How I spent a surreal rural holiday in a remote Mishing tribal village of Assam?

Imagine this!



You are surrounded by lush tea gardens and mighty tall trees of the Kaziranga National Park. You are staying in a chang house (house on stilts). You wake up to the sound of the whistling thrush and you sip your evening tea to the chatter of a rich number of bird species. You are truly in the lap of nature. Where farm lands end, the forests begin. Greenery, pristine nature and calmness is omnipresent.



And that’s not just it. Every day, you are treated to lip smacking authentic Assamese cuisine and some home brewed rice beer. Your leisurely walks include walking by paddy fields, vegetable gardens, banana plantations and tea gardens. And for more excitement there is always bird watching and wildlife sightings. For company, you have smiling kids and very humble and affectionate locals.



I was treated to such an experience during a rural holiday in a remote tribal village of Assam. This village called Panbari is situated in the floodplains of the mighty Brahmaputra river and is located tantalizingly close to the Kaziranga National Park boundary.



The people of this village are simple, yet very hard working and lead a fairly independent life, as in, they don’t depend much on goods and services from the outside world. Each family have their own cows, goats, pigs and hens so there is no paucity of milk, butter, yogurt, eggs and meat. Each family have their small tea garden that is located right behind their home so no need to go to the market to buy tea and they sell the excess produce to the market to make some money. They have their own fish ponds, vegetable gardens, paddy field and banana plantations, so pretty much they always have a steady supply of home grown organic food all through the year.



Their dwellings, called chang houses are simple elevated structures that are designed to handle the heavy rains, flooding during the monsoons and the extremely humid weather. Bamboo, mud and dried palm leaves make up the bulk of the structure, but these days, the villagers are leveraging the use of bricks and cement too. The village has electricity, but power cuts are quite common during the summer and monsoon months and hence most traditional homes are built with proper ventilation and consistent cross air flow.



Both the men and women of this village do hard work. While the men wear their gamcha (cotton sarong) and zaapi (bamboo hat) and work in the farms and fields, the women wearing their traditional Mekhla Chador do all the household chores, take care of cattle, pick tea leaves and weave clothes using traditional looms. Apart from farming, the men of this village do odd construction jobs, cut trees in the forest, work as forest guides in the Kaziranga National Park when the park is open and weave bamboo baskets when they either get old or when they do not have any outside work contracts.



Most of the women of this village have been taught to weave by their mothers, grandmothers and/or sisters. Typically, each home has a traditional loom in front of the house that the women in the house make use of during their free time. But, these days, under the umbrella of Impulse Social Enterprises, an NGO, that promotes the well being of the women of North East India and a Government of India initiative that is working towards preservation of rural weaving and handicrafts, more women are learning the craft and are spending more of their time weaving.



In fact, I went to this village mainly to experience their traditional weaving up close and bring that learning to all of you.



This traditional weaving initiative has ensured a slightly better livelihood for these people. More income certainly adds a touch of modernization, but these villagers love their roots, so they still try to follow their ancient methods and practices. The only good thing that modernization brought to their life is good education for their children, especially all their girl children, which like we all know is the right way to go.



A new revenue stream for these villagers is rural tourism, where they offer a room in their home and share their food for a small fee. It is not organized tourism, but it is definitely catching the fancy of the villagers. And that is how I landed in this Assamese village that is made up of 80 to 100 Mishing tribal people.



One of the highlights of this rural holiday in Assam has to be its people. These warm hearted, helpful and ever smiling people teach us a thing or two about humanity, which we urban citizens seem to have forgotten or lost somewhere. Right from the time they picked me up from the bus stop on the highway to treating me like one of their own, I was blown away by their hospitality.



And don’t even get me started on their delicious food and fresh rice beer. The Jhulokia chilli, freshly ground mustard seeds, farm fresh vegetables and young bamboo shoots (I absolutely relish them), juicy (yes, very juicy) rice grown in their farm, the secret ingredients of the women of the house and the fact that they cook their food in mustard oil makes the humble village meal a gastronomic journey into traditional Assamese cuisine.



