FIRST TRIP TO THE NORTHEAST: MIZORAM
FIRST TRIP TO THE NORTH EAST-MIZORAM
Around 7 years ago during the final year of my school, I read a book about the various tribes of North East India. Already fascinated by a place so serene, yet unexplored and heard stories of the people inhabiting those lands, the book generated in me a desire to visit the places as soon as possible. The author of that book visited the entire North East as a part of his assignment for All India Radio (AIR) during the 1970s and the way he described those tribes and the places, a strong desire arose inside of me to visit these places and see for myself how beautiful that land is, how well mannered those people are! It is aptly called the ‘unexplored paradise’ as I discovered.
But the idea materialized only in March, when financially empowered by a scholarship from ISRO, and constantly motivated by my best friend (who could not resist travel, and hence accompanied me!), I planned to visit Mizoram. Why Mizoram? There is a particular thing about the Mizos, and if asked comparatively; about all the tribes of the NE region, I like Mizos the most. And it made sense too, with Manipur being disturbed by blockades and insurgency, and Nagaland not that open for tourists apparently, Mizoram is an oasis of peace in the ever disturbed NE region. It is a success story, the bright spot, a stable state, and people are extremely hospitable. Although frankly speaking, I had some reservations about the hospitality of the Mizo people because of the history of insurgency, it vanished once I stepped into the beautiful capital city of Aizawl.
We booked a special train up to Kamakhya in Guwahati. The journey was comfortable, smooth, and not tiring at all, although it was a total of 29 hours on the train. I had never done such a long journey ever in my life. We stepped foot in Assam at 0530 and immediately saw the sunrise, it appeared the sun was welcoming us in this paradise (the journey ended with sunset at the appropriate place, the sun had a role in everything right from the funding to the fulfillment of the journey!). I had a bad feeling about going to Guwahati and not touching the water of the mighty Brahmaputra, as our plan was to take a bus to Silchar immediately after getting down from the train. But as it turned out, we managed to get a bus booking for the evening and it meant we had a full day to explore Guwahati and touch the Brahmaputra of course.
So with the day in our hands, we put our bags in the Cloakroom and walked a few 100 meters to the banks of Brahmaputra. A special feeling of part accomplishment, part childish excitement easily visible with tears in my eyes developed on the sight of the Brahmaputra flowing so carelessly in front of us. Since childhood, I heard stories of the mighty river, the culture that developed on its banks, and here I was witnessing that very thing through my eyes. We took a boat and visited the rocky island of Umananda where there is a Shiva temple and whose history goes back a thousand years. After spending some time there, we circled around the little island which took us not more than 15 minutes, and then got back to Guwahati. We wanted to visit the museum but sadly because of Sunday it was closed and we were left with one less option. We had our lunch and then got back to the station..after some time went out to Paltan bazaar market and since it was time, we had to head to the bus station for the bus to Silchar.
From the bus station, we had to take a shuttle to ISBT Guwahati, where the bus to Silchar would be available. The bookings done in this part are quite smooth and there were guys with a list in their hands with our names. It was just like the thing they do when boarding the airplanes. The Guwahati ISBT is huge, the biggest I have seen in India, with space for at least 1000 buses. A few hundred buses were already standing there, leaving for every part of the Northeast. I saw buses for Tezpur, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and many more. After sitting for an hour amidst the mosquitoes which were huge, our bus arrived. The seats being pre-booked, we just needed to show our faces in order to get to our allotted seats. The bus was comfortable and the journey was quite good for the next 1–2 hours, but things took a different turn when the bus started jumping in the hills of Meghalaya
It was a 12-hour journey, overnight and we had to sleep as well. I started vomiting as the bus was taking wild turns in the hills of Meghalaya and the night was very uncomfortable indeed, but there was more to come. We reached Silchar in the morning at 0500. It is a sleepy town and we did not have to spend much time there, so I can’t comment much. We had to take a Sumo to Aizawl, from near the Mizoram house and there were many of them. I saw the word Aizawl on the taxi stand and again the feeling of part accomplishment part excitement was there. Through this journey, I gained a lot of confidence in myself. I did what I wanted a few years ago and even if it is just travel, it meant a lot to me. So we got the Sumo and it was to travel for 8 hours in order to reach Aizawl.
