Call of the Great Hornbill

I cannot repeat it more often. This country of ours makes me fall in love. Over and over and over again.

And she didn’t disappoint this time around either. When we got the call from the great hornbill and headed to Nagaland for a feast, culturally and gastronomically.

You only realize how vast India is when you have the fabulously daunting task of planning a trip from one corner to another. It took us one full day to reach the Hornbill Festival from Mumbai which included a flight to Guwahati, a train to Dimapur, night stop there and then a cab to Kisama Heritage village. But two days at the festival was worth every minute of the hassle.

We stayed with this wonderful lady, Mezhii Bieo who has a homestay right at the foot of the festival grounds. It was wonderful to go from 30 degrees of Mumbai to 10 degrees of Kisama and to be welcomed by steaming hot cups of tea, boiled eggs, rollicking kittens and cuddling puppies, a nice big coal heater in the centre of the hall and to be surrounded by travelers from all of the country and soaking up their experiences and stories

Only when one travels to such seemingly mysterious destinations (or maybe it’s just me) one realizes the gross insufficiency of our knowledge about our own country and culture. Of course we were all taught in school text books about the Seven Sisters, the wettest place on the planet being Mawsynram, about the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia hills but never quite about the absolutely vibrant people, zealously guarding their culture, the dancers, the farmers, the warriors, the head-hunters and their distinct tattoos. It was nothing short of an educational and eye opening experience to be a part of the Hornbill Festival and kudos to Nagaland for this magnificent showcase or rather a glimpse of their culture and etching its mark on the tourist / travel map.

There are about 16 major tribes across the state, each with its own distinct festivals, traditional outfits, food and culture. Over the 10 days of the festival each tribe showcases different aspects of their lives, tradition, sacrifices and rituals and heritage to the rest of the world and it is a delight for the eyes! With septuagenarian members of the tribes coaching the youngsters how to spar correctly or how fierce the war cries need to be. It feels nothing like how the average daily Indian life usually does.

It won’t do enough justice to speak about their culture, especially since I’m not an expert at that, however the best we can do would be to visit them, not as a tourist, but as fellow Indians and stay with them and speak with them. I had the most wonderful conversations with the old men of a few tribes and its only nice to see a heartfelt smile on their wrinkled faces rather than the stoic expressions they put on while posing for dozens of “photographers” (considering anyone who has a DSLR calls him / herself one)!

It was an overwhelming feeling to see the kind of rich diverse culture that exists in this country.

It was a feeling of shame to think I never knew about it for the longest time and still don't know about so many cultures.

It was a feeling of disgust to see fellow Indians disrespect other Indians and literally treat them as pieces in a museum, kept only for the benefit of posing and photographs to show people back in the cities.

Here’s to hoping the Hornbill in subsequent years catches hearts and minds more than in gets caught on camera lenses.

Khiamniungam tribe practicing before their performance

No joke to be dancing bare naked in single degree temperatures!

Matching headgears are awesome! With the gentlemen of the Yimchungru tribe

Patiently waiting for their turn

Coz we are all animals in the jungle Sherman!

More patience, more waiting

Chillin', Naga style!

War dances

Diwali 2015: And the lights went out

Diwali, 2015

The boyfriend and I went for dinner to Shiv Sagar in Juhu. Ordered a chhola bhatura for myself, while he called for a cheese masala dosa. Could barely finish half of our respective dishes, got it packed, paid 1000 bucks and started to move out.
Wished the guard Happy Diwali as he opened the door for us.
The moment we stepped out this tiny little child, only in rags ran up to me and started tagging at the packed food, Gave it to her, watched her eat hungrily through the already half eaten dosa and bhatura.

Diwali had begun to seem bright till then and in a moment the lights went out.

Trek though heaven with Robin Singh : Kalaw to Inle Lake in 2 days

The only planning we did before leaving for Burma (despite my OCD and excessive excel files syndrome), was pretty much just booking the tickets and the applying for the e-VISA. More than packing the right amount for a 10- day backpacking trip, my concern was more regarding calming my nerves at the lack of “detail”! Anyway, a day before we were to depart I called on the number mentioned on the Golden Lily site to confirm if the rains were too bad for a trek through the hills, and was greeted a very enthusiastic Ms Sheila whose enthusiasm went up a few notches on knowing I was calling from India (!!) and assured me of a fabulous trek!

