Travel Magazine Eventours Journeys April 2020 Edition

EVENTOURS

JOURNEYS

APRIL 2020 ISSUE NO. 16

stories that changes the way we travel

BOOK REVIEW 5 books that would make you want to travel to North East India

WILD BY NATURE

A day in the central range of Kaziranga National Park

ITINERARY IN FOCUS battle field tour of northeast india

EVENTOURS

JOURNEYS stories of travel that changes the way we travel

CONTENTS

COVER STORY 2

Romancing the Rhinos in Kaziranga

TRIP IN FOCUS 17

Battlefield tour of North East India

REVIEWS 10

Offbeat stays in North East India

16

Travel Book Review : Focus North

East India

GALLERY 25

From our blog Instagram page

CLOSE UP 12

Up close an personal with

photographer Arpan Kalita

FROM OUR BLOG 22

Wei sawdong - the three steps

waterfall in Meghalaya

PAGE 2 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

EDITORIAL At this time of peril, the thing that we love most TRAVEL

is

currently

restrained.

I

guess

it

is

nature asking a payback. Somewhere we, as humans

AMITABH SARMA

have

failed

to

keep

our

partnership

with nature honest.

Somehow we have failed to recognize the fact that we are just VULNERABLE human beings. And everywhere it’s the old, the sick and those already struggling will be affected the most. It’s time to forget our differences and we team up as the HUMAN RACE to face the crisis together.

While there is uncertainty in the travel industry and both as a business as well as a traveler the immediate future looks hazy, but this too shall pass. The most important thing at this hour would be the 2 C’s – Connect and Consistency. That is what is going to keep us going. We might need to take measures that ensures us we survive in the long run, but these measure need not come at a cost of distancing ourselves from the travel industry altogether. That will create a vacuum, hard to fill when the time comes.

Travel is one thing that cannot be done offsite. It is always a onsite affair. Movement is the basic definition of travel. #TravelTomorrow has become the common thread that runs through the World Tourism Organization’s response to the current crisis, highlighting the enduring values of tourism.

Discovering

different

cultures,

practicing

solidarity

and

respect,

caring

for

the

environment, continuing to learn, and fostering decent work, development and sustainability, generating new opportunities for all. These are the core values of tourism advocated by the World Tourism Organization and which constitute the main pillars of the #TravelTomorrow campaign.

As of now we need to stay home. And we will travel again, but when we do, we need to make sure we do it more consciously, more sustainably and with a much needed feeling of solidarity.

Right now our focus, as a business should be creating meaningful content with the kind of product, service and destination that we work with. As a traveler we need to be more aware as world citizens. We should not rush.

Things will be BETTER and until then, let us spread POSTIVITY and HOPE. As we practice SOCIAL DISTANCING,

let

us

utilize

this

time

to

RECONNECT with learning new skills.

Stay Healthy, Stay Happy and Stay Safe.

plan

future

travel,

look

at

old

travel

pictures

and

a tryst with the one horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park

Romancing the Rhinos

PAGE 4 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

One thing I really liked about Kaziranga was its disassociation with the obsession with the Royal Bengal Tiger. I have been to almost all the known national park in India and somehow, I felt the whole focus centered around ‘showing you the tiger’. The whole point of arrival was ‘when you see a tiger’. The frenzied rush, sometimes to the point of a speed chase, whenever the word is out that a tiger is spotted, kills all the subtlety of a jungle safari.

The

whole

jungle

seems

like

a

windswept landscape post that exercise.

‘Kiba dekhiline’, our jeep safari driver, Bablu, nonchalantly asked his oncoming friend in another jeep. His friend responded with a twitched smile, which translated to “no”. The communication was simple. ‘Did you see a tiger?’ and the answer was No. So the sight a tiger syndrome has caught up in Kaziranga National Park too. That is so not healthy news.

showing you the tiger

gaunt,

THE JUNGLE HAS PROVIDED ME ENOUGH TO LAST A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES. I have been to Kaziranga National Park, to experience paid trips in the jungle, more than a dozen times. But off late the epidemic of tiger sighting is greatly visible and

