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Offbeat Places
Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

People mostly prefer the north or south to spend their holiday and choose either beaches or hills as their holiday destinations. This proves that people are still not aware of the beauty and divinity of the landscapes found in the northeast. If you want to add some real charm to your holiday trip, then the northeast can be a perfect destination for you. Interestingly, this region is equally approachable for family and honeymoon couples. In other words, the northeast has something to offer people of all ages and interests. Starting from waterfalls to lush greenery and pollution-free oxygen to inhale, it has everything that a person needs to rejuvenate his/her soul.

About Ziro - An Overview

This town is included in the Tentative List for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site for the Apatani cultural landscape. It is situated at a distance of approximately 115 km from Itanagar and the nearest civil airport is at Lilabari (North Lakhimpur, Assam) which is 96 km away from Naharlagun Railway Station. The part of the town which is concerned with the economic activities and where most of the administrative offices are located is called Hapoli. The locals call this region “Hao-Polyang”.

Places to visit in Ziro
Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

Arunachal Pradesh comprises 40% of the total floral and faunal species of India. The Ziro Valley is known to have a rich abundance of flora and fauna. There is a wildlife sanctuary in this region situated at an altitude of 2400 meters and is called Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. Moreover, this wildlife sanctuary is known to house some of the most endangered species which also includes the clouded leopard.

Dolo Mando

It is a hillock occupying the western side of Ziro on the Daporijo road. The place is considered to be ideal for trekking, accompanied by some additional spectacular views that surround the valley. Hence, for tourists with a high adrenaline rush, it is a must-visit location. One needs to trek through the beautiful pathways of this valley to get an amazing view of the town of Hapoli and parts of Old Ziro. You can plan your trip between February and April because, during this time, the sky remains clear enough to get spectacular views of the valley.

Ziro music festival

It is an outdoor music festival that is held every year in Ziro town of Arunachal Pradesh. It beautifully depicts the independent form of the music scene in India. This festival was founded for the first time in the year 2012 by Bobby Hano and Menwhopause guitarist Anup Kutty and has featured artists like Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Damo Suzuki, Shye Ben Tzur, MONO, Divine, Louw Majaw, Indus Creed, Peter Cat Recording Co, Guru Rewben Mashangva, Barmer Boys and many more. This festival continues for four days and is mainly hosted by people belonging to the Apatani tribes.

Ziro music festival is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly festivals across the nation that believes in employing locally sourced material for the infrastructure. There are mainly two stages constructed for this festival- Donyi (Sun) and Polo (Moon) by local artisans and are made out of bamboo. Moreover, this music festival promotes zero plastic policy and encourages visitors to be responsible for leaving behind no waste.

There is a wide range of music genres that are being presented in this music festival, starting from the Indie folk brought by the local North East Region of India to the foreign tunes from the international panels of the festival. This music festival can be categorized as a contemporary Music festival with a large involvement of international guests, bands, artists as well as performers. Besides, the Ziro Festival of Music (ZFM) also includes a broad division of Indian Classical Music representing the cultures and traditions of the Apatani tribe.

Meghna Cave Temple

It is one of the major tourist attractions in Arunachal Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Lakulisha who was the 28th embodiment of Lord Shiva where one can easily find some detailed carvings of Sanskrit scriptures with magnificent as well as great architecture. It is considered to be a must-visit destination for tourists planning their holidays to spend in Ziro town of Arunachal Pradesh. This region comprises an ancient cave temple that was discovered in the year 1962. Since then, this place has not encountered a shortage of pilgrims coming from all directions.

The Meghna Cave Temple is situated at an altitude of approximately 300 feet, thereby giving a stunning view of the surrounding mountains, and dense evergreen forests, accompanied by swiftly flowing rivers. Moreover, tourists can choose to visit this place during Mahashivratri (a festival dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Shiva) which happens during February.

Tarin Fish Farm

This farm occupies a high altitude in Ziro which remains surrounded by Pine Grove and Bamboo Grove. This high-altitude area is mainly inhabited by tribes of Arunachal Pradesh called the Apatani tribes. Tarin fish farm can be reached by trekking only and it is at a distance of 3.5 km from Hapoli. This fish farm is considered to be one of the major tourist attractions of Ziro where tourists can witness the breeding of fish in high altitudes. Besides, visitors can also see the process by which the two crops of rice (Mipya and Emoh) and a breed of fish (Ngihi) together are being raised. It is practiced by the people of the Apatani tribes. This farm remains under constant supervision of the District Fishery Development Officer, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

This Tarin Fish Farm was established in the year 1985-1986 under NEC and the farm covers an area of approximately 7.4 hectares. There are a total of 74 ponds on this farm out of which 46 are nursery ponds, 16 are rearing and 12 are stocking ponds. The best time to visit this farm is from February to March. However, one can visit this farm throughout the year as there are no such restrictions implemented.

Midey

This location has gained popularity for the presence of its looming pine trees and stunning sights. Thus, if you are visiting Ziro, you simply cannot afford to miss this wonderful place. Here, one can see the biggest and tallest tree in the Apatani valley measuring about 7 meter at GBH (girth at breast height). It is one of the favorite spots of the tourists who are interested in hiking and trekking. The best time to visit this place is the spring season when one can clearly view the dense bamboo groves that cover Midey and increase its beauty and serenity.

Kile Pakho

Glorifying the beauty of the Ziro Valley, Kile Pakho is a ridge that you need to reach if you want to witness some of the spectacular views of the contrasting landscapes. There is the majestic Ziro plateau on one side and the lofty snow-capped Himalayan Mountains on the other. This ridge is situated just at a distance of 7 km away from Old Ziro and is considered to be an important tourist attraction in the valley. This place also holds the title of being the center of attraction for photographers. Trekking is one of the best ways to explore the beauty and serenity of Kile Pakho and also indulge in plenty of trekking expeditions.

The cuisine of Ziro

The people of Ziro are primarily dependent on rice and thus, rice is the staple food of this region. It is served in various flavors along with meat, fish, and green vegetables. Boiled rice wrapped in leaves and momos is the favored snack mostly preferred by the locals and the visitors can also try it out. Tribal dishes are also quite common here that are cooked in less oil and spices and hence, can be a delight to the abdomen and increase metabolism as well.

Best time to visit Ziro

The best time to visit is during the summer months because of the pleasant weather. If the visitors want to be a part of the Ziro music festival, then they need to plan their trip during September.