Apart from the popular destinations of India, there are certain hidden tourist destinations which are equally appealing and boast of their rich, traditional and environmental resources. Let’s have a virtual exploration of these secret destinations of North-east India. So, that next time you can plan your trip in one of these exquisite locations.
Parasuram Kund: The holy kund
Location: Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh
Best time to visit: November to February
Famous for its traditional and mythological histories, Parasuram Kund is the destination of pilgrimage.
Popular stories connect the kund with Parasuram, one of the most influential sages of ancient India. The kund speaks its own history through the means of a popular story in which Parasuram washed away his sin of slaying his mother by washing his hands in this kund. And since then, this kund has been popularly named as Parasuram kund.
Pilgrims visit the holy place in the month of January during makar sankranti. Other than this kund, the place is also rich in flora and fauna and is the house to the temple of Rukmini, temple of Malinithan, glow lake and the remains of King Bhisma’s palace.
Walong: The medicinal hot spring
Location: Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Located 20 km away from the Chinese border, Walong is situated on the western bank of river Lohit in Anjaw district. The mesmerizing place is famous for its hot water spring and the Namti valley. The hot spring is located amazingly at the confluence of river Dichu and Lohit. It is a major attraction of Walong and tourists fly to the place to take a soothing bath in the medicinal water of the hot spring.
Haflong: The blue hills and emarald green rivers
Location: Karbi Anglong district, Assam
Best time to visit: October to April
Enveloped in breathtaking scenic beauty, Haflong is a hill station in Assam. The place has an untouched and pure beauty which has been the main reason behind its budding popularity.
Haflong is a traditional term in Dimashi language which literarily means white ants hillock. The blue toned hills of Haflong are simply out of this world and offer an unmatched view to the travellers. The secret tourist place of Assam is filled with an aroma of freshness and divinity.
Various attractions like the colorful orchards of pineapple and orange, green rivers, rare species of birds and orchids, draw tourists from far flung areas. Some of the prominent attractions of Haflong are the Vandas orchids in Jatinga, hot water spring at Umrangshu and the remains of Dimasa Kachari kingdom at Maibong. Apart from that, tourists can also engage themselves in outdoor adventure sports like paragliding, gliding and trekking.
Tawang: The mystic beauty
Location: Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh
Best time to visit: April to October
Tawang, a hill station in Arunachal Pradesh is a colorful land that smells of the vibrant Monpa tribe and the enchanting natural beauty. The snow-topped black hills stay covered with floating clouds that sore up to the roads and cut through the hills.
The mystic place shares its border partly with India and partly with Tibet and Bhutan. It is believed that place got its name from the Tawang monastery, which was set up by a horse owner Merag Lama Lodre Gyamtso. The word “tawang” means “horse chosen” (“ta” means “horse” and “wang” means “chosen”).
The major attraction of Tawang, the tawang monastery is the largest monastery in India and definitely worth a visit. Other than this, the place is also famous for cheap shawls and woolen carpets, which are handcrafted in small handicraft shops.
Sibsagar: The temple town
Location: Assam
Best time to visit: throughout the year
Sibsagar, an important seat of Indian history is located to the east of Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The place has a significance in the history of ancient India, as the Ahom kings ruled the place for nearly 600 years before losing it to the British. The remains of the empire of the Ahom rulers can be seen till today.
Sibsagar got its name from a tank, which houses three temples on its bank. The largest temple is known as the “Sivadoul” and the two other temples are named as “Devidoul” and “Vishnudoul”, respectively. Apart from the three magnificent temples, Sibsagar is also the home to Rang Ghar and oval shaped double-storied amphitheater and three large tanks.
Tezpur: The beautiful and multifaceted town
Location: Sonitpur district, Assam
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Tezpur is the commercial and educational hub of Assam. Due to its significant role in the independence of India, Tezpur has earned a dignity and popularity among the masses. But in spite of being the commercial hub of Assam, Tezpur is not at all lacking in scenic beauty and natural resources.
The place boasts of a huge tank which spans across 70 acres of land. Other than this, Agnigarh the trekking site of Tezpur attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. And among various other tourist sites, some of the major sites are Bamuni Hills, Ketakeshwar Dewal, Padum Pukhuri, Mahabhairab Temple, Nag Shankar Temple and Cole Park.
Hajo: The pilgrimage center
Location: Kamrup district, Assam
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Hajo is a very important pilgrimage center of Assam. Flanked by various famous temples and mosque, the place is normally common with pilgrims. But you may visit the land for its surrounding beauty and of course for its religious importance. Various important centers of tourist attraction in Hajo are the Hayagriva Madhava temple, Joy Durga temple, Powa Mecca, Dhoparguri Satra and Kedareshwar temple.
Shillong: Scotland of east India
Location: East khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Best time to visit: April to October.
The capital city of Meghalaya, Shillong is regarded as the “Scotland of the east India”. The place is surrounded by an array of magnificent waterfalls like the Elephant falls, Sweet Falls, Beadon Falls, the Bishop’s Falls and many others. Apart from that, the mystic place also boasts of a golf club, which is among the first 18 golf clubs in India.
Other than these, some other major tourist attractions of Shillong are the Lady Hayadari Park and Zoo, Wards Lake, Butterfly Museum and the Umiam Lake.
