Skip to content Skip to navigation

A Boost to Tourism

By Rituparna Goswami Pande |
The northeast is a hitherto untapped tourist destination. Hills and vales, lakes and dales or rather nature’s pearls abound in this region. But the world at large has been fed on its militancy tales instead of the jewels of the eight states that form the northeast. Every state has a unique feature be it the wild life, culture or even a rich history -- we have it all.

It is not that nothing is being done in boosting the tourism potential of this region. The state government in a bid to avert the spotlight from militancy to tourism in the North Cachar Hills has decided to hold an NC Hills Festival which will be held at the Sankardeva Kalakshetra here in the second week of November. The three day event will be a perfect platform to bring forth the district’s traditional food, culture, fashion, art and crafts and tourism potential. The areas picked out to be showcased for its tourism potential are Umrangsu Lake, Paimur waterfalls, Jatinga, known for its bird suicide mystery and the recently constructed model village. The festival will also focus its arch lights on Haflong and promote the only hill station of the state.

Meanwhile Meghalaya is gearing up for the 10 day Autumn festival beginning October 26 in its capital Shillong which will be held under the aegis of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF). Like last year this year too Shillong is all set to make a new Guinness record but this year the drummers will be replaced by more than 2,000 guitarists who will perform a record breaking strumming session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and try to outnumber the current Guinness Book record guitar ensemble of 1721 guitarists. Tourists flock to Shillong to bask in its hilly splendor but this October they would get a taste of its musical melody.

The Arunachal Pradesh government is in no way lagging behind it its quest for tourist inflow, The chief advisor of Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators Association and former Regional Director 9Europe), Ministry of Tourism, government of India were especially invited to give a tourism presentation on Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim respectively. Undoubtedly, Arunachal has immense tourism potential which stream lined in the right direction can put it on the top priority of visiting tourists.
Author info

Rituparna Goswami Pande's picture

Journalist, writer

Comments

jaay's picture

Submitted by jaay on Sat, 08/12/2007 - 04:06
Some is finally waking up!!!! How do we say ‘WELCOME” to those entire prospective visitor’s? I wish this step proves to be the LEAP which we have been waiting for years. Keep us posted.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Rampant smuggling of subsidized kerosene

12 Apr 2013 - 4:58pm | Arup Saikia
Rampant smuggling of subsidized kerosene (SK) oil is going on in the border districts of Assam.The illegal trade is carrying out by procuring SK oil though fake ration cards. Major chunk of SK oil...

Women groups send relief materials to Majuli

2 Aug 2016 - 4:11pm | Shajid Khan
In an effort to help the flood affected people of Majuli riverine island women of greater Tangla area had joined hands to raise funds . The Prerona Women Society NGO,Sadou Tangla Buwari Bihu,Brihotor...

Blockade disrupts rail services

5 Dec 2016 - 8:10pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Train services along north eastern frontier railway was disrupted for five hours due to rail blockade at Kokrajhar station on Monday called by Adivasi National Convention Comommittee. However,...

Honour to Mrinal Miri

11 Feb 2014 - 9:56pm | AT News
The Assam government has on Tuesday announced the Madhabdev Award to Mrinal Miri. Instituted after the saint, the veteran educationist will receive the award.   

Other Contents by Author

Women of Substance

This women’s day I salute those unsung ‘heroes’ who have withstood the onslaught of fickle fate. No they are not faces in the crowd rather they are the crowd whose faces we don’t remember. They are those who are living in the periphery of life, battling everyday issues of home and hearth.I bow my head in reverence to the grit of Mausam’s mother who put aside her grief after losing her only son to Ewing’s Sarcoma in order to stand as a pillar of strength to her broken husband who unable to bear the tempest of misfortune had almost lost touch with reality. I like many others was a helpless bystander of the tale of woe that had fallen like a bolt from the blue on this poor family.  But...

My Waxen Wings

If I had wings and were a birdWould travel the world and orbit the EarthOr had I been a butterfly Eclectic colors would be mineI would hover over trees, flutter over blooms, On a spiritual high, I would go into a swoonShould I be a fish and swim the seaPass through oceans or haunt a reefWith beautiful corals for companyThe heart would leap at Nature’s bountyHad I been a fir tree insteadMy leaves would flutter in snow headsThe flirty wind would kiss my soulThe icy breeze to lift me up, life would be on a rollWhat if I were the season – SpringOrchid blooms, newness to ring inNo, no let me be the sky, the endless blueFar from earth, to keep a watch on youBut then my mind looks to the...