We landed in Mandalay in the afternoon, and after several hilarious turns of events (not understanding the language or the signs and almost missing our bus) we managed to get on to the right bus to Kalaw, which we reached in the wee hours of next morning. And there in the middle of nowhere, was a turbaned figure of warmth, charm and hospitality, Mr Robin Singh! We were 5 of us who would going on the trek with him in a few hours,  a German, a Swiss, a Korean, a French and myself an Indian and obviously Robin Singh ji took special liking to me! Turns out, his great grandfather fought in Burma under the British empire and since then his family has stayed back and started doing the trek for some 30 years back or so. Almost 57 now, never having visited his motherland, saving every penny to be able to someday, it was incredible to see the kind of joy one can give by just speaking in their tongue! It was incredulous to see how happy the family was to be able to speak in Hindi and talk about achaar (pickle) and parantha (Indian bread)!

And so it began..

After a few hours of sleep, we woke up the next morning, all refreshed and excited to embark on our 2 day trek through the pristine lands of Myanmar. Within a first couple of minutes, it was evident that not only will the trek be a lesson for our physical strengths but also for our geography, ecology and biology skills! After so many years of trekking through the same lands, Mr Robin clearly had developed specialized knowledge regarding every leaf, shrub, wild fruit we saw on the way! And to our luck, the lands of Burma are extremely fertile, so within the first 30 minutes we crossed avocado trees, coffee plantations, cauliflower fields, blooming sunflowers, rice fields! Yes, all of this in the first 30 minutes! Then one of the local families invited the always effable Mr Singh for tea (and hence the invitation very happily got extended to us). Also the family and Mr Singh had never spoken before, but apparently this is how all happy and friendly Burmese are! What should have been a quick 15 minute tea sharing session, turned into a 2 hour story telling session during which not only did we have cups after cups of tea, but all kinds of fried fish, peanuts and vegetables, freshly plucked fruits and locally brewed alcohol! A very heady and unexpected start to a trek!

The extremely hospitable couple, with a Polaroid of all of us together which we gifted them!

Trying so hard to eat, talk and sit in that posture all at the same time!

look at the size of the cabbages!

Mr Robin y'all!

Once we took leave from the extremely hospitable family, we continued on our trek and our educational experience about the flora of the Kalaw region. Next stop was for lunch and it was at a village monastery with the locals working to repair the monastery and the head monk. Sharing our lunch with them, playing chnilone with the young monks, talking to the head monk and him giving us locally made ointments (!?) just made us think and believe how the next few days in Myanmar will probably be one of the most warming and touching experiences we will ever have!

Quick game of chinlone with the young monks!

Next couple of hours were spent in covering in around 15 kilometres around the lush fields, the rolling hills, extremely friendly and photogenic farmers, adorable kids running behind us, tiny houses housing really big cattle, and lots of bamboo making people! Our bunk for the night was one of the village’s headman’s house, which he had very graciously given us to spend the night in. Brilliant food, and too much of it, never ending  kettles of tea through the night, card games with people we had met a few hours ago, some Korean shows with the headman’s daughters, we could not possibly have been more immersed in hospitality than that!

Next day, with the crack of dawn we were treated to some more amazing tea, instant Burmese coffee (yeah, that’s a trend there) and very sweet and delicious French bread! While the first day seemed more about food and expanding our ecological horizons, Mr Robin Singh seemed to be determined to cover lost distance the next day. So it was almost 20km if not more in half the time! So while Robin Singh went hop, skip, jump across the trail, as the rest of us went stop, pant, huff a good 50 metres behind him at any given point! Got to give it to him for that incredible stamina! The trek with all its glory ended with steaming hot bowls of noodle soup of Shew InnThein, from where we took our 1 

hour long boat trip to Inle Lake.

them Burmese babies!

To Mr Robin Singh, his energy, his kindness, his hospitality, to the people we met on the way and to all the amazing noodle soups (!), how could we have asked for a better start to this magnificent country?! Merci!

one of the many groups of absolutely adorable kids!

men making bamboo baskets

usual sights

The Wonder that is Bagan!

A wondrous vista of pagodas and stupas dating back to the 12-13^th century, beautiful frescoes (rather remnants) adorning the walls, gilding htis clinking in the gentle breeze, stories of local nats brewing in nooks and crannies. Bagan for 2 days was more than we had imagined.

So Bagan was our stop after Inle Lake. We reached really early in the morning, or rather in the middle of the night and managed to negotiate what we thought was a very cheap taxi ride from the bus stop to our hostel in Nyuang U. Turns out it was so cheap because instead of a ride on 4 wheels, what awaited us was a ride on 4 legs! This was one of the many hilarious moments we had in Myanmar. Anyway, after a good 20 min of tottering we reached out hostel, the Winner Hotel, one of the cheapest shacks in the region, especially well located.

