain almost never stops.
• Cherrapunjee has a good network of lanes but has too many of them to confuse a new driver. So do not go alone if you are new. There are now sigh boards fixed that show the way to a spot.
• Stay in Shillong ( there are many cheap hotels) and make a day trip to Cherrapunjee. Take a conducted tour in a bus. It is cheaper and you won’t miss a spot. But if you are an explorer hire a taxi. You can also take a guide but choose a good one. You will find a MTDC office and a private tour agency at Police Bazar, Shillong who will cater to your needs.
• Orchids can be seen growing wildly in Cherrapunjee. Birds and animals are few. But there is greenery all around. One popular variety of flower that is seen here and there on the hill slopes is the Rhododendron. It is a small tree with pink flowers.
• In Cherrapunjee you will see many coal mines with hips of coal around.
• Rain is a menace here in summer. Better bring a rain coat or a strong umbrella will do.
• You need not stay in Cherrapunjee. There are many good cheap hotels in Shillong. You will only have to do some searching on foot.
• There are 8 sites to see in Cherrapunjee. You can see more but it will take more time. The typical 8 spots takes a single day. Start early.

1. The first spot is a point on the way. It is called Mawdok View point. There is a small hanging bridge and you can climb down a long line of curving stairs to reach a plateform from which you can view a great valley.Climbing up & down is very tiring due to the cold.

2. The next stop is at the Ramkrishna Mission. There is a museum, a book shop, a temple and a place where a rain gause is kept and from where you can see Mawsynram. Big packs of Dalchini (Cinnamon) can be got here.

3.&4. The 3^rd & 4^th points are two waterfalls. They are beautiful and magestic.

5. Next comes the Mawsmai cave. It is lighted inside and if you dare you can somehow manage to enter, and leave at the backside. Lunch is available at this point only.

6. Mawtrop is the place where Bangladesh is seen. In winter atmospheric dust blocks the view. There is a mighty natural monolith near the view point. A pillar like rock made to represent the burial place of an ancestor is a Khasi monolith.

7. & 8. The last two spots are parks. They are simple: one with an orchidarium and the other with a cliff which is the mouth of a waterfalls.

There are small stalls at each spot where you can have tea and snacks. No road maps of Cherrapunjee are available at present. But here are some images which will help you to identify the tourist spots.