This rural holiday in Assam offered me to perfect recipe to enjoy our land’s traditions, food and nature while rejuvenating my body, mind and soul. My typical day involved taking walks in the village, striking conversations with the friendly people over some tea and fresh betel nut, teaching the kids some photography and playing football with them, watching the women weave their magic with their hands and traditional looms, trying my hand at cattle herding and farming and I even touched a baby rhinoceros at a nearby animal rescue center.



The foodie in me loved the traditional cuisine, the birdwatcher in me loved the chirps, whistles and songs, the cultural lover in me loved experiencing the day to day life of these villagers, the simpleton in me loved the basic living where you wake up to the sun and sleep to the gentle night breeze and last but not the least, the Indian in me loved yet another of India’s gorgeous villages.



The Mishing village of Panbari was everything that I had wanted in a rural holiday. In fact, I felt richer, happier and more content than before. I definitely learnt a thing or two from its super hard working and affectionate people. This is one place I wouldn’t mind returning to in a jiffy! Definitely a off beat holiday gem!

Bookings:



If you wish to spend your rural holiday in this village, try contacting Ranjith Doley at +91 96137 86941. He was my host and his wife is a master weaver. I don’t know if there is any other way to make bookings here.

Other Nearby Attractions apart from this Mishing Village:



1) Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation – Just a short walk from Panbari is this animal rescue and care center where you can get up close with the animals that have been rescued from floods, poachers and/or traps. This is a great way to explore more of the village and get close to some of the wild denizens of Kaziranga National Park. You can also opt to volunteer here if that is your area of interest.



2) Kaziranga National Park – If this park is open, this is one of India’s best wildlife safaris as it allows you to sight elephants, tigers, the one-horned rhinoceros, wild water buffalo and many more exotic species. The main entrance of Kaziranga is only a 40 minute drive from Panbari village.

3) Hoolongopar Gibbon Sanctuary – If you wish to see India’s only ape, head to Hoolongopar Gibbon Sanctuary, which is only a couple of hours away from Panbari. Do make sure to carry your binoculars and/or big zoom lenses as these apes are totally arboreal (they are always up in the trees).



4) Ancient Kingdom of Sibsagar – A couple of hours from Panbari is the ancient Ahom Kingdom of Assam in today’s Sibsagar. This trip is ideal for those history and temple lovers.

5) Majuli – If India’s largest riverine island is on your agenda, Majuli is the perfect choice. In 3 hours, you can reach this island from Panbari. You could either stay back on the island or return to the village at night.



6) Dibrugarh – Even though tea estates are to be found all over the region, I am kind of partial towards the lush tea estates and forests between Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. This is a great way to holiday in the lap of nature.

How to get here:



Guwahati would be the nearest airport with the best connectivity, but Dibrugarh might be the closest airport in terms of distance. The national highway runs just 4 kms from the village so buses are available in plenty. Golaghat would be the nearest railway station. Hiring a cab, taxi or a self-drive car might be the most prudent choice given the remoteness of the village and the lack of access to other tourist attractions.

Continue Reading...

Kaziranga: Where the Rare is in Abundance

Kaziranga, the home of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros is possibly one of my favorite national parks in India as I absolutely love its rich wildlife and birdlife diversity and stunning sightings. A UNESCO world heritage site, this large national park made up of tall elephant grass (after the rains), marshland and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, is home to more than two-thirds of the world’s population of one-horned rhinoceros and has the highest density of India’s pride, the Royal Bengal tiger.



And that is simply not its call to fame. Massive elephant gatherings, the menacing looking water buffalo, the dazzling barasingha (swamp deer), barking deer, hog deer, leopards, Indian civet, Indian Pangolin and many other exotic wild animal species can be found here in plenty. And thanks to its diverse vegetation and habitat, Kaziranga is home to amazing birdlife that ranges from eagles to parakeets and from hornbills to water fowl.



I have been to Kaziranga National Park quite a few times in the past as I absolutely love the vibrancy of nature here. I have written a few blog posts about these experiences in the past, but the seeds of this post in particular took form in my head when I saw ‘Incredible India’s’ campaign for Kaziranga – where the rare is in abundance at one of the domestic airports in India. A lot of beautiful memories of the Kaziranga wild came floating by and I ached to visit this tiger reserve again.