The Sumo started at 0730 and again for the next three hours, as we were in the plains of Assam, the journey was comfortable. I listened to music, saw beautiful scenery outside, wondered how Mizos would treat us, and of course took a nap. At around 1030 we reached the border town of Vairengte in the Kolasib district. we had to get the ILP from there. The moment we got our ILP and got in the car I wanted to cry in excitement. Here I was in Mizoram that I wanted to be in for so long. It was very difficult to control, I felt so much joy that I was laughing and talking and smiling but the roads of Mizoram were about to test me, in a very unpleasant way…
From Vairengte we entered the Army area. The Indian Army runs a world-class jungle warfare school in this area and they have taken up a lot of kilometers. The road passes right through it. The entire state of Mizoram is hills and everywhere you see only hills are visible. This is the reason these people are called ‘Mizos’ translating as people of the hills. I have been to hills in Uttrakhand but these were totally different, this was totally wild in the wildest sense that we know of. I again started vomiting within an hour and this was getting worse. I did not prepare for it and without any medicine available, I was vomiting continuously for 4 hours. I started wondering why I came here, my will was broken totally and we paid a huge price for it. I was vomiting endlessly and Aizawl seemed next to impossible. There was a person who was quite used to those routes and kept convincing me and of course my friend. I felt the importance of company at that time and had she not been there…I’d have been in a very bad situation indeed.
We reached Aizawl at 1430 and as soon as I stepped out of that Sumo my ordeal was over. It was kind of symbolic, now that I sit down and think about it. It was like the place was saying-To come over here and explore me, you have to pass the test. I passed it successfully I guess, and every second I spent in Mizoram after getting out of that Sumo, was cherishable. Immediately after getting down, we found the hotel we had booked earlier and went to our rooms instantly. I was tired and sleepy hence went to sleep immediately. My friend was not as troubled as I was so she just relaxed and in the evening we stepped out to see the city of Aizawl for the first time. What an experience it was..a place so different, the people so polite and yet living in the same country that I live in. We were spellbound by the place literally.
We were living in Zarkawt, which is in the center of the city and is easily the most beautiful and organized part of Aizawl. We noticed some strange things which will make any mainland Indian surprised:
- Nobody honks and everybody listens to the traffic policemen.
- Everybody will help you. I salute the spirit of the Mizo people, a woman left her lunch table, came out on the road, to help me, and only left when I was on my way.
- Nobody stares at strangers, people are very shy and yet very open. Frustration seems unheard of and everything goes on smoothly.
- There is a good story about the trust and honesty of the Mizos. It is said you can pick up items from a shop that you want and put the money on the desk, the shopkeeper doesn’t even look. Of course, we did not try such a thing but seeing the honesty and openness of these people it seemed quite possible.
- The hawkers in the market don’t shout much and nobody follows you like they do in Delhi.
The first evening in Aizawl was a pleasant shock with people so different than us, so developed and happy with themselves. They don’t seem to need the Indian presence anywhere in their lives. Everything in Aizawl closes at 1800. After that nobody steps out and being the capital of the 21 st century state, it seemed surprising that Aizawl has no nightlife at all.
So at around 1900 we came back to our rooms, relaxed, and slept peacefully. The next morning it was the turn to explore the city. As it is a hill city, the roads are like roller coasters and walking is a good idea, it saves time, money and kilometers. We went to the markets every day in the evening and each day gave us new experiences.
The city is really beautiful and the traffic is pretty calm, even though there are jams people are very relaxed. We visited the markets, museums, and other places of interest. Unfortunately, the original plan was to go to Champhai and cross the border, but due to my broken will and local people telling not-so-good tales about the roads there, we canceled the plan.
We also visited the university. We had a friend who was there for a conference. It is a serene place situated in the jungles, and unlike any other university, doesn’t seem crowded at all. It felt like JNU for a moment. We went to the dept of Physics, clicked a few photos, and hopped in a university bus to come back to the city center, but we stopped midway for the Solomon Temple.
