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Nyokum Festival

Nyokum is a festival which is celebrated by the Nyishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The Word Nyokum is made up of two words - Nyok means land (earth) and Kum means collectiveness or togetherness. Nyokum festival is celebrated as inviting all the gods of the universe, with the Nyokum Goddess as the principal deity at a particular venue at a particular time. The festival is usually celebrated by the people from all class and walk of life for better productivity, prosperity and happiness of all citizenry on earth.

Nyokum celebration (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey)

Significance of Nyokum
The festival features a close link with cultivation. Nyokum goddess, the goddess of prosperity is invoked for her blessings in order that there could also be more and more production of food-grains within the next harvesting season, that the visit of famine could also be warded off, which drought or flood might not hamper cultivation, nor should any insect or animal destroy plants and crops. The Goddess is invoked in order that the humanity could also be strengthened and regenerated. All should be free from epidemic, unnatural death and war.

Rituals
The main prayer structure of the Nyishi is formed of bamboo, called the yugang. Alongside the yugang sacrificial animals are tethered. Like cows, mithuns, and goats. Often one finds small chickens hung from bamboo tree of the yugang. The nyubh or the normal priest specifies the amount and sorts of animals for sacrifice, or the other offering to be made. There are not any idols during this worship. Neither is there any permanent structure. Besides the animal sacrifice, beer made up of millet seeds and rice paste is employed.

Men and women in their traditional dress (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey)

People happen wearing their traditional clothes during this point. The lads dress during a cotton eri robe draped from the shoulder and reaching the thighs. From their neck hangs a spread of bead jewellery necklaces. Precious stones like turquoise adorn these necklaces. The men's attire is topped by a bamboo woven cap on the top. This cover is decorated with feathers or furs of untamed animals. The beak of the hornbill may be a favorite ornament for the normal cap. the ladies also dress in their finery of par ej, earrings bead necklaces, topped with a headdress made from finely scaped bamboo.

Hope You guys are enjoying the second phase of Safar with Safar_Itanagar which is focuses on Nyokum and Nyishi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

Going through various places at Itanagar, I found that people do belong to Arunachal, but have different festivals, different language, different outfits and most importantly – Different tribes. Yes, being a largest state among the seven sisters it is a house of around 20 tribes. These are Adis, Apatanis, Buguns, Hrusso, Singphos, Mishmis, Monpas, Nyishi, Sherdukpens, Tagins, Khamtis, Wanchos, Noctes, Yobin, Khambas, Membas, Aka, Miji, Bori, Bokar, Galo etc. Itanagar is a Nyishi dominating area but being a capital city, I observed that all the major tribes does exists in the city.

When Interacted with different people of different tribes, I got the idea of the specialties of different tribes. Different tribes have a different tradition, different beliefs, different festivals etc. Let’s have a look at the major tribes of state.

Man in Nyishi dress (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey)

Nyishi Tribe: The Nyishis are the largest groups of people inhabiting in the state. The men of this tribe keep their hair long and tie it in a knot just above the forehead. They wear cane bands around the waist. This tribe believes that after death, the spirit of a dead travels to the village of the ancestors.

Adi Tribe: By nature, the Adis are democratic and organized. Their village council is called Kebang. Their villages are usually situated on the spurs of hills. Adi women are very good weavers.

Apatani Tribe: The Apatanis are settled agriculturists. They inhabit the valley around Ziro -the headquarters of Lower Subansiri district. They are good cultivators and practice both wet and terrace cultivation.

Tagin Tribe: The Tagins are main inhabitant of Upper Subansiri district. Agriculture is their main occupation.

Hrusso Tribe: They were related with the Ahom Kings. They have a custom of painting their face with black marks. The Hrusso is mainly involved in the trades of cloth, blankets, swords, etc.

Singpho Tribe: The Singphos reside on the banks of Tengapani and Noa Dehang rivers. They are agriculturists and expert blacksmiths. The Singpho women are good weavers.

Wancho Tribe: The western part of Tirap district, bordering Nagaland, is inhabited by the Wanchos. The law and order of the society is maintained by a village council. Tattooing is a social custom among them.

These are the major tribes of the state, hope you will be continuing with me in this “Safar” of ‘Safar Itanagar’.

Inner Line Permit

Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the concerned state government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state. The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India. Despite the fact that the ILP was originally created by the British to safeguard their commercial interests, it continues to be used in India, officially to protect indigenous communities cultures in Northeast India. There are different kinds of ILP's, one for tourists and others for people who intend to stay for long-term periods, often for employment purposes.