Now, we went right after the monsoons, so it was as humid as being in a sauna the entire time, and no you cannot roam around in a towel checking out the pagodas! Adding to that, neither me nor my boyfriend were very confident in hiring e-bikes to navigate our way through mud lanes so we decide to go the good old-fashioned way, cycling around a 26 square mile area, almost 7 hours for 2 consecutive days, while drowning ourselves in history, an era gone by and bucket loads of sweat!

Some quick nuggets to enjoy Bagan:

1. Not just Bagan, or Myanmar, this holds true for most of South East Asia, visit right before the tourist season begins or at the fag end of the same when prices are still low and you’re not jostling with a landslide of humanity for the one coveted sunset spot!

2.  Stray off the main road, take the mud lanes across the plains that connect most of the pagodas. Mostly you’ll find locals lazing and will also give you useful information about which pagoda terraces are accessible and a lot of it won’t be public knowledge.

3. Read a little about the pagodas (the main ones at least, there are almost 3000 in total!), it will make you appreciate the beauty and history behind it more, especially when it’s not a part of your native culture, after 20 or so all pagodas will end up looking the same!

4. Try and scout for our own sunset point. The famous ones are crowded beyond belief, even in the low season and it is next to impossible to get that Facebook profile picture without someone’s arm jutting into the frame! On a serious note, Bagan has too much art, history, culture spread over a decently large area to force you to congregate on just one terrace!

However, Bagan is the torchbearer of tourist spots in Myanmar and hence you’ll find plenty of hawkers and young kids always smiling and trying to sell something or the other. They even sell their own drawings, nothing more than little colour pencil stick figures!! It is sad to be surrounded by beauty, to be transported to an era long gone by, and then hear from the local elders how kids and youngsters bunk school or don’t take part in the daily farming activities because it means more money to sell a few wares for a couple of dollars.

It is sad to be a part of this craze towards mass tourism, and in that sadness lies hope that all of us who visit the land still so pristine and its people still so uncorrupted (if that is a word!) will spread the word and encourage responsible travel. 

Still functional wooden monastery

its more beauty than any camera can capture!

Ayerawaddy river on the western and northern borders of Bagan

Of gilded pinnacles

Panoramic Bagan

The sun sets, the magic won't

A helpful local and your own terrace!

Lessons from Birmanie!

They say life is not about the number of breaths we take, rather than the moments which take your breath away. And I’ve been more than lucky in that aspect to have had the opportunity to visit Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) for its magnificent landscapes, people beyond the definition of hospitable, art and architecture to satisfy your senses to no end and smiles and peace to greet you even in the most chaotic pick-up van!

While, soon there will be several posts detailing your journey which started from Mandalay, then a 2-day trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, followed by 2 days at Inle Lake and the neighbouring regions, moving to Bagan for 2 more days and finally back to Mandalay and the neighbouring ancient cities! 

It sounds too much for just 8 days, and it did stretch us to our physically limits, but if we have to do it again, there’s nothing we would change!

While now I sit in my apartment, on a humid Sunday Bombay evening, I can’t stop thinking of snippets of the Myanmar trip and how much I learnt about history, geography and people in general in just those 8 days!

Lessons from Myanmar:

Smiling is a national mandate!

It is crazy, how can an entire nation always put up a smiling face?! Irrespective of the weather, the hardships in life, the spice in your curry, there is nothing that a smile cannot overcome! One night we reached our hostel post midnight and had to bang on the doors to wake up the owners inside, and wake they did with a resplendent smile! Everywhere we went the one thing common was the innocent smiles that greeted us!

First family we met on our trek to Inle Lake. And it was the first time they were seeing foreigners! So happy to have a polaroid to keep those memories forever!

Babies of Burma! On the trek to Inle Lake

So excited to show off his catch!

History does not define your future

Historically, the capital of Myanmar has mostly circulated between Inwa, Amarapura and Mandalay, the three ancient cities. We happened to visit Inwa on one of the days and unless we had specifically read about it’s royal history, there is pretty much no semblance to an erstwhile royal capital! Just goes on to show how if people don’t move ahead with times and still hold on to their heritage, they will neither belong to the past nor to the present.

Ruins at Inndain

More than a thousand pagodas at the Shwe Inn Thein

Bird's eye view of the Shwe Inn Thein

Indulge in the arts!