PAGE 6 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

I have occasionally focused my eyes on a rhino, only to enlarge it in my urban mind as a dinosaur.

spreading across all channels here. I am sure the rhinoceros is losing its

Kaziranga National Park has done a commendable job at

star status in the jungle ramp.

rhino conservation with two thirds of the world’s rhino being

Kaziranga for heaven’s sake is one

put in one place. It is considered a safe zone for the

of the biggest rhino conservation

rhinoceros population.

areas in the world. It is a 430 square kilometers of dense foliage and the

It is said that Lady Mary Curzon, wife of the then Viceroy Lord

density of wildlife is astonishing. It is

Curzon of Kedleston was devastated in not seeing a single

sometimes a shame, with all due

rhino after visiting the park. Her sadness serves as a catalyst

respect to the Royal Bengal Tiger,

for initiatives to make Kaziranga forests a reserved one,

that tourists have to occasionally

especially devoted to rhinoceros

suffer missing out on so many other

conservation.

animals and birds.

Kaziranga National Park is located in the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Assam and one remarkable thing about this national park is the number of natural water bodies. As per the latest census report there are over 2400 rhinos in this park.

There is something very prehistoric about a rhinoceros. I have occasionally focused my eyes on a rhino, only to enlarge it in my urban mind as a dinosaur. It is defined as a large, heavily built plant-eating mammal with one or two horns on the nose and a thick faded skin. The rhinos in India are all one horned, so if you spot an out of place rhino logo, you know what to do. It is a shame that their horns are a fancy to a few to be a dagger cover in Middle East or to cure impotency in Chinese men.

This is nature and wildlife is Unpredictable.

A national park is not a zoo.

serene forests Kaziranga wildlife is constantly under threat; both from manmade and natural factors. The annual fury of the Brahmaputra floods, land hungry tea garden owners, poaching and ever expanding human settlements.

It was a sunny February morning in 2020 that we undertook this jeep safari in the central range of the national park. There are four ranges in Kaziranga where tourists are allowed inside the park, each with designated jeep tracks.

After an hour into our safari,

we realized we were ruining a romance. It was the elephant mating season.

a successful jungle ride so far, we arrived at a point known as Kerasin. It was like a pit stop. Here we met another group. A weary looking group of four men, who happened to be

They looked distraught and in their weather beaten jungle attire appeared to have reached the end of the world. Their equally desolate looking guide informed us that they had been coming to the jungle 3 times a day for the last four days and had not yet sighted the tiger. It was as if he had failed a test!

Without much ado about their failed trips, we decided to leave them to their woes and carried on with our jungle business.

wildlife photographers from Kolkata.Â

PAGE 7 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

COVER STORY

EVENTOURS JOURNEYS ROMANCING THE RHINOS Watching and photographing animals in their natural surroundings is always fun. But avoiding proximity to wildlife animals during animal sighting are of utmost priority, as many a times this has provoked wild animals to attack safaris. This we learnt from experience in this safari. We drove out of Daphlang checkpoint and saw a lone female elephant sneaking behind the tall grass besides the

During the month of

track. With hopes of capturing some natgeo mode

February or late January, the

photographs, as the scenery behind her looked

forest guards followed the

straight out of their magazine pages, we parked

annual ritual of burning

right in the middle of the track. We were engrossed

down the dry elephant grass,

taking pictures in different angles and it was

which seems to engulf a lot of

only when Bablu saw in his rear view mirror that a

the jungle. The burning is off

male elephant was closely monitoring us, we

course contained and

realized we were ruining a romance. It was the

monitored closely. This practice

elephant mating season. We managed to swerve

helps new grass shoots to

back and observe the male elephant get closer to

emerge as soon as the land

his date and sneak her away to a zone devoid of

receives its first pre monsoon

prying human eyes and flashing cameras.

rains. While these practice sometimes lethal to the tiny birds that might have nests in these dry bushes, it is a necessary evil to keep food flowing for the herbivores and subsequently for the survival of the carnivores. As the jungle is being burned, we saw dozens of Indian Rollers, in colonies, hovering above the burnt grass tinder munching on insects that were escaping from the smoke and fire.