Map of Arunachal with check gates to enter in the state

In Arunachal Pradesh it is issued by the secretary (political) of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. It is required for entering Arunachal Pradesh through any of the check gates across the interstate border with Assam or Nagaland. An ILP for temporary visitors is valid for 7 days and can be extended, while one for those taking employment in the state and their immediate family members is valid for a year. The Arunachal Pradesh government is planning to implement a permit-on-arrival system.

ILP

How to apply for ILPIndian tourists need an Inner Line Permit (ILP). This is available by applying online at this website or from any Government of Arunachal Pradesh in office in Delhi, Kolkata, Tezpur, Guwahati, Shillong, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur and Jorhat. In addition, ILP Facilitation Centers operate at Naharlagun Railway Station, Gumto Railway Station, and Guwahati Airport in Assam. These centers issue ILPs on arrival.

Steps to apply for e- ILP

Foreigners require a Protected Area Permit (PAP). The permit requirements were relaxed in 2008 and only two or more people need to travel together (instead of four). However, according to a further government directive issued in 2014, single foreign tourists can now obtain PAPs to visit Tawang, Bomdila, and Ziro.

For more information contact - 

State Council For IT And e-Governance
Department of Information Technology
Government of Arunachal Pradesh
Maung-Phi Complex. ESS Sector
Itanagar-791113
Ph.:- 155250
E-mail:- nodal.eilp@gmail.com

How to reach Itanagar?

In the previous blogs, you all visited various tourist destinations in Itanagar with me. After all, we all got the idea that Itanagar, being the capital city of Arunachal Pradesh is a mixture of cosmopolitan, natural beauty, religious places and history. Now the question is - How to reach Itanagar?

Here is detailed information which I'm sharing with you all which will help you to guide to reach Itanagar.

Google Map (Itanagar)

By Bus

There are various buses available to Itanagar from various places of Assam. Guwahati is the hub city from where you can catch buses for Itanagar. Various travel agencies like Blue Hills Travel, Network Travel, Green Valley Travels etc. along with all this there is a Arunachal Pradesh State Transport (APST) services which provide daily service from Guwahati to Itanagar.

By Train

Arunachal was connected to railway map in the year of 2015, when PM inaugurated the 20KM railway line from Harmuti to Naharlagun. Naharlagun railway station is around 22KM away from Itangar which is the nearest railway station. Trains services are available from New Delhi twice in a week (Sunday and Thursday) and Shatabdi Express (alternative) and daily Intercity Express from Guwahati.

Naharlagun Railway Station (Source - Google Images)

By Air

Lilabari in Assam is the nearest airport at a distance of 67KM. There are connecting flights to Guwahati from Lilabari. Flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Ahmadabad etc. operate to Guwahati.

Pawan Hans operates helicopter services from Guwahati to Itanagar thrice a week Kolkata is the nearest international airport at a distance of 760KM. Naharlagun Helipad is situated at A - Sector Naharlagun around 20KM from Itanagar.

Naharlagun Helipad (Source - Google Images)

The Fort of bricks - Ita Fort

Ita Fort is a brick fort located in the capital city of Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar. As every tourist the same question occurred in my mind too – Why Ita fort? Let Explore!
Soon I get to know that, as the name suggest ‘Ita’ which means bricks in Assamese and ‘Nagar’ means city – the city of bricks. It is one of the most important historical sites of Arunachal Pradesh. Ita fort is protected by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). 

Ita Fort (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey)

The structure of Ita Fort dates back to 15th century. The fort was built by King Ramachandra, one of the most prolific rulers of the Jitari dynasty. The fort was deliberately built in an irregular shape to confuse the invaders. There are three large entrances to the fort, which are quite beautiful. It was built at the top of a hill, so that intruders will have to walk long tiring route in order to reach at the top. The southern gate of the fort, gives the idea about the long thick walls which helps them to protect from the trespassers. 

Ita fort - Western Gate (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey

The stone work of the Ita Fort at Arunachal Pradesh covers an area of 45 cubic meters and around 80 lakhs of bricks were required to erect the structure of the fort during that era. Interesting facts about the fort is that almost 45,000-man days were used to build this fort. The fort has three different entrances at three different sides, which are western, the eastern and the southern sides.
Now the fort is nothing more than the ruins. The remains many ancient artifacts from this ancient fort have been shifted and are neatly displayed in the state museum – Jawaharlal Nehru Museum located around 2KM from Ita fort.

