- NET Web Desk
Nibode Ji Suku – a tribal hamlet nestled amid the hilly terrains of Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district welcomed tourists for the first time in its history.
The entire hamlet, which has a population of 150-200 people, turned out to welcome the tourists with songs, dancing, and home-cooked food such as rice cakes and fire-roasted corns.
This tourist group which travelled from Miao to Nibode Ji Suku through Mahindra Thar were part of the ‘Trans Arunachal Drive’, – a campaign organized by the State Board of Tourism to highlight road upgrades and last-mile connectivity.
Its worthy to note that Nibode Ji Suku was previously closed, owing to a lack of road access. In order to reach the unexplored region, local populace used to cross the Namdapha tiger reserve – a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas.
According to The Hindu report, one of the drivers from the tourist group – Kavya Saxena, is also the state president for rural tourism of Arunachal Pradesh (chosen by the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
“The roads are incredibly rocky, with landslides and the state government wanted the drivers’ team to witness Nibode Ji Suku, so that tourists can explore the region in the future,” – stated Kavya.
“All of them belong to the Yobin tribe and practice Buddhism. The village still has no electricity and with no schools in the region, people can speak Hindi apart from their local tribal language.” – added Kavya.