One thing I have learned, with my time in the jungles, these seemingly harmless, large sized grass munching mammals are very aggressive under two circumstances. One if they are in the heat and the other when they are protecting their young ones. Under both the scenarios they no longer care about their tourist attracting powers.

Priorities change.

PAGE 8 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

Since 2015 the number of rhinos has increased in Kaziranga National Park, as has the tiger population, with more sighting of cubs. Of the 167 tigers in Assam, more than 125 are believed to be in Kaziranga. In spite of the high density of tigers in this park, tiger sighting is a bit difficult due to its thick forests. They say you need to have an open mind when you visit a jungle. This is nature and wildlife is unpredictable. A national park is not a zoo. Instead of pestering your guide and safari driver to show you what you want to see, it is best to savor whatever the jungle offers. And in Kaziranga one is never disappointed. The incredible birdlife, wild elephants, and the beauty of the landscape and off course the one-horned rhino are in bountiful.

The sheer sight of heaps of rhino dung amplifies the abundance of life in Kaziranga. It was almost quarter past 10 AM and our three hour safari was coming to an end. Bhaikon Koch, our seasoned naturalist from the lodge, gave me his ever assuring smile. It meant the next safari might be a better one. It meant we might even see a tiger in the next one. Well I smiled back and this was one of satisfaction. I went with a blank canvas into the jungle this morning and I managed to come out with a colorful one. In my case, the canvas was my phone storage. I did manage to capture more than 1 gigabytes of photographs in one single jungle safari. The jungle had provided me enough to last a lifetime of memories. And Kaziranga offers in plenty to the humble and less needy ones.

PAGE 9 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THE PLANET 14 Accommodations in North East India Sometimes it takes more than an idea to keep guests coming in through the doors of an accommodation and leaving behind minimum negative impact on the environment. Unbinding from the mere concept of visiting ecological sites and engaging in conversations about conservation efforts, a more programmed affair that culminates into a mass habit is what is needed. India’s north eastern states have always been hotbeds of government sponsored sustainable tourism efforts. While most of the government schemes present a sordid picture due to the lack of success data, a lot of individual and nongovernmental players have been quite successful.

Here is a list of fourteen accommodations in North East India that has been quite successful. Of course there are many more examples which will be talked about in a later episode.

the detailed article is available at www.beardedtravelingsoul.com

Maple Pine Farms Set in a picturesque valley, about 15 kilometers from Shillong town and about 145 kilometers from Guwahati International Airport, Maple Pine Farms is a conservation unit in progress. While most of the accommodation in nearby Cherrapunjee and Shillong have succumbed to perils of mass tourism and rapid commercialization, this farm, along the road to Mawsynram , is standing strong in terms of private efforts to preserve the environment and not giving into popular commercial demands. With four cabins, Maple Pine Farms is serenity amidst all the chaos. With its strong affinity to renewable energy systems this place operates as a family owned bed and breakfast unit. The food is simple and the owner follows a strict time schedule on ordering and serving food. The farm is bordered on two sides by a small river and is surrounded by paddy fields. The property was imitated in 2011 and is an absolutely delightful place if you are looking for some peace time amidst a natural set up. Recent conservation efforts includes recycling waste water from showers etc and using it for irrigating lawns and gardens, post a filtration process.

PAGE 10 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THE PLANET 14 Accommodations in North East India

The Giving Tree The “Sacred Fig Tree” or the “peepul tree” as known natively across many parts of India, is what inspired the formation of The Giving Tree in Sangaiprou, Imphal in the state of Manipur. Hardly six kilometers from Imphal Airport, is the Giving Tree more of an experience. It has evolved into an organization that nurtures and promotes ecological conservation, contemporary art and artists. It is a space for people with a warm heart. This humble home stay in Imphal houses a private library with a sizeable amount of books. This is a different kind of accommodation where a guest blends in with the culture of the stay. There is a lot of creative vibes ringing in your mind as you interact with the space and its people. Under the active guidance of Bobby Laishram, who himself is deeply connected with the cultural roots of Manipur, team members of this stay engage in a lot of community conservation work.