Ita Fort Southern Gate (Photo by Chandramouly Pandey)

How to reach?
Southern gate of the Ita fort is located at the Bank Tinali, Itanagar at NH-415 and the western gate is located at around 1.35KM away from the southern gate at the hill top. You can hire a taxi or an auto which will help you to reach Ita fort. 

Timings are from 8 AM – 4 PM, it is huge fort so you have to walk a lot to cover and enjoy the architecture of the fort.

Entry Fee - INR 10 for Indian and 50 for Foriegners.

Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum

The Jawaharlal Nehru Museum or the state museum in Itanagar is a must visit destination to get the idea about the history of the state. Trust me, the museum reflects the historical richness of the state which exists once upon time but not visible due to industrialization in the state. Established in the year of 1980s, it showcases different aspects of tribal life of Arunachal Pradesh, India. These includes clothing, head dresses, weapons, handicrafts, musical instruments, jwellery and other artifacts of daily use, along the archeological findings.

Jawaharlal Nehru Museum (Photo by - Chandramouly Pandey)

This museum spans across two floors. In the ground floor which is divided into two parts. At one can find exhibits showcasing the tribal history, culture and heritage of Arunachal Pradesh. Which includes cultural richness of tribes, weapons used by the tribes, eating habits of different tribes present in the state. There is a special section for the musical instruments, art works, handicraft, religious items etc. Soon I went through a section which showcases the proof of bravery of Indian soldiers in !962 Indo - Sino war. Weapons, riffles, planes, equipments used by the Indian soldiers are present in the museum.

Preserved skulls of holy animals (Photo by - Chandramouly Pandey)

First floor attracted me more as it contains the histoeical exhibits collected from Malinithan, Noksparbat and Vijaynagar and other historical places in Arunachal Pradesh.

Local ornaments made of animal body part (Photo by - Chandramouly Pandey)

How to Reach?
Auto or cab can help you to reach the state museum. You can go by foot from Ziro Tinali. It is around 700m from Ziro Tinali.

Timings - 9:30AM - 4PM

Entry fee - INR 20 (for Indians), INR 75 (for foriegners) and INR 20 for camera.

Shopping - Shops within the Jawaharlal Nehru Museum sell best collection of cane products. They are made by the tribal artists. Do visit the shop.

Ganga Lake

The next place which I visited is one of the best gifts of nature to the capital city - Ganga Lake. It is also known as Geker Sinying in Nyishi dialect which means ‘confined lake’. This beautiful lake is confined by majestic hills and big rocks. Ganga Lake is a major tourist attraction and it is one of the most visited and popular attraction in Itanagar. tourists from across the world visit this destination for recreational activities and it hosts a perfect place for picnics. 

Ganga Lake

The lake is surrounded by various species of beautiful orchids is one of the breath-taking places to visit in the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh – Itanagar. Located in the vicinity of Itanagar, Ganga lake is a beautiful place where you can go for boating rides and campaigning facilities that would help you feast your eyes on the natural beauty of this lake.

Ganga Lake adorns a green look all through the year. While there is a legend that claims that the water of this lake went green after the lake was cursed by a hermit. Other practical minded folks claim the water derives its color from the abundance of vegetation in the surrounding areas as well as teeming marine vegetation inside the lake.

Ganga Lake - Front view

If you get a chance to visit the city, make sure a boat ride on this lake shouldn’t be missed by you!

How to reach?
The best and the most reasonable way to reach Itanagar is through roadways and railways. Ganga Lake is located at a distance of approximately 6 km from the city centre. Naharlagun Railway Station is around 22 km from this serene water body, which can be accessed in around 40 minutes. Private cabs, buses and rickshaws are easily available.

Gompa Temple

After exploring the city a little bit, I was eager to visit one of the most peaceful corner in the city – Gompa temple, Arunachal Pradesh being a state where ‘Unity in Diversity’ exists at its best way. All people irrespective of religion, culture, races live in a peaceful manner with the feeling of brotherhood. Gompa Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in the state capital which propagate the message of peace and harmony. Later on I got to know that ‘Gompa’ means a place where teachings and meditations are done in order to achieve salvation.

Gompa Temple

Design and interior details vary from region to region; however, all follow a general design of a central prayer hall containing a murti or thangka, benches for the monks or nuns to engage in prayer or meditation and attached living accommodation. The gompa or ling may also be accompanied by any number of stupas.