Almost everywhere one can see people setting up easels or mixing colours to paint the silhouette of a wooden monastery or the flaming colours of the setting sun or the life story of Buddha! Agreed, a lot of it is turning towards commercial consumption owing to increased tourism, however, it is still heartening to see old men with flowing white beards painting sunsets.

Just another morning at a monastery

Too much beauty in the same frame!

There is always time for football!

Footballs here are not what one is used to seeing, the colourful patches on a bouncy big ball. Instead it is fashioned out of bamboo (called a chemlo) and is considerably tinier but still clearly affords the same amount of fun to kids and adults alike. On most corners and alleys it’s not a rare sight to see young monks, with their maroon drapes tied around their waists running after the chemlo.

Chemlo is always a good idea!

At any time of the day!

With anyone!

Mass tourism is fast approaching!

Myanmar saw about 2 million tourists in 2013. Compare this to the 20 million that its neighbour Thailand saw in the same time. While in major tourist spots like Bagan you can see taxi drivers approaching the bus even before it has stopped at the station, at others like Manadalay (surprisingly) most locals just leave you alone as you walk about its crowded streets. While Myanmar is still one of the most pristine and untouched countries in south East Asia, it doesn’t seem like it will remain so for a very long time. It is up to people like us, who while should visit the country and savour its beauty and hospitality in all its glory, but also do it in a manner most responsible. Let’s not make it another Thailand.

Saving the Olive Ridleys, one shore at a time

The Olive Ridley sea turtle or the Pacific Ridley sea turtle is considered to be the smallest and the most abundant of all sea turtles in the world. Yet in a single generation (20 years) their population has declined drastically from more than 10 million in the pre-mass extinction era to about 800,000 as per a recent count.

In the midst of this gloom there is still hope. A tiny village in Maharashtra, which doesn’t even have 5 full sentences as description on Wikipedia, has been working with local NGOs for over a decade now towards conservation of these endangered species.

Velas is a small village in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra and is about an 8 hour drive from Mumbai. A decade ago the villagers were concerned about the Olive Ridleys to be able to steal the eggs once laid for consumption or for sale and to hunt the female turtles when they came on shore to breed for the meat or again for sale. However, that was before they joined hands with Sayhadri Nisarg Mitra, an organization which works with these same villagers now towards massive conservation efforts.

Over the past decade, not only have they successfully managed to change the age old habits by making villagers protect the eggs instead of stealing them, they have also helped the residents tap into an additional source of income and put this nondescript village on the tourist map for the turtle breeding months. And this is without any institutional support or a conducive ecosystem for wildlife conservation.

Come November, the female turtles swim in hordes to these shores to lay their eggs in batches of 3 to 4 where each batch consists of 100-150 eggs. It might seem a lot, however the survival rate of these turtles is only 1 in 1000. Thus, only a handful of the turtles hatched from these eggs reach adulthood and the females, it is said return to the same shores to lay eggs where they were born; thus, travelling distances across several hundreds of miles to complete the circle of life.

The eggs once laid, are pretty much left on their own to figure out their way in this cruel world. The members of Sayhadri Nisarg Mitra along with volunteers from the village transfer these batches of eggs to hatcheries to protect them from dogs and other animals. These hatcheries, though are man-made, but have to replicate the conditions created by the female turtle while she laid them. This means, the depth, the temperature of the sand and the moisture needs to be replicated. In fact the difference in these factors not only impacts the rate of the eggs hatching, but also determines the gender of the new born turtles.

After an incubation period of up to 3 months, the eggs hatch. And there can be no better words to describe the scene, other than it is what a miracle looks like. In this crazy race of conquering the world, we tend to overlook the intricate designs nature has, and how everything takes care of itself, as long as we do not poke our annoying human noses. These little hatchlings, with no motherly support around, barely with any sense of sight, only rely on their intuition as they move together towards the sea using their miniscule flippers. Majority of them do not survive even the first few kilometres into their journey of life. Several die over the years if not due to natural causes, then due to human greed. 

For the few that do survive, return to their shore of birth to start a new cycle.

On an average a female turtle reaches maturity and starts laying eggs in 20 years. It’s only a couple of years of wait to see if the efforts of this tiny village and Sayhadri Nisarg Mitra have been successful. And if out of the batch of turtles they released more than a decade ago, return to pay them a visit.