Guests of this accommodation; do also have the option of participating in such endeavors.

Abor Country River Camp Cradled between the Mechuka Peaks and the plains of Pasighat, Abor Country River camp is nestled on the banks of River Siang , about 160 kilometers from Dibrugarh Airport. With a cluster of rooms and tented accommodation, this river camp is an angler’s base camp. Locally manufactured wooden beds, wooden dustbins, lamps made of fishing nets, solar heaters , natural water source , drift wood logs, traditional building techniques – the visual list is endless when it comes to ecological conservation. The location of the river camp is itself a painting harmonized by nature. Amidst a tropical forest, on the banks of Siang River, thus stay sways away from artificial resources. The kitchen relies on fresh ingredients that grow on the local garden. The food is nonchalantly traditional, fresh and always a delight. It is a place best suited for the adventure junkies as well as the lazy bones who love to see the world go by. Some of the finest avian life that calls the Eastern Himalayas

PHOTO COURTESY : www.arbnb.com & www.outlookindia.com

their home hovers above the camp. As day long trek along the camp is photographer’s muse in the making.

PAGE 11 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

ARPAN KALITA

INTERVIEW BY AMITABH SARMA

Arpan

Kalita

is

a

spirited

drifter.

Having

wandered from engineering assignments to account tables to graphics, he finally found solace in nature.

His journey with travelling and photography started in 2011. Fresh from a stint in Delhi, the wanderer in him awakened to a new life. He made his camera an integral part of his life. Travelling is his food and mountains, his first love.

Perhaps

the

love

for

the

mountains

has

brought out the best in him when it comes to Landscape Photography. Mountains, it’s people and their struggle for existence; is what propels him. He is also involved with Wildlife and Community conservation and is working

with

organizations

like

Wild

Trail,

Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust and Metropolis. He is the co-founder of Muse N Memories, Happy Drifters and Arpan Kalita Photography.

PAGE 12 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

- FEATURED INTERVIEW Thank you, Arpan, for taking the time to give such an in-depth and deep interview. The detailed interview is also available on www.beardedtravelingsoul.com

Hi Arpan, thanks for taking

Before that, I think I had that

the time to do this interview.

spark in my photography but

Could you give our readers a

needed some catalyst to fire it

bit of information about you,

up. It took some time to take

where you’re from, and tell us

flight but August 2014 saw two

a bit about the kind of work

of my photographs in the

that you do?

National Geographic India Traveler Print. That was my first

I hail from Guwahati, Assam.

national exposure.

After graduating in commerce and getting a degree in Graphic Designing, I went back to doing what I love best, photography. I am mostly into Travel & Landscape Photography.

You’re an avid traveler. I know this is not an easy question to answer, but what trip would you say was your best experience? And why?

As you said, pointing out a particular one would be very difficult. All are unique in their own way. I consider my first trip to Dzukou Valley a unique one.

I mean it was a game changer.

It was in July 2013 when I went for that trek, having absolutely

The world is full of amazing places and photo opportunities – what are some of the countries or regions you would like to visit, and photograph, in the coming years?

no idea how big a break that would give me in the long run.

have some part of Ladakh; I want to visit more of our North East, few areas in Himachal and Uttarakhand. I’ll leave the Southern India part for later half of the journey.

I want to travel to each and every nook and corner of our big, beautiful world.

For a Landscape & Travel photographer, the whole of the world is our muse. In India I still

Internationally, I hope to visit Nepal, Mongolia, whole of Central Asia actually, Lake Baikal occupying a very special place. I would like to hike up some volcanoes in South East Asia. Iceland, Scotland is in the list too.

PAGE 13 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

- FEATURED INTERVIEW -

You’re been blogging for a

And there is always the pleasure

while now. Did blogging and

to bring out their stories. New

writing about Photography

age storytellers, as they say.

change your business? And if so, in what ways?

Did you have any formal training in photography?

I have been doing it for some time now. I ghost blogged for a few travel sites as well. In a way, yes, blogging did change my business. People are not

New age storytellers, as they say.

