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Largely
unexplored by tourists, this region offers
a
feast of scenic and spiritual splendors.
East India is the least-visited region in the country, despite its beauty and
natural bounty. The waters of the River Ganga and the great brahmaputra provide
a lifeline to civilisation when roads are washed away. Startlingly ornate
temples attract throngs of worshippers in orrisa, especially the konarak Sun
Temples with its great carved chariot and annual dance festival .The original
juggernauts (enormous wheeled vehicles that haul the gods through the
streets)come from the main temple in puri and continue to rumble through the
city once a year. Adivasis in Orrisa, though usually isolated from outsiders,add
spice to weekly markets near the Adivasi crossroads of Koraput.
The sunderban swamps, bordering Bangladesh, attract adventurous wildlife lovers. Honey gatherers and fishermen wear masks on the back of their heads to fool predatory swimming tigers, who reputedly will only pounce on a prey's backside.
Kolkata despite its undeserved reputation for misery, has gracious mansions, a horse track and cricket pictures dating from tee British Raj . Pavement hawkers, rickshaw pullers, and political activists have to give the city of Kali a chaotic frenzy. Conversation are easy to srike a with opinionated and widely read Bengalis. Throughout Bengal,women have a special status derived from the worship of powerful female goddesses, Kali and Durga. In the northeast, many matriarchal societies pass down property rights through the mother's side. Although the area is gradually opening up, separtist guerillas make some areas here out of bounds to travellers.
Darjeeling, the largest hill station in the east, is reached by an 88-km (55miles) journey on a toy train that provides dramatic Himalayan views and steaming cups of home- grown Tea. Sikkim adds orchids to this compelling list of attractions.
Across the deep channel towards Burma(Myanmar),the scattered islands of Andaman and Nicobar, recently hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami.Remote islands are home to still un contacted indegenous peoples,and the deep,tropical forest is full exotic birds.
