Ziro, the name of a beautiful hill station in Arunachal Pradesh, has become a tourist hub within a short spell of time. Located around 1500 metres above the sea level, the hill town of pine trees, Ziro is the headquarter of Lower Subansiri district. This is an abode of over 50,000 Apatani people who are known for their unique culture and tradition.
The domestic and foreign tourists make it an occasion here to enjoy the natural sights and sounds from atop the hillocks beneath the lush green paddy fields.
More panoramic view emerges from the plains of the Apatani valley is the rivulet Kele which flows southwards before meeting the river Panior in Yajuli.
The tourists, mostly, feel the pulse of the Apatanis in the Myoko, Murung and Dree festivals. These colourful people are known for designing handloom and handicraft apart from cultivation. Ziro is usually characterized by cool summers and winters.
A visit to Ziro can help you catch a glimpse of five rivulets apart from peaks among others.
The rivulets include Subansiri, Nishi, Apatani, Dafala and Miri. Ziro is no less proud of some peaks. Salin is of these peaks that fetches gory to the frontier state. Salin is said to be a trade route of the Apatanis to North Lakhimpur in Assam. The next peak to be named here is Kile Pakho. This is one of the high mountain ridges 7 km away from Ziro where the tourists make it an occasion to view the Himalayas.
The treasure trove in Ziro is the district museum. Set up in 1956, it displays the ethnographic materials of the entire tribal state and its people.
No tourist is unaware of the Talle sanctuary as they visit Ziro. The abode of rare species of birds and animals which covers an area of 337 square km is 48 km far away from Ziro. The sanctuary is known for breeding of the rare long-billed wren-babbler apart from a number of endangered orchids. The mammals, usually spotted here include elephants, barking deer, giant squirrel, squirrel, black bear, porcupine, leopard, wild boar, slow loris, wild dog, and mithun. Further it is a safe place the mithun to be cross bred of wild gaur and the buffalo. A fish seed farm at Tarin strikes no less attraction.
The zero music festival is yet another step to promote tourism in Ziro where the picturesque location witnesses the occasion of traditional songs and dances in September. The nearest airport is Lilabari in the North lLkjhmpur district of Assam from where they have surface road services in bus, sumo and taxi. For the tourists who travel on trains in Lakhimpur also are free to leave to Ziro by bus, sumo or taxi. Direct buses ply from Guwahati to Ziro regularly.