 

Entrance to Harihareshwar

Sunset at Velas

Velas Beach

Jhapan Mela : Of Cobras , Vipers and their Charmers

We live in a big country. A big, strange and diverse country. Rituals, landscapes, clothing, food, languages keep changing every few hundred kilometers. There is so much to know, so much to see and learn just within the geographical confines of our own country.

So when I heard about the Jhapan Mela, literally the festival of snakes and snake charmers I couldnt be more intrigued especially now knowing that it is celebrated in the same village that some of my relatives are from! Another example of how diverse our culture is, and how much there is to see for all of us, even for the most seasoned traveler!

Below is the article I wrote for Bizarre Culture on the Jhapan Mela.

Bishnupur. 140 odd kilometres from Calcutta. Known to have the highest number of historic temples in West Bengal, mostly made of terracotta. And yet another seemingly nondescript town in a country that is marked by one every hundred kilometres or so.

But with August and the post monsoon lushness and hopes of a good harvest, comes one of the most intriguing festivals celebrated in India, the Jhapan Mela.

On the last day of the Sharavana month of the Bengali calendar, scores of snake charmers gather to worship Manasa Devi, the serpent deity. Members of the Rajbongshi tribe appear with their small bamboo baskets with snakes to honour the fierce Goddess. Many gather to seek her blessings for a good harvest, fertility, prosperity and protection against diseases.  Though throughout the festival one may not actually see idols of the deity, instead followers worship trees, rocks and other aspects of nature. In fact most of the Manasa devi worshipping revolves around being one with nature.

While as per one school of thought, the word Jhapan seemed to have originated from the Bengali word Jhapi, meaning the bamboo basket in which the snake charmers (called the Jhapanias) keep their snakes, as per another school of thought Jhapan literally means a large stage erected to exhibit tricks with snakes.

The festival is celebrated with much fanfare, and for the Jhapanias it is a day to earn the extra income in an otherwise penury ridden life. Snake charming, like most traditional occupations in India have been carried on for generations now. Earlier the snake charmers had a profitable business owing to the demand for venom to be used to treat snake bites. This has now been replaced by synthetic venom being used by the government. Apart from this, with the Wildlife Protection Act making it a crime to own wild animals and use them for personal or commercial profit has further pushed these snake charmers with no alternate source of income into further destitution. Adding to it, in the recent years, the mela has seen a rise in Bangladeshi snake charmers participating as well, thus further reducing earning opportunities. As a result, for a greater part of the year one can mostly see these charmers proving a hit with tourists and cajoling them into taking pictures for a few extra rupees, and living true to the image of India still being a land of snake charmers!

However, for that one day in August, these charmers and their cobras, vipers, pythons take the centre stage as the rest of the public swoons in religious revelry.

It's not over till it's over!

Yes, half the year has crept by stealthily, rejoicing in keeping us miles away from productivity.
Yes, another season of Game of Thrones done and dusted.
And yes, they say Jon Snow is gone for good.

And yet I say all is not lost. There may be no Jon Snow on the watch and no more January. But there are Khasi tribes putting up a show in the rolling hills of Nagaland this December! And there are scores of Mallu (and non mallu) men heaving and rowing mighty snake boats this August! And camels and their owners will come down for some fun in Pushkar in November!

More often than not, we overlook or worse still, are not even aware of the jewels of our own culture stretching across kilometers. Below is a very teeny snap shot of some of the amazing festivals and events to be held in the next couple of months, and it is a wonderful opportunity to attend a few, learn about our own country, learn about our culture and learn a little about our own selves.

August

What: Nehru Boat Trophy Race
When: 8th August 2015
Where: Allepey, Kerala

Come second Saturday of August every year and the peaceful Punnamada Lake becomes a fiery race track as hundreds of synchronized oars move towards the coveted trophy. The race is to commemorate the visit of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru to the district. Apart from the boat race, let the lazy days in a houseboat, amazing Malabari cuisine and some of the most breathtaking landscapes form the rest of the itinerary to Allepey!

Nehru Boat Trophy Race. Image Source Nehru Boat Races

What: Jhapan Mela

When: 18th August 2015

Where: Bishnupur, West Bengal

In what seems like the middle of nowhere, every August lives focus on snakes and the serpent deity Manasa Devi. Bishnupur is over 100km from kolkata and mostly known for its brilliant terracota temples. Post monsoons, members of the Rajbongshi tribe get together with their precious' and show tricks with pythons and cobras and pray to the Goddess for fertility and prosperity.

Jhapan Mela. Image Source Jon Hurd

September

What: Ziro Festival

When: 24th-27th September 2015

Where: Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

One of the most picturesque locations. Check.