No. But once I went to an institute to teach Post Processing techniques to photography students in 2010-11.

I did manage to sneak into a

always keen to see only a

few classes then.

photograph. They like to know facts, learn stories or you can say they want to experience that place. Writing about those places, even if it’s a single line, helps people to connect. Plus, since you know that you are going to write a tiny note about that place, you tend to focus more about knowing that place closely. Locals are always amazing.

PAGE 14 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

- FEATURED INTERVIEW Please describe your post processing workflow.

I try to keep it as simple as possible and as close to the actual scene that I had seen.I am a graphic designer too; hence I have had formal training in photoshop.That come in handy for me as I can keep working on my photos endlessly and meticulously. But I always try to keep it simple. An ideal workflow would be a little bit of Adobe Light room where I make all the global adjustments like white balance, lens correction, chromatic aberration correction, etc. and

Finally, what are you looking forward to over the next year?

then exporting it to a tiff file, finally working on all the local adjustments in Adobe Photoshop, if and when needed only.

Over the years you’ve been building a reputation as an artist who fosters his own career through teaching, speaking and writing. What are the greatest challenges of making a living as a photographic artist? What are the keys to succeeding at it?

Greatest challenge would be to have patience. I mean this doesn’t come to you so easily.

You need to work real hard to make your stand, in this case, to make your art known. You need to add value to it. 3 P’s I would suggest generally, Preparation,

New adventure and new avenues to explore so that while I am away, I can see new places, see vivid sunsets, eat more local

You need to add value to it. 3 P’s I would suggest generally, Preparation, Patience, & Perseverance.

food, experience more cultures and come to tell new stories.

the interview is also available at www.beardedtravelingsoul.com Arpan Kalita is an ace photographer based out of Guwahati in India's north eastern state of Assam. He conducts regular photography workshops and exhibitions. He can be reached through his website www.arpankalita.com His instagram handle is instagram.com/arpankalita_

Patience, & Perseverance.

PAGE 15 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

5 BOOKS ON NORTH EAST INDIA TRAVEL

BOOK REVIEW the full reviews of the 5 books are available at www.beardedtravelingsoul.com Sikkim: Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom

by Andrew Duff A frequent traveler to India and South Asia, Andre Duff is a freelance

Early Sunrise, Early Sunset: Tales of a Traveler across North East India by Priyanka Rastogi

journalist based out of London and Scotland. The Pioneer in its review

Early Sunrise, Early Sunset is

about the book writes: ‘it has all the

a categorical description of

ingredients for a major feature film:

North East India into three

Love and hate, suspense and

heads: Creation of North East

suspicion, great powers and small

India, People of North East

nations, a Shangri-La, beautiful foreign

India and Society of North

and Sikkimese princesses and

East India. The book is a

a handsome king.’

journey of a solo traveler through a region that has

The book written in a Language so

rightfully been called ‘the

fluid and gripping, devoid of

other side of the country’. At

bombastic words, makes the author

an age where traveling to

visibly taking sides of different

Thailand or for that matter

protagonist. Is a constant struggle

any South East Asian country

between the Bhutias, Lepchas and

is a lot easier than traveling

Nepalis who constitute the population

to North East India, in spite of

of Sikkim. In an epilogue paragraph,

its infuriating permits,

Andrw Duff writes ‘The Palace

unpredictable weather and

suggested that the new political party

non-existent road network.,

should send three representatives, one

the people perhaps are

from each community- the Bhutias, the

one of the friendliest in India.

Lepchas and the Nepalis – to function as official secretaries to the Chogyal.

PAGE 16 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

Itinerary of the month

BATTLEFIELD TOUR north east india

A nine days tour that takes us through WWII historic sites of Kohima and Imphal and also through old British colonial towns of Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Digboi.

Oil, Tea and War all embedded into this tour program; as we drive through rural Assam ,winding rough roads in Nagaland and border paths in Manipur.

PAGE 17 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

UPPER ASSAM Day 1 We will arrive at Dibrugarh Airport to be transferred to our tea bungalow hotel in the outskirts of the town.

