Descendants of the valley
Abo-Tani: An ancient folklore
Many epochs earlier during the period of creation, the fire and water battled eachother until the fire surrendered and retreated inside stone and woods.
A man was born from the remains of this war and his name was Abo-Tani.
He had the ability to shape shift in any perceivable form, had a third eye on the back of his head and spikes at the end of both his heels.
His prowess were on a par with that of the gods.
As being a lonely man with his quirk to shape shift, he made love with plants, animals and even godly deities of the earth.
In one of his many instances, he burnt his private parts during a love making session with the Goddess of fire which did not heal until the cold breeze at the crest of a mountain got blown at his groin.
This was a brief story about Abo-Tani, the allfather of many tribal groups in the mountainous terrains of Himalayan belt in India and this is an introduction to one his many descendants and thier habitat.
Arunachal Pradesh
The 'Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains' is an Indian state in Northeast India known as Arunachal Pradesh.Its situated in the Eastern most part of India and shares its international border with Bhutan, China and Myanmar.
And in the midst of it all is a town acknowledged as Ziro.
Ziro valley
Ziro Valley was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014.
Ziro is a town situated in the Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh.
Its above 5754 ft. (1,780m) from the sea level.
A valley covered with pine-clad hills and paddy fields.
The total population as of 2020 was estimated to be 35,455 and majority of them are constituted of its natives known as Apatani.
The Apatani ethnicity
The story behind ‘nose plugs' and ‘facial tattoos'
Firstly, there are 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub tribes in Arunachal Pradesh.
Back when Ziro was far from being termed as a town, it was a remote land untouched by the outside world. The women of the tribe were well known for their beauty amongst other tribal groups.
So, many a times they trespassed and kidnapped women and married them without their consent.
As a result, the Apatani tribes started the ritual of nose plugging and facial tattoos to make themselves less attractive to the hostile tribes.
However, since the discovery of this region in mid 20th century and introduction to education and technology, soon this ritual was declared illegal by the Indian government in 1970.
Religions
Apatani people worshipped Donyi-Polo ( Sun and Moon) prior to major shift towards Christianity and other religions. However, some masses still practice this ancient ethnic religion.
Language
Apatani, Hindi, Assamese and English are the most spoken language.
Ziro through my eyes
All these years, Ziro has never stopped to amaze me with its lots of eye pleasing scenery.
From the transition of rice fields from green to gold with the turning seasons.
To the green and blue hills of evergreen rainforest (the distant hills appear to be blue in color).
The milky clouds of every known shapes and patterns with the several occurrences of them crashing into a towering hill.
Its other famous attractions
1. Kiwi Production
Ziro is well known for its kiwi cultivation. As Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for the 50% of the country’s production and with growing demands, interest for kiwi plantation has skyrocketed this last couple of years.
2. India’s first pure organic kiwi wine
Naara-Aaba is the country’s first ever organic kiwi wine made with locally available fresh kiwi fruits which ranges from ₹1200 to ₹1500 ($16–$20).
3. Ziro Festival of Music
Ziro Festival of Music is an outdoor event showcasing national and international musical talents.
It first took off in 2012 and since then has been celebrated every year at the end of September and was last held in 2019 prior to the pandemic.
Lastly, some concluding words.
Ziro is a famous tourist destination with 555,639 tourist visits in Arunachal Pradesh during 2019 and being the native of this valley, I welcome anyone who wants to visit this place.
Here’s how to reach this place.
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