Amazing music in the wilderness. Check.

Smaller but WAY prettier Glastonbury. Check.

22 shades of green, 35 acts, food drinks and much merry. Check.

IS there absolutely ANY reason why we would n't want to check out this music festival, set in the hillocks of Arunachal Pradesh?

Ziro Festival. Image Source Outlook Traveller

What: Ladakh Festival

When: 20th-26th September 2015

Where: Leh, Ladakh

Nestled in snow clad lofty mountains, Leh; once the Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh, celebrates with a final party to enjoy the all too brief summer with the Ladakh Festival. Seven days of lion and yak dances, locally brewed beer, fabulous delicacies, craft stalls, archery competitions and the stiff Himalayan air. Perfecto.

Ladakh Festival. Image Source Tour My India

October

What : NH7 Weekender

When: 23-24th October, 31st Oct- 1st Nov, 28-29th Nov, 28-29th Nov, 4-6th December

Where: Shillong, Kolkata, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru

The big daddy of the Indian music festival scene, NH7 Weekender is adding Shillong, the fast east mystic town to its list of happy places. With a mix of alternative and mainstream music artists, lots of stalls and swelling crowds every year, it's one of the go-to events at least once!

NH7 Weekender. Image Source Timescity

What: Rajasthan International folk Festival

When: 23-27th October 2015

Where: Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Set in the premises of the stately Mehrangarh Fort, the festival aims at celebrating musical heritages from across the world. With over 200 artists collaborating to produce sizzling performances, full moon nights and the settings of the Best Fort in Asia, this beckons to be a weekend well entertained.

Jodhpur RIFF. Image Source Journeymart.com

What: Mysore Dussara

When: 14-23rd October 2015

Where: Mysore, Karnataka

Celebrated each year with fancy tableau's, processions, food stalls and of course the breathtaking Mysore Palace being lit up in all it's glory, the Mysore Dusshera is the state festival of Karnataka celebrating the victory of good over evil.

Mysore Palace

November

What: Pushkar Camel Fair

When: 19-25th November 2015

Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan

Thoroughbred Mewari horses, groups of camels, herders and traders, tented bazaars, deals and negotiations, sometimes even marriage proposals, camel rides, hot air balloons, and endless food. 'Nuff said. 

Pushkar Fair. Image Source Hdimagegallery.net

What: International Yoga and Music Festival

When: 5-14th November 2015

Where: Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

With the Ganga gurgling down, mystic charms around and now with Yoga having it's own official international day of celebration, this 10-day event is perfect for a holistic mind and body cleansing vacation.

Yoga Fest

December

What: Hornbill Festival

When: 1-10th December 2015

Where: Kohima, Nagaland

I would bet this by far is one of the most photogenic festivals one can ever be able to attend. Set in Nagaland, the Switzerland of the East, with one of the most humble and welcoming population (who can cook pork in the most unimaginable delicious ways!), rugged hills and emerald valleys, the festivals portrays the rich tribal culture of the region.

Hornbill Festival. Image Source Indiasnortheast.com

What: Rann Utsav

When: December - March

Where: Kutchh, Gujarat

Salt marshland stretching for miles, the clear white moon adorning the night sky as you sit on the pristine white stretch, and local dancers enthrall  you with their performances, there are very few places that would come close to this when thinking about how to spend a Saturday night. The Government of Gujarat organizes the Rann Utsav every year with very attractive and convenient packages, for you to be able to get a taste of culture, cuisine, hospitality and beauty of the Rann.

Rann of Kutchh

What : Sunburn Festival

When: 27-30th December

Where: Vagator, Goa

Yep, how could any December in India feel complete without the obligatory party scene in Goa? And it gets even better if you manage to get the tickets (and reasonable flight tickets and accommodation without selling an organ) to the Sunburn Festival! In it's 9th year now, the festival brings some of the most well known names in electronic music to beach city.

Sunburn

What: Magnetic Fields Festival

When: 18-20th December

Where: Alsisar Mahal, Rajasthan

From the nomadic Bedouins theme last year to inter galactic travel in 2015, set in the charming Alsisar Mahal, showcasing some of the finest underground artists to a limited audience, the magnetic Fields is one of the most forward thinking amalgamation of India's creative space.

Magnetic Fields Festival. Image Source Youngisthan.in

And if you have read till here, then move over to Skyscanner and start booking tickets to one of the many locations that our wonderful country has and get set to enthrall your minds and souls!

Yes, THAT much to cover in 6 months!!!