I, Kaziranga

I, KazirangaShedding tears of bloodMy children, the four leggedIn men no longer trust.God’s blessed beings are theyRoaming the wildsIn search of prey and hayOften trapped by wily menCaught unawaresBy a poaching handLeft to dieWith bleeding woundsWith their hornsCut by forest goonsNo where to runNo where to hideTheir haven encroached by thugsTheir skies taken over by two legged bugsFeigned protectionI don’t seekI, KazirangaWill continue to bleedIf there is no messiahLet my children not desireAny solace from cruel fateBut march towards extinction and Heaven’s gate.

A day for Women!

The fact that we need to celebrate Women’s Day portends that all is not well in a women’s world. Or else why would we need to single out a day for millions of women who have equal rights and status in the world they inhabit. We don’t have a men’s day which is evidence enough that all is hunky dory with their race.The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," while International Women's Day 2013 has declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum. But then is it really gaining momentum?As we celebrate Women’s Day today a woman is probably being raped in our rape capital i.e. Delhi or any other...

Assam - a killing field for the wild

Lately every morning we have been waking up to screaming headlines of animal killings in the newspapers. Rhinos being poached with their horns brutally severed and left to die,elephants electrocuted or hunted down, their bodies mutilated and left to bleed to death. Gory pictures of animal atrocities splashed in every newspaper, every channel. It really makes one ponder as to how low humans can stoop to gratify their covetous desire for money. Twisted minds are targetting the animal kingdom, mute creatures, innocent beings who do not care nor bother to know how our world has become a slave to money. The world Heritage site Kaziranga National park has seen 20 rhino killings this year and a...

Prevent Animal Sacrifice this puja

All Hindus become epitomes of excitement to the run up to the festival of the auspicious Durga puja. Pandals coming up everywhere, idols being given finishing touches, revellers thronging the markets, discount offers, designer wear on sale and so on. Everyone is under the grip of puja fever and the associated excitement.But for once if we shift our focus away from ourselves and our frivolous acts and ponder over the plights of those innocent animals that would be sacrificed during the puja offerings, I am sure the smiles in our faces would be wiped off. At least the smiles would vanish from those faces who have a little compassion for the four legged. Imagine the little pigeons, a symbol...

Mobile phone radiation: A health hazard

From bedraggled beggars on the streets to the suit clad brokers on Wall Street – the ubiquitous cell phone is everywhere, in every pocket irrespective of the rich / poor status of its owners. It is no longer an item of luxury albeit it’s a must have today, a necessary evil. For technology comes with a price and the technology behind mobile phones is sure to make mankind pay a heavy price – the price of health and safety. The recent furore created in the media worldwide over the possible hazareds of mobile phone radiation has made us sit up and take note of the pros and cons of using the innocent looking mobile handset which had till date so surely and surreptitiously...

Mob dynamics

Man is an animal first and a social animal later. However, our ‘social’ status has failed to erase our animal instincts, which lies dormant in our basic dispositions. The urge to spread violence, the need to kill, and the thirst to quench our carnal desires are proof that there is still some animal in us. These urges raise their ugly heads in the form of homicides, rape and molestation incidents, and mob violence etc putting mankind to shame. The dangerous of all is our affinity towards the mob mentality that threatens to ensnare us at the slightest pretext and at the slightest of provocation. The term “mob mentality” is used to refer to unique behavioral...

Kameswari festival in Kamakhya

The mellifluous tinkle of the Sarod permeated the atmosphere under a canopy of twinkling stars and a soft breeze that emanated from the somber Nilachal hill. Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan performed at the open amphitheatre in the Kamakhya temple premises striking a divine chord in all our hearts. The setting couldn’t have been more striking. The silhouette of the sanctuary at the backdrop and the stupendous performances of maestros were the perfect mode of the two day Kameshwari Music and Dance festival 2010. Dance and music have been an inherent part of temples in India since times immemorial. In order to appease the gods these art forms have always been...

Animals in captivity

“The Assam State Zoo encompassing over 130 hectares of land boasts of an astonishing collection of some rare and extinct species of wild animals settled comfortably in their natural habitat.” This is how a website describes the zoo in our city. However, the ‘stay’ of the animals there is far from ‘comfortable’. The captive animals in small enclosures with hardly room for free movement is a far cry from comfortable. The Assam state Zoo boasts of white tigers, one horned rhinos, Swamp tapirs and leopards to name a few. The zoo is also prosperous in the avian branch and plays host to rare species of birds. Sadly, the animals are caged for better viewing of...