| Huro Program
Localisation
The sanctuary
Rehabilitation
program
The releasing
Support to the
protection of Reserves and Parks.
Sensitization
and help to the local population
Lodging in the
Garo Hills:
In Tura:
Stylishness: Sundare Complex
(in the center of the town: 400- 800 rps).
Cheap but clean: Circuit
House (a little outside the center: 90rps).
Internet access
at the Rickman hotel (200m from the
Sundare).
In Baghmara:
Tourist Lodge on the top of
the town. But attention, you have to
arrive before 4 in the afternoon because
after you would be in front of closed
doors and there is no other hotel. You
will be able to reserve your trip in
Balpakram in this lodge.
No internet access.
In williamnagar: Circuit
house at the top of the city, very
beautiful rooms, hot water if you have
the right one...The price is the same for
all the rooms: 90rps.
 oloGaro
Warriork
An
another place you have to go in
Tura is the leprosy colonie, even
if this can be hard and shocking.
It
is a village created for the
leprous and where a sister works
hard to take care of them.
Several
of them are in the colony since
30 years without any healing, the
cause: the lack of medicines.
Thus,
go and speak with the sister to
know the needs and give her a
little thing.
This
man lives at the colonie since 30
years. |
o
Photo d'un couple de
Hooloc prise dans les Garos Hills il y
aans par .P Sati. |
The Garo Hills:
Traditions, population and ecotourism. The
Garo Hills
Garo Hills, which
is conglomerate of three districts viz.,
East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and
South Garo Hills stretches out between
2508l N to 2601l N latitude and 89050l E
to 90059l E longitude. The total area of
the three districts is 8167 Sq. Kms. Garo
Hills is bounded in south by Mymensing
district and a part of Rangpur district
of Bangladesh, by a district of Assam on
the North and the West and by the West
Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya in the
east.
Tura is the largest
town with a population of about 70,000
located at the foothills of often cloud
covered Tura peak.
Tura
peak
The area is predominantly
hilly except for some plain areas in the
southern and western parts.
The Garos
The Garos are a
tribe in Meghalaya, India, and Mymensingh,
Bangladesh, who call themselves Achik.
They are the second-largest tribe in
Meghalaya after the Khasi and comprise
about a third of the local population.
They are mainly
distributed over the Kamrup, Goalpara and
Karbi AnglongDistricts of Assam, Garo
Hills in Meghalaya, and substantial
numbers, about 200,000 are found in
Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.
The Garo language belongs to
the Bodo branch of the Bodo-Naga-Kachin
family of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. This
language is the official one, even if the
english has a great place in the cities.
As the Garo language is not traditionally
written down, customs, traditions, and
beliefs are handed down orally.
According to one such oral
tradition, the Garos first came to
Meghalaya from Tibet about 400 years ago,
crossing the Brahmaputra River and
tentatively settling in the river valley.
It is said that they were later driven up
into the hills by other groups in and
around the Brahmaputra River.
With the arrival of the
English in the ninetieth century, the
Garos have been converted to the
christianism and most of them still
Christians now days.
But,traditionally, the Garos
are Hindu-animist (in other words, they
possess several gods), now days few of
them follow the ancient beliefs openly.
However, they still follow the tradition
in their heart and, their spirit is a
little confused by the mix between the
Christian religion and their ancient one.
Kima, garo mortual statue |
Ecotourism
There are natural treasures
in the Garo Hills that the world ignore
and leave disappearing. Here are several
examples:
Siju cave: One
of the longest cave in Asia. The
speleology lovers will be happy. Another
attractive point, this cave shelter one
of the rarest specie of bat.
Siju
Cave
The fishmen village of Siju
is really welcoming, you will room at the
tourist lodge 100 m up to the village (but
without electricity nor water, so plan to
take many bottles of water!), the room is
100 rps per day, then you will have to
give something to the house keeper for
his services, notably food. The price is
not fix, it is up to your appreciation.
Therefore, think that the tourists are
not in numbers and that the local
population has a low level of life, so do
not be stingy (without falling in the
extreme opposite).
To go there, you have to go
at the Tourist Office of Tura which will
arange for you the taxi to take you at
Siju with your stock.
Attention: A man is there
for the Tourist Lodge, cooking and clean
the rooms but there is no stock of food
nor water there. Thus, you have to buy
some stock at the market in Tura before
your departure.
The taxi will cost you
around 2500/3000rps up and down. If you
have not prepare a long trip (not much
stock) you can ask to an auto (local tuk
tuk) that will be less costly. One
problem: They are not sure bacause if
they have enough for the day you will
never see them again.
The easier way is to go at
the Tourist Office that will arange all
for you (without any supplementary cost).
Siju Wildlife
Sanctuary: Situed in front of
Siju village. This is a wildlife
sanctuary of 5 kmē. You will find:
Langurs, Gibbons, Macaques...
Langur
in the Wildlife Sanctuary
However, you have to reserve
a guide at the Tourist Office in Tura, if
you do not have one you will have to
manage by yourself.
Balpakram National
Park: 420 kmē of jungle and
high tablelands (Big canyon really
spectacular and easy to go). The park is
rich in fauna and flora: Elephants, Tiger,
Gibbon, Loris, Deer...
The rooms are the most
beautiful of the region: large rooms,
electricity, water and tv in the living
room (Think to take some DVD that will
delight the adults and kids from the
neighboring village).
To go inside the park, you
have to go at the Tourist Office of
Baghmara in order to reserve the room and
obtain the writen authorization to
penetrate inside the park.
Then, this is the same as
Siju, buy the stock in advance and
reserve a taxi. The price is around the
same as Siju (2000/3000 rps up and down).
Nokrek National Park:
48 kmē of a
spectacular jungle, rich in fauna and
flora (Gibbon, Elephants, Deer, Loris,
Langur, Blue cat...). The house keeper of
the Tourist Lodge can be a guide for you,
he knows well the good places to observe
animals.
Same as for Balpakram (Go to
the Tourist Office so as to obtain the
authorization from the Office and reserve
the room). Same, think to give something
to the house keeper, all the more so that
he will not ask you.
There are more treasures in
this region that you will find details at
the Tourist Lodge at Baghmara or Tura.
You will live an
unforgettable experience in a welcoming
region, curious of the strangers because
they are not in numbers.
So long. |
