Ziro Valley: An Offbeat Paradise In Arunachal Pradesh That Boasts Of A Unique Culture

The lush greens, verdant hues and the colorful culture of this place makes it stand out and must be on your bucket list!

Ziro Valley: Perched in peace, the Ziro Valley lies in the lush hills of Arunachal Pradesh. It is located at a rough distance of 115 km from Itanagar. And currently it is included in the Tentative List of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. This beautiful valley sits atop at an elevation of around 1688 meters above the sea level. With a lovely weather all round the year, it is dotted with pine clad hills and paddy fields. What makes this destination stand out is that it is home to the Apatani Tribe.

The culture of this indigenous tribe is what keeps the valley grounded to its roots and keeps alive the culture and heritage that India boasts of harbouring. The Apatanis are remembered as the oldest tribe of North East India known to have been living in this exotic valley for centuries. What makes this tribe attract world fame is their unique way of lifestyle . The women wear dark facial tattoos on their chin, nose and forehead and adorn themselves with massive nose rings too.

Apatani Tribe (Image: Twitter/@IncredibleIndia)

Even their agri practices are different. Their use high altitude fish farming is considered amongst one of the highly advanced methods. From their traditions, animistic ceremonies, vibrant dance to grand feasts, everything is a gala celebration of life with offbeat customs.

Meghna Cave Temple

Inside of Meghna Cave Temple (Image: tourmyindia.com)

Sitting at an elevation about 300 feet, the dense vegetation cover surround the intricately built Meghna Cave Temple.  Dedicated to Lord Lakulisha, considered to be the 28^th embodiment of Lord Shiva, this temple offers a tranquil aura for the onlookers. There are some detailed carvings of Sanskrit scriptures that add on to the beauty of the architecture.

Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Himalayan Ape (@himalayanape)

The Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary  is one of the eminent wildlife reserves in Arunachal Pradesh. It ha s a beautiful spectrum of alpine forests, orchids, bamboos, rhododendron, ferns, silver fir trees and more. Talley Valley is also home to the one of its kind bamboo – Pleioblastus Simone. Not only one can enjoy trekking the trails of this exotic place, it is a treat for wildlife enthusiasts who can spot the myriad of species of flora and fauns that live here.

Midey

Midey is nothing but a place to to hike to the lush vegetations cover. The towering blue pine trees make up for a spectacular view. It has some of the tallest alpine cover in Ziro. It is a frequented site by season trekkers who enjoy a an exotic trail up the hill.

Tipi Orchid Research Centre

A stroll through colourful meadows against a backdrop of pine clad hills is a gentle sight on the eyes. Ziro has a plethora of such pleasant ambience to offer to all its visitors. One such place is the Tipi Orchids Research Centre. It has a myriad species of beautiful orchids over 10 acres of land. Travellers adore the orchid glass house that has a tableau of over 1000 species of orchids in pots and baskets. A small pond and fountain only add to the charm of this place.

Ziro Music Festival

With the launch of the Ziro Music Festival, in 2012, this valley was found a pin on a travellers map. Ardent music lovers, top national and international artists, bands and folk music artists gather for entrancing into a mesmerising festival of rhythms and melodies. Every year this festival takes place sometime in September.

Want to go away from the chaos? How about a tranquil trip in the valley of Arunachal?

For story ideas, tips and review suggestions, you can reach out to himanshu.shekhar@india.com