One of the highlights of a jungle safari in Kaziranga national park is the fact that you can see a one-horned rhinoceros from as close as a foot away. You are sitting on the top of an elephant (during an elephant safari) and because the rhino is not threatened by the elephant, it comes real close to the elephant and as a wildlife lover, you cannot ask for anything more.



And you don’t see just one rhino, but hundreds of them, roaming like cattle, if I may. And strutting their thick bullet proof bodies. Kaziranga is one of those places where this endangered species is present in good numbers. While poaching almost always causes a problem, the rhinos of Kaziranga seem to be overcoming this menace. The rhino experience is so solid here that one can see them grazing, one can see them locking their horns to show supremacy, one can see the rare rhino charging a jeep that is on a safari, one can see young suckling rhinos, one can see the maternal instinct of mama rhino and also how they live in common amidst all other herbivores, in spite of being way stronger and heavier than most of them.



Kaziranga is like a one horned rhinoceros bonanza. While the rhino definitely is the top attraction in this national park, you will realize the diverse reality of this place when you spend time exploring this jungle through its various zones. From crocodiles to Indian rock pythons, from golden langurs to hoolock gibbons, from tigers to leopards and from large herds of wild elephants to massive herds of wild water buffalo, you will see wildlife like never before.



Each zone, owing to different topography and vegetation offers you a different jungle experience. While some parts offer fabulous sightings of the herbivores, the others offer lovely sightings of the arboreal ones. From sunrise to sunset, irrespective of zone, Kaziranga is simply bound to delight. Throw in a rare tiger or leopard sighting, especially on a jeep track and you have a special wildlife holiday.



And if you are a bird lover, Kaziranga will treat you to something that will leaving you smiling big from ear to ear. From the iconic common stonechat that prefers the top of the tall elephant grass blades to the kills of the Pallas’s fishing eagle and crested serpent eagle, birding action is omnipresent in Assam’s Kaziranga. As most of the national park is on the floodplains of the mighty Brahamputra river, it’s many water bodies and marshland attracts a lot of water fowl and fish eating birds, like the Brahminy Shelduck, Greenshank, black headed Ibis, Darter, Indian Pond Heron, Cormorant, brown fish owl, lesser adjutant stork, Black Necked Crane, Bar headed Geese, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Stout Bill Kingfisher, Great White Pelicans, Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, Spot billed duck, intermediate egret, open billed stork and many more.



Gorgeous terrestrial birds such as the Indian Roller, Spotted Owlet, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Oriental Turtle Dove, Alexandrine Parakeet, Long Tailed Shrike among others can also be spotted almost everywhere from the thick woodlands to the tall elephant grass land.



Whether you opt for a morning or an evening safari (personally, I prefer mornings as sightings are better), an elephant safari or a jeep safari, Kaziranga is bound to thrill one and all. From kids on their summer holidays to families with elderly people, from wildlife enthusiasts to lover lovers and from bird watchers to hard core wildlife photographers, Kaziranga’s rare is visible in total gay abandon here and hence becomes one of the best wildlife destinations in the country. So, have I piqued your interest in exploring Kaziranga this summer?



How to get there


The easiest and fastest way to get to Kaziranga is to fly into Guwahati and then cover the remaining 200 kms by train, taxi or bus.  If you prefer trains, there is a station called Furkating that is 80 kms away. A lot of long distance trains, especially from New Delhi makes its way here. There is a second airport option in Jorhat, which is closer than Guwahati, but flight frequency and connectivity to the rest of the country is poor.



Best Season to Visit


Summers are the best season for rich wildlife sightings. The next best season are the winter months when birdlife is resplendent, but due to tall elephant grass, sightings are not as common as summer. Do keep in mind that Kaziranga is closed during the extended monsoon season. As Kaziranga is on the floodplains of the Brahmaputra, all wildlife tracks become inaccessible and hence the park is closed.

Place where I prefer to stay


There are a lot of places of all kinds of budget to stay around Kaziranga National Park, but my personal choice is the  Wild Grass Resort, a wildlife focussed property that arranges knowledgeable wildlife guides and a thorough wildlife experience for all its visitors. This is the kind of place where everyone shares their wildlife stories, wildlife photos and wildlife conversations over a drink or coffee/tea. The property is not expensive and is very much recommended if you are going to Kaziranga just for wildlife and not for luxury or anything of that sort.

