Description

The eight states of India’s Northeast make up only 8 per cent of the country’s land mass, but they are home to over one hundred tribes, each with its own unique culture. The terrain, predominantly hilly, ranges from snow-capped Himalayan peaks to tropical rainforests, and the national parks and preserves contain exceptional scenery and an abundance of wildlife, from red pandas to snow leopards. Now, for the first time, noted documentary filmmakers and photographers Dipti Bhalla Verma and Shiv Kunal Verma provide a comprehensive introduction to this little-known yet captivating part of the world. Bhalla and Verma conduct us from the towering Kanchenjunga massif in Sikkim to the tea plantations of Assam, to the astonishing biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh, to the martial tribes and Baptist churches of Nagaland, to the birthplace of polo in Manipur, to the living root bridges of Meghalaya, to the farms nestled among the hills of Tripura and Mizoram. The authors take us into the lives of the many peoples of Northeast India, who maintain their traditional customs and beliefs even in the face of growing ecological threats. They trace the history of the major population groups from the earliest records to the present, and illustrate their characteristic art forms, from dance to architecture. Special sections are devoted to Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Khangchendzonga National Park and Kaziranga National Park, all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Dipti Bhalla Verma, cofounder of the production company KaleidoIndia, has made numerous films about the people, natural heritage and armed forces of India. Shiv Kunal Verma is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including the highly acclaimed Northeast Trilogy, The Long Road to Siachen and 1962: The War That Wasn’t. As the cofounder of KaleidoIndia.