Day 2 This morning we take a tour of the tea plantations and tea factory. In the afternoon we will visit Namphake village, seemingly stuck back in time, with Thai influences and home to the Namphake Buddhist Monastery. We will return back to Dibrugarh for our overnight stay.

WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY Day 3 We will go for a day long excursion today where we will travel to Jagun, a small rural village in Assam. On the way we will visit Commonwealth War Graves of Digboi, the Oil Museum – reminiscence to India’s first production oil well, Ledo Air Stripanother remnant of WWII, Tipong Colliery and its steam engine trains and off course the Stillwell Heritage Park. We return back to Dibrugarh for our overnight stay.

PAGE 18 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

Namphake Village It is a peaceful Buddhist village with an appropriately lofty peepul tree watching over its monastery. The houses, known as chang ghars, are thatched houses on stilts.

Walking into the midst of these people require some finesse. The thin matting covering the malleable floor squeaks and depresses with each step like a precarious waterbed that will burst any second. The Namphake Buddhist Monastery was set up in 1850 on the bank of the beautiful Buridihing, one of the major tributaries of the might Brahmaputra, as Tai Phakes migrated to this part of the country from the Howkong valley of Myanmar in the late eighteenth century. From the manuscripts written on gold and silver plates dating back to the 16th century to one of the oldest Buddha statues of the state, it is no less a museum.

Stilwell Road The historic Stilwell's Road, which was constructed by the Americans during the Second World War from Ledo in Assam, India, which is one of the rail-heads of the BengalAssam railway in the valley of the Upper Brahmaputra during that time to Burma Road connecting to Kunming, China passes through Lekhapani, Jairampur, Nampong and Pangsau pass, India-Burma (Myanmar) border.

gboi Oil Museum

Di

The Digboi Centenary Museum is a life gesture of the centenary celebration of Igbo Refinery which showcases the history of oil exploration in Asia. The museum offers a rich collection of machines, visuals, scale-models and photographs. The museum was inaugurated on 4th January, 2002. The IOC (Indian Oil Corporation) authorities have taken much pain to put the entire place in order, just beside the historic Discovery Well No. 1, unbelievably, crude oil continues to stream out naturally within a corner of the museum complex.

Commonwealth War Graves, Digboi The Digboi War Cemetery was built and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Located 1.5 kms away from Digboi town, the cemetery has about 200 burials mostly of British soldiers who laid their lives during World War II.

PAGE 19 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

PAGE 08

BATTLEFIELD TOURS Day 4 After a leisurely breakfast we will drive to Jorhat. On the way we will visit the historic city of Sibsagar, visiting various monuments built by the mighty Ahom Kings. We will check into a tea Bungalow in Jorhat.

Dinner and overnight.

SIBSAGAR Sibsagar dated back to the days

Day 5 This morning after a leisurely breakfast we will proceed to Kohima. Before we leave Jorhat we will visit the Tocklai Tea Research Center in Jorhat. We will check in to a hotel in Kohima, Evening is at leisure.

Dinner and overnight.

TOCKLAI CENTER & KOHIMA

when Ahoms used to rule Assam and this Town was the capital of Ahom Kingdom, though this town now has emerged as an important centre for the tea and oil industries, it is still famous for Ahom Palaces and Monuments. Sibsagar meaning “The Ocean of Lord Shiva”, this town’s main feature is the water body which is a 257 acre tank known as “Borpukhuri” from which it takes its name. On the bank of this tank is the famous temple complex containing three temples and they are–Sivadol, VishnuDol and DeviDol.

Tocklai Tea Research Center: Since 1911 the research station, popularly known as Tocklai has come a long way growing from strength to strength. Today, it is the oldest and largest research station of its kind.

Tocklai carries out and promotes research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing with the principal objective of improving overall productivity and quality.

Battle of Kohima, WWII: In March 1944 the Japanese 15th Army began an advance against India’s north-east frontier to forestall a planned British invasion of Burma. They intended to capture the British supply bases on the Imphal Plain and cut the road linking Dimapur and Imphal at Kohima. With Imphal in their hands, the Japanese would also be able to interrupt air supplies to China. It would also give them a base from which to conduct air attacks against India.

