5 fascinating places in the northeastern states of India

The fascinating part of India is that in different parts of the country, you will find distinctive features regarding the geographical locations, food, customs, etc. However, the ethnocultural identity and traditions bring all the states together. Besides, if someone were to ask which part of India is relatively undiscovered and unfortunately remains isolated, the answer would be the northeastern states.

The northeastern part of India has a unique geographical landscape, and the region is made of eight states- Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim. Hence, you can explore distinct cultures, languages, and traditions as you visit each state. So, let us take a look at five locations in the Northeast that will surely blow your mind:

Loktak Lake, Manipur

Loktak lake is the largest freshwater lake in India, and it is one of the most popular places which attracts tourists due to its elegant beauty. Also, the lake is broad in size, with a land area differing from 250 square kilometres to 500 square kilometres during the rainy month, with a specific area of 287 square km. Besides, the lake is located in Moirang, Manipur and is well-known for its widespread vegetation.

You can also visit the Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating national park in the world, located on Loktak lake. Also, the national park is the last natural habitat of the ‘’Sangai’’(Rucervus eldii eldii), the dancing deer of Manipur. Hence, many wildlife enthusiasts often visit the park to get a glimpse of the endangered deer in the wetland ecosystem.

Apart from the exotic wildlife, you can also see the circle-shaped swamps of the lake, which people locally call ‘’phumdis’’. Also, these swamps seem like islands with abundant vegetation, soil and organic matter at different stages and phases of decomposition. The lake gives shelter to other Aquatic plants of 250 different species along with hundreds of varieties of birds and 400 species of animal species such as python, barking deer and sambar. Bird species like lesser eastern jungle crow, East Himalayan pied kingfisher, lesser skylark, black kite, northern hill myna and Burmese pied myna are found in Loktak lake, which makes it a tourist spot for birdwatchers.

Unakoti, Tripura

Unakoti hill is a pilgrimage site dating back to the 7th to 8th century; it is an ancient Shaivite place of worship. According to the legends, while Lord Shiva was on his way to Kashi, he had spent a night on the hills; 9999999 gods and goddesses had accompanied him, which was less than a crore, therefore the name ‘’Unakoti’, indicating one less than a crore.

You can see many carvings of gods and goddesses, of whom Lord Shiva’s carving is the central one, The head of Lord Shiva is known as Unakotiswara Kal Bhairava, which is all of 30 ft high, and a head-dress that is 10 ft high. You will also see figures of Goddess Durga and an unknown female on either side of Shiva. Moreover, the site is home to other structures, such as three large Nandi the Bull images half-buried in the ground.

Durtlang Hills, Mizoram

Durtlang Hills is located on the northern side of Aizawl, presided by strings of rocky hills enabling the residents a breathtaking view of the beautiful city. Also, if you are into trekking, you might want to visit the hills in Mizoram, as the Durtlang hills are a popular trekking destination.

If you are not into trekking, perhaps you would like to visit the spot in Maubuang Lungsai, a small hamlet in the Aizawl district where the Tropic of Cancer runs through Mizoram.

Krem Puri, Meghalaya

The world’s longest sandstone caves are located about 90 km away from Shillong; the exact location, however, is in Meghalaya in the East Khasi hill district of Laitsohum village. Setting a world record at 24,583-metre (24.5km) — which is almost three times the height of Mount Everest, Krem Puri is 6,000-metre longer than the previous record-holder Venezuela’s Cueva Del Saman, 18,200-metre (18.2km) long quartzite sandstone cave in Edo Zulia.

Also, the cave is rich in flora and fauna like frogs, fish, spiders, and bats; a few years ago, excavations led to finding dinosaur fossils — especially of a giant aquatic carnivorous reptile Mosasaurus that lived 66-76 million years ago.

Majuli, Assam

Majuli is the biggest river island located on the Brahmaputra river in Assam. Also, this island is formed by the River Subansiri in the north and River Brahmaputra in the south. It has been known as the cultural capital of Assam ever since the 16th century. The main village of Majuli Island is Naghmar, where many events and festivals are being held even today.

Furthermore, Majuli being pollution-free and covered by greenery on all sides is an environment-friendly destination. The festivals celebrated here are very colourful and vibrant, which is the prime cause for which tourists from different parts of the country travel to this location. Raas Purnima is one such crucial event that people celebrate here in a grand manner.