Relatively unchartered, the Northeast India is a land of natural beauty, scenic views, and really sweet people. There are cultures to be experienced, amazing food to be had, and amazing sights to be seen. It is well known that the term ‘The Seven Sisters’ is used for the contiguous states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura in Northeastern India. Oh, and Sikkim is known as their “brother”.
And together, there are things about them that are are way cooler than we care to find out.
So here are 15 facts that make the left hand of our nation so awesome.
1. Northeast has the only floating park in the world
The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district in Manipur. An integral part of Loktak Lake, it has floating decomposed plant materials called phumdis.
2. There are nearly 220 languages spoken in the states of the Northeast.
The languages and culture in the Northeast are a mix of Tibetan, South-East Asian and East Indian culture.
3. Northeast is the only part of India that the Mughals could not occupy during their reign.
Two centuries. Not one defeat. Many brave kings from the Northeast were responsible for this win. In fact, Assam survived 17 bids of invasion by the Mughals.
4. The Northeast is home to 14 national parks of India
…five of which are in Assam, including Orang National Park, and Kaziranga National Park.
5. The wettest place on the whole planet is in the Northeast
Mawsynram is a village in the East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya, and it receives an annual average rainfall of 11,873 mm. It actually holds the Guinness World Record for the same. Pretty legit, right?
6. And it is also where the cleanest village of Asia is nestled.
Mawlynnong in Meghalaya is the cleanest village in the whole of Asia. Notwithstanding that, the whole region is pretty spick and span.
7. The entire region is ‘dowry-free’
A cultural practice that we all can learn from no matter how much we deny it. Look, the rest of India! Learn, maybe?
8. World’s smallest inhabited river island in the world is in Guwahati.
It goes by the name of Umananda Island in the River Brahmaputra, and has a temple by the same name.
9. Tea lovers already know that Assam is the largest tea-growing region in the world.
A small state and the largest tea growing region in the whole world!
10. And not just tea, Assam also produces three different types of silks.
White Pat, golden Muga, and warm Eri silk are three indigenous silks with distinct beauty not to be found in other silks.
11. Aizawl, India’s first ‘No-Honking’ city is here as well
Aizawl is the capital of the state of Mizoram in India, and this is where you have to move if you are tired of hearing traffic horns in your city all the damn time.
12. And if all of this wasn’t enough, this is where the nation’s morning begins
Arunachal Pradesh is the eastern most state of the country, therefore witnessing the first sunrise. This state also has three international borders: Bhutan, China, and Myanmar.
13. Northeast India holds the 7th rank in terms of the most enriched biodiversities of the world
Apart from great flora, the region also boasts of a vivid avian biodiversity of the country. NE’s geographical location (the transitional area of Indian, Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan bio-geographic zones) makes it a hotspot of various native and rare species of fauna and flora.
14. Two of the most literate states of India are in the Northeast
In 2011, Mizoram had a literacy rate of 91.58% , and Tripura had a literacy rate of 87.75%. In fact, in 2013, the State Government of Tripura claimed that the state surpassed Kerala as the most literate state in India, with a literacy rate of 94.65%.
15. India’s oldest and largest paramilitary force is from NE India
The ‘Friends of the Hill People & Sentinels of the Northeast’, Assam Rifles had been the country’s oldest and largest paramilitary force, founded in the year 1835.
Incredible Northeast indeed!