PAGE 20 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

Day 6 This morning we will visit the World War II cemetery and then proceed to Khonoma village, Walk through the narrow pathways where legendary warriors once walked and guarded their homeland. This is a place renowned for its valor and courage. It was here that the Naga warriors made their last stand against the British in 1879. The Khonoma gate tells the story of British infiltration into Naga Hills where its fierce warriors, legendary for their bravery, fought with the British thrice, keeping them at bay for the first two times. We will return to Kohima and after lunch visit the District Museum, which although small, depicts a vivid picture of Naga culture and tradition. Evening we will spend time exploring the local markets and return back for our overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: After breakfast visit the battle fields – Aradura Spur, Kuki Picquet, Scotoish Memorial, Cameron Highlanders, 2nd Royal Norfolk. Later drive to Imphal (130 kms / 5 hrs). We will make a quick stop at the Old airfield at Koirengei before entering Imphal. Check into a hotel on arrival.

Dinner and overnight

Day 8: After breakfast , leave for Red Hill locally known as Maibam Lokpa Ching , in its foothill is the Japanese War Memorial also known as India Peace Memorial. Proceed to INA Memorial in Moirang and from there we go to Loktak Lake the largest fresh water lake in North East India.

While returning we will visit some more battle related sites of Bishnupur and Ningthoukhong.

Overnight in Imphal.

Day 9 Imphal Flyout This morning after breakfast we will drive to Imphal Airport for our onward journey.

PAGE 21 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

from our blog

in search of Wei Sawdong waterfalls A

PHOTO

STORY

CHERRAPUNJEE

THAT IN

MATERIALZED

SEARCH

OF

WEI

ON

A

SUNDAY

SAWDONG

DRIVE

TO

WATERFALLS.

On the way to Wei Sawdong waterfalls and everything in between

whole article available at www.beardedtravelingsoul.com

Meghalaya has always been a favourite destination to the city dwellers of Guwahati. The love and hate relationship between Meghalaya and Assam has always managed to create memories.

Here is a photo story that materialzed on a Sunday drive to Cherrapunjee in search of Wei Sawdong waterfalls.

There is a story in every frame when you are in Meghalaya. The colour of ordinary things are so vibrant and alive here that every picture tells a tale.This isn’t a just a picture, it’s a story. A story we all hold within ourselves. A story that takes up most of our heart. A story of the happy and sad times we never forget. A story that refuses to leave you, because a happy story is always a poetry in motion. Once you allow yourself to identify with people in a story , then you might begin to see yourself in that story even if on the surface it’s far removed from your situation.

“Ruins are more beautiful than adorned castles, for ruins are the cathedrals of time.”The broken stones in a ruined architecture will speak to you , if you look into it deeper. We all as human beings , are occasional ruins, wandering among ruins, waiting to rebuild our castles once again.

PAGE 23 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

he Most Simple Things Can Bring

The dry grass in an empty field in

The Most Happiness. Can you

Meghalaya provides ample amount

imagine what your life would look

of colour in a frame. What I love is

like without music? For most of us,

how the colour of the earth blends

living without all those wonderful

into the clear blue sky, painted by

songs and compositions is simply

patches of white and gray clouds.

unimaginable. In Meghalaya you cannot help but sing.

Just like a good soundtrack accompanies a wonderful movie, music accompanies you throughout

Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey.

your entire life. During the ups and downs of life, there will always be those masterpieces that fully describe what you’re feeling at the present moment.

here is nothing wrong in taking action, doing things , resolving problems and providing for others.

That is how a world is built and modified . But to stop from time to time , allowing us to reflect on our past and map our future or even to think nothing is a necessity. Its

Photography: Dr Amlanjyoti Deb Akash Kakati Amitabh Sarma Dipanita D Sarma

called Adoration of Life.

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our insta shots from our blog instagram page instagram.com/beardedtravelingsoul

PAGE 25 EVENTOURS JOURNEYS

wanted

Someone who can cook Lasagne at 11480 feet PS: need to have a booking at our hostel

Traveler’s hostel, Behind SNM Hospital, Leh, Ladakh

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