7 Sisters of India Tourist Attractions
In legal definition, a sister state means an official declaration or an announcement of long term friendship between two regions/states/nations. Such a agreement is regarded as a symbol of friendship, peace, mutual goodwill and promoting bilateral co-operation amongst the states.
A noted journalist named Jyoti Prasad Saikia had coined this term ‘7 sisters of India’ when she was doing a radio talk show in January 1972. It synchronized with the inauguration of these 7 neighbouring states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. Journalist Saikia also wrote a book later on which was called ‘The Land of Seven Sisters’ and that’s how the name got famous gradually.
Even though the seven sister states together only comprise & represent about 7% of India’s total land area but the beauty of each location along with its great ethnic and religious diversity makes it a must-visit at least once in your life. Although there are political, social and economic differences amongst the states, but when we talk about its sheer beauty, geographically each state is gorgeous in its own way.
Here you will get to witness some magnificent terrains, exotic flora and fauna, and diverse culture. To brief one usp of each state, Assam is famous for DIGBOL, the world’s oldest refinery which has been operating since 1901. Assam is also famous for its production of tea and coffee which is considered to be the best in India.
QUICK USP’s of each sister states
Arunachal Pradesh on the other hand is a mystic land which has been an underdog in the tourist market. It is also the birth place of his holiness ‘The Sixth Dalai Lama”- Tsangyant gyatso. Soul touching monasteries, beautiful landscape and friendly people adore this region all over.
Meghalaya is known for its living root bridges which takes you back into the time. You may feel the adventure and feel as if you are on a fantasy land! The Indian rubber trees which has strong and flexible roots are usually guided between rivers and streams with the help of bamboos. Crossing rivers and streams via these living root bridges is certainly a different experience altogether.
Manipur holds the distinction of having the only floating park in the world. The popular Keibul Lamjoa National Park is actually a big swamp developed from biomass vegetation which are called phumdis which keeps on floating on the entire surface of the Loktak Lake. Not only this, Manipur is also home to the rarest of the rare brow-antlered deer which is now almost on the verge of extinction.
The beautiful state of Mizoram is known for its bamboos, they are the leading producers of Bamboo in the world. Mizoram is also known for its ‘MAUTAM’ which is a deadly cyclic and ecological phenomenon that occurs once in every 48years. Long trees, ethnic people and a peaceful life is what defines Mizoram.
Greenary, fresh air, mountains, old rustic charm, friendly villagers with a big heart is something which you can always associate with Nagaland. Apart from that, Nagaland is also famous for its Mount Saramati for its wildlife, Nagaland State Musuem, Kohima War cemetery and the science centre.
Assam which is also called Ahom proudly boasts of unmatched hospitable culture and a rich heritage which can make you proud of your Nation. Also if you are visiting the mainland of India and entering the seven sister states, there is no chance of you missing Assam as you have to cross the state of Assam, if not in literal sense but atleast aerially. Nicely maintained tea estates, rice fields and a close proximity to the magical Brahmaputra makes it naturally gifted with beautiful geography. The Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park which houses the one-horned rhinoceros, the largest river island of Majuli and the Bihu festival are some of the highlights of the beautiful Assam.
Meghalaya which literally means the ‘abode of the clouds’ is a heavenly place which succeeds in giving you peace and comfort like no other destination. Add to it, it has the most innocent, friendly and warm people to make you feel at home. Cleanliness all over, greenaries and a vast number of water bodies makes this place surreal. Williamnagar for birdwatching, Cherrapunji and Mawsynram which is considered to be the wettest place on eart, Shillong are some out of the many highlights of Meghalaya.
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