Tourists in India come seeking one or more of the following – the Taj Mahal, other architectural and historical monuments, Goa, some hill stations, yoga and spirituality. While the Taj Mahal is irreplaceable, it might be time to refresh the rest of the itinerary. An event like the Ziro Festival of Music, held annually in a picturesque valley in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, has the potential to cross out many items on that list.Ziro is a valley town in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the oldest in the state and hopeful of winning a World Heritage Site title. It has lush paddy fields which look like a jigsaw puzzle made up of shades of green, pine clad mountains that gently cup the green expanse at their center, a white cotton candy skyscape that dwarfs the landscape, plush carpeting of springy wild grass on its hillocks, and then multicolored sloping roofs that look like they’re drawn with a soft-lead pencil and a solitary winding road that meanders through the farmland. In short, it is artists John Constable and William Turner’s arcadia. Or you could say it provides the kind of idyllic setting that ‘Jesus Loves You’ posters go Googling for. Check hill station