Let the rains not dwindle your vacation plans. And with that notion in mind we present before you an unexplored beauty from the Northeast. Jampui Hills, also known as the Hills of Spring, is located in northern Tripura and borders the neighboring state of Mizoram. Tripura has to be one of the least explored tourist destinations of India. The erstwhile royal state of Tripura, is an amalgamation of beautiful landscape and pleasant weather throughout the year. And the Jampui Hills region is a mesmerizing Tripura tourism destination. These hills are covered with vast orchards, tea plantations and a lot of captivating beauty. What’s more, this part of Tripura receives scant rainfall, making Jampui your ideal monsoon travel destination!
Inhabited mainly by the Lushai and other Mizo tribes, a trip to Jampui Hills helps you soak in the tribal way of life. The hills have it all – from scenic viewpoints to trekking routes. So, let us run through some of the tourist attractions of Jampui Hills and we are sure you will have an urge to pack your bags and head to this picturesque hill station for a monsoon vacation!
Unakoti
Popularly known as an “open air art gallery”, the place is surrounded by huge boulders cut in shapes of various Hindu gods and goddesses. Historians believe that these intricate and finely carved boulders date back to the 11-12 century AD. Unakoti means one short of a crore and as the legend goes, it is believed that best sculptors of the area were given a task of completing one crore figures of Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh and goddess Parvati before dawn, but they could not finish all the images on time.
- Trivia: Thousands of pilgrims throng the “Shaiva Tirtha”, during Ashokashtmi (in March-April) to take a dip in the adjoining pond.
- Must see: The central figure of Unakoti is a 30-feet high rock with intricately carved figure of Kal Bhairaav.
- Food: Kailashahar, which falls on the route to Unakoti, has many tribal restaurants that serve lip-smacking preparations of fish curry and dried fish recipes. Do try them out.
Jampui Orange Festival
Jampui Hills is a major orange producing region of India, and in the months from October to December, the orchards in the area get loaded with oranges. And there is an air of happiness all over the area. The locals celebrate this merry occasion by hosting the annual Jampui Orange festival in the month of November. During the festival, the tourists get a chance to see different varieties of oranges produced in Jampui Hills. A special exhibition is held during the festival where oranges are arranged in various shapes (that of animals and landscapes).
- Must do: During the festival tourists get a chance to dress up in local traditional attires and even go orange plucking.
- Shopping: Stalls are setup by the local Lushii and Reang tribes, where attractive handicraft items are available at low rates. Apart from this, tourists also love the special ginger sold at some of the Tibetan stalls on fair grounds.
- Must taste: Orange jellies are special items sold at the fair. Do care to taste and take back some of them as memorabilia.
Beitlingchhip Peak
Those who love hiking should head for the Betlingchhip. Betlingchhip is Tripura’s highest peak and stands at 3,600ft. A recently constructed watch tower offers magnificent views of Bangladesh’s hill ranges. The peak is also a well-known bird watching destination. The journey, via a cab, to Betlingchhip takes you through orange plantations, green valleys and waterfalls.
- Must do: Areas around Betlingchhip Peak offer many adventure sports scopes. You can opt for rock climbing or trekking. If you like quieter things, than go boating at Sabual Lake.
So, are you ready to experience this unexplored Tripura beauty?