The Solomon temple is an architectural wonder, although a work in progress. Once built it will be the largest church in the NE region. The Christian faith has transformed the Mizo society from a tribal society to modern 21 st century cosmopolitan people but who are still connected to their roots.
We went on a trek to Reiek mountains some 35 km from Aizawl. We booked a taxi through our hotel people and found a good driver, fluent in Hindi and he told us a lot of things about the Mizo people, some of which I knew already. I was worried about vomiting, hence took some pills but it did not happen and I was happy. We started in the morning and reached at noon. We walked through the forest, there were not many people around, and the jungle was quite peaceful apart from some bird sounds. We reached the top after walking for a few minutes The view was amazing. The entire city was visible from the top and on a clear day, one can see the plains of Bangladesh too on the other side!!. We were not so lucky, and spent 2–3 hours on the top, sitting chatting and enjoying the beauty after that we descended to the Reiek village where we had some food.
We continued to explore the city and find new things each day but the most surprising has to be this-We entered the house of the Hon’ble Chief Minister. We saw him the morning in his vehicle. As our VIP culture taught us, seeing the CM in a 3 car convoy was surprising. We went strolling to the CM house and office just to see how far we can get. No one checked us, nobody asked a question. In fact, when I asked the guard he directed me to his PA.
We left but the excitement was uncontrollable. Nobody back here can imagine meeting the CM so easily. So we tried to return back in the evening and see if we can see the CM in person. We went to his office, were directed to the control room where the guys inquired about us, and we convinced them. I was nervous that I’ll be able to see the CM and in this nervousness, I did a mistake. I told the guy it was OK for us to get even this far and if the CM is busy, we’ll go from here itself with no problems. The guy understood I was not that willing and readily told me he is just back from the assemble hence he must be tired and I returned obliging. Had I not uttered that line, within minutes we’d be in front of the CM talking to him. I could get a photo with the Hon’ble CM of Mizoram.
But that event made me respect the Mizos even more. If the CM is so easily accessible imagine the DM or the local counselor! How developed these people have become and yet we say the NE region is backward!
The trip was ending and on the last day, we called the same driver who took us on the trek and took the cab to the Lengpui airport. We were scheduled to fly at 1335 so reached by 1230. It was my maiden flight and it was a memorable experience indeed. It took us 1 hour to fly from Aizawl to Kolkata, over the plains of Bangladesh.
Our aim was to reach Howrah by 1830 because of the train. We took our bags at 1450 and by 1500 we were out in Kolkata looking how to spend the next 3 hours. Suddenly I saw Belur math-the HQ of Ramkrishna Mission, on the map. I felt strongly that there can be no other choice than this to end the memorable trip of ours. So we took a cab to the Belur math.
Belur math is the place where Swami Vivekanand lived and breathed his last, the place which is as sacred as Varanasi in my heart. Within a moment we were overwhelmed by the Bengali people so devoted, and large in numbers at the place. We saw every temple in Belur, ate jhalmuri as well, and visited the bookshop where I bought a copy of the Bhagwat Gita as a souvenir. All the while my mind was contemplating how did I end up here. There was no plan to visit Belur anywhere on my mind, but now that I was here I wanted to capture every second I spend at this holy place in my mind. Life takes you places you yearn for, and it happened so evidently on this trip..that I am left speechless.
So, with an eye on the clock we explored Belur and at 1700 took an auto to Howrah Junction. The most crowded railway station in India, and probably the only station in India where you can drive right up to the train gate! We did not have any problems boarding the Yuva express, a good, clean and very fast train. It took us 8 hours to reach Varanasi from Howrah and at 0230 we set foot in Mughalsarai. midway I got down at Dhanbad had some tea and remembered it was 14 years ago that I had set foot in Jharkhand!
At around 0300 I entered my hostel room, extremely energized by the trip and the next day life was back to normal.
Everybody wanted to know about the trip. Many of my friends could not locate Aizawl on the map and some of them had not ever heard the name of the place! Society is so different than ours, women used to run almost every business in the city and this place has inspired me so much, I will definitely visit again…
