The power of ziro: Tucked away in the hills

Snuggled high up on the slopes of Arunachal Pradesh, Ziro Valley has largely remained unexplored, beyond the reach and gaze of casual backpackers. So I decided to set foot in this untapped terrain, located 167 kms away from the state’s capital city of Itanagar.

History revisited:
Situated in lower Subansiri district of Arunachal at an altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level, the Apatani plateau, as Ziro is also popularly called, is a potential World Heritage site. The ancient cave temples here date back to 5,000 years. The place has other historic relevance too. Ziro Puto for example, is a hillock where independent India’s first administrative centre was established. The place is also known as Army Puto, as the base of a military cantonment was established here during the 1960s. It offers a spectacular view of the Apatani plateau from the crest of its hillock. There’s also the Dolo Mando hillock situated on the west of Ziro, which one can scale to catch the panoramic views of the old Ziro town of Hapoli.
 
Nature trails:
The place is a visual delight for any tourist, but for a photographer like me, it’s pure indulgence. Enjoying a bird’s eye view from atop the valley, I gazed at the green grassy carpet, the long-winding pathways and a blanket of floating clouds advancing to cover up the hills. In the dead of winters I’m told, the mountain peaks remain capped with snow. The weather during my visit was unpredictable with sporadic drizzles greeting us generously. Along the long walks that we took, I stopped to capture in my camera a slew of small streams gurgling at their own pace, glowing like satin ribbons over a rocky pebbled-bed. Far in the distance, an array of narrow waterfalls cascaded downwards from the steep mountain-cliffs. But the best sight was to watch a group of children diving into the pools to swim and make a happy splash!

People’s place
In pursuit of picture portraits, I went about acquainting myself with the locals of the area. Accompanied by my driver and a guide, I set out to discover indigenous colonies and get to know the close-knit community better. We meandered through the colourful huts of the Apatani/Tanii tribes, built out of bamboo shoots and asbestos sheets. The most striking feature of their houses was the frontal mud-oven girdled with hard tin-slabs. I was lucky to be invited for a meal too and enjoyed a local delicacy of smoked chicken with rice-beer. Every home is equipped with quaint fishing baskets. I also saw a few farmers with woven headgears harvesting crops in the paddy fields, which are spread out in wide expansive plots in between the hillocks.

To market to market:
Often a walk down the deserted fringes would lead me to a few aligned shacks selling grocery and stationery items. The place offers a variety of mementos for tourists like chunky jewellery pieces, wooden handicrafts and hand-woven garments.  While most streets appeared quiet and desolate, one particular street I can still recall was a great hub of activity with women selling daily-utility wares and green vegetables like gourds, edible leaves and other local produce. With prominent designs beautifully drawn on their foreheads and large nose studs, they beamed shyly when asked to smile for my lens. Besides, tiny, colourful fish collected from waterfalls were being sold in bulk.

Music:
The icing on the cake for me was of course, the vibrant Ziro Music Festival, one of the best outdoor festivals in the country. I remember a number of tents were spread out to accommodate the invited musicians flocking from all across the world.

Watching the gigs and tribal dances under a starlit sky was definitely more liberating for me than hopping to the noise-blaring pubs in my city.

Best time to visit Ziro:
The months of September or October
Weather:
Unpredictable with sporadic showers. So it’s better to carry a rain jacket. The summers are warm and pleasant, while winters are chilly cold.
Getting to Ziro:
Airport: Nearest airport is Tezpur (Assam). However, flights to Tezpur are often cancelled without reason. The best option is to fly to Guwahati and take the road journey.
Rail: The nearest railhead is North Lakhimpur by Arunachal Express from New Bongaigaon (Assam).
Road: Direct buses are available from Guwahati, Itanagar and North Lakhimpur.

Writer is a photographer constantly in search of scenic captures