Holy Buddha statue and Stupa

For those who love peace and tranquility, Gompa Temple is the place to visit. Nestled among hillocks and just a short distance away from Itanagar’s city center this Buddhist temple was constructed by none other than the Dalai Lama. Located on a hill top, the Gompa Mandir is blessed with great natural beauty. I got mesmerized by the beautiful view of of Arunachal’s valleys. You would be welcomed into the Gompa by a small and multi-hued entrance gate. Sitting inside the temple is a huge statue of Lord Buddha. Buddhist monks can be seen chanting prayers and giving sermons, as they were helping the atmosphere fill with positive energy. There is also a white Stupa in the center of the temple with golden carvings and some Buddhist teachings. It is believed that taking four rounds of the Stupa brings peace in life.

How to reach?

Walking distance from Ziro Tinali or if you are unable to climb stairs then, you can take an auto or a taxi to reach the temple.

Timings: 5 AM – 8 PM

Must see: There is an ancient Banyan tree, with a life-size meditating statue of Lord Buddha that is filled with colorful meditating flags.

 A perfect place to click some photographs.

Shopping: There is a shop, inside the temple premises, run by the Buddhist monks. It has a delightful collection of artifacts. Do check it out.

Zoological Park - Itanagar

A famous attraction of Itanagar and a must visit on a family tour, Itanagar is a well-managed zoo, which is home to species like Himalayan Black Bear, Royal Bengal Tiger, Panther, Leopard, Great Indian Hornbill and many rare birds. After visiting the zoo, I found that the park is quite famous amongst the travelers and dwellers of Itanagar as it is a prominent attraction.

Mithun - endemic Species of Arunachal Pradesh

Well, I can assure you that your Itanagar tour cannot be complete without a visit to the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Situated in the hilly terrains of Itanagar, this is a very beautiful forest area. You know the most beautiful thing is due to lack of human interference wildlife sightings remain high at this wildlife sanctuary. One can easily spot a herd of Elephants, Sambar or Barking Deer at Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary. But if you are really lucky you could have a chance encounter with a Tiger or Panther. The forests here are home to as many as 45 species of rare birds. Hornbill, the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh, can be sighted here. Apart from this, the forests of Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary have a charm of their own. Many varieties of Orchids bloom in various parts of the sanctuary. 

During my tour, I found Itanagar Zoo is one of the best place to get the idea of flora and fauna that exists in the capital city and along the state. 

Timings: 9 AM –9 PM

Photography and videography is allowed in the zoo

Tip: Venture into the Eastern and Northern parts of the sanctuary for better wildlife sighting chances.

Itanagar: An overview

Known as the ‘Land of Rising Sun’ of India, Arunachal Pradesh is not only one of the most beautiful state of Northeast but of India. Situated in the foothills of mighty Himalayas, the state has breathtaking views, beautiful tourist places and mesmerizing natural beauty. It is very sad to know that being one of the most beautiful and attractive tourist places of the country, still it is out of the attention of many travelers and travel bloggers. Ziro Valley, Tawang and Bomdila are the only tourist spot which has entered the list of attractive tourist spot of the country and gained some publicity. Along with these three there are many tourist places in the state which is still unexplored. Among all, let us see one of the most spectacular tourist spots is the state capital Itanagar.

Itanagar city

Itanagar situated at a hilltop is one of the most beautiful places to start the exploration of Arunachal Pradesh. The state capital is a mixture of beautiful landscapes, magnificent view-points, historical sites and an example of a great socio-cultural significance. 

Itanagar seems to be as a modern city with every modern facilities and infrastructures still having a lot of hidden historical mysteries into its yard. History of the Itanagar finds its sights from long back 15th centuries when Ahom were ruling the clan. As you will be curious to know the mystery behind the name of the city, why Itanagar? The name ‘Itanagar’ is derived from the word ‘Ita’ which means bricks and ‘nagar’ means city. The name was given on the brick fort which was built by the Pre-Ahom rulers. 

Itanagar being the capital city of the state, it is inhabited by number of indigenous tribes of the state like Nyishi, Galo, Adi, Apatani, Tagin, Nokte, Mishmi etc. who add color to this beautiful city. Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism have peacefully co-existed in this city for many centuries now and you can easily spot a church, Hindu temple and a Buddhist Gompa side by side.

Itanagar is one of the unexplored beauties of the Northeast India. Apart from offering a great travel experience, the city is ideal for travelling with your family. I don’t understand why do people go abroad to spend their holiday, there are so many places that are still unexplored in the country.

To get to know more about the Itanagar, read my upcoming blogs and explore the city with me. Have a great ‘Safar’ at Itanagar.