Other Attractions Nearby


Hoolongopar Gibbon Sanctuary, a place where you can see India’s only ape, the Hoolock Gibbon, along with the golden langur, stump tailed macaque and pig tailed macaque is just a couple of hours away. A visit to this gibbon sanctuary adds a different dimension to your wildlife experience. If you feel like something apart from wildlife, go for a tea estate experience in either Jorhat or Dibrugarh, a historical trail exploration at Sibsagar or shopping and a Brahmaputra cruise at Guwahati.

What to take back from Kaziranga?


While you don’t take anything apart from photos, videos and memories from inside the national park, be sure to buy some of the famous Assamese red tea, some local bamboo products and a hand carved wooden rhinoceros as souvenirs from this part of the country. Assam as a state offers a lot of value shopping. Do look up this article titled ‘What to shop for in Assam?’ for ideas.

Continue Reading...

Travel Photo of the Day: Indian Rhino from Assam, India

Summer is fast approaching and it is that time of the year to go wildlife watching as sightings are the best. If you are interested in seeing the one-horned Indian Rhinoceros then head to the north eastern state of Assam in India where you can spot them in any of their many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The popular places to spot a rhino are Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Orang National Park and Pabitara Wildlife Sanctuary.

Note: Click on the photo to share it or to download a higher resolution as your desktop wallpaper.

Continue Reading...

Travel Photo of the Day: Kaziranga National Park, India

Another of my prized wildlife photos. I love how it looks like a painting. This wild water buffalo seemed to follow me for close to three hours. A strong heavy set fellow, he had that menacing look with those massive pair of horns that could send shivers down your spine. I shot this picture just 2 minutes before the end of my evening safari at Kaziranga National park in Assam. It was past dusk and a mist was beginning to descend into the approaching winter night. And the beauty is that you can sense all of that in this picture. Some of the raw joys of being a wildlife photographer!

Note: Click on the photo to share it or to download a higher resolution as your desktop wallpaper.

Continue Reading...

The True Wild at Kaziranga

It is that time of the year when the airlines have started dropping their prices, employees in various organizations are working hard to meet their financial year end needs, students are preparing hard for their upcoming examinations and the temperatures in India have started rising. All these factors make it an ideal time to pack your bags and go on a wildlife holiday.


Well, if you are wondering how it benefits you, think on these lines. You can book your tickets within short notice as demand is lesser and costs are low. Accommodation would be easy to get and again discounts will be available. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, you will appreciate the fact that there are less tourists and thus you have the special wildlife moments completely to yourself. And finally, the increasing ground temperatures ensure that your wildlife sightings are better owing to bleaker and dry foliage and reduction in water body size.


Keeping the above in mind, I personally think Kaziranga National Park in Assam would make for a fantastic wildlife holiday destination. To start with, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It hosts the special one-horned rhinoceros, large herds of elephants, the massive wild water buffalo, the tiger and the leopard, the barasingha (swamp deer) and a rich variety of birds that includes a lot of raptors.


And in addition to the above, Kaziranga is located in North East India, giving you a different cultural experience. If you wish to do more wildlife, you can visit the Nameri National Park or the Hoolongopar Gibbon sanctuary close by. If nature appeals to you, you can plan a trip to Majuli island on the mighty Brahmaputra. If you feel you need to relax, you can look at the tea estates of Jorhat. And if you like history, you can look at Sibsagar.


And all this is only if you want to take a break from wildlife. If you are the kind who doesn’t get bored with national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, wildlife and birds, then Kaziranga can easily host you for a week if not more. You can stay at a wildlife enthusiast place like the Wild Grass Resort to ensure you get great knowledgeable wildlife guides and liked minded people for company.


If you want to make use of this opportune time, plan your true wild Kaziranga experience by booking your airline tickets quickly. A host of flight operators like Jet Airways, Air India Express and others connect Guwahati with the rest of India. Kaziranga is about 250 kilometers from Guwahati and one can take the regular buses or hire a private taxi to make this short journey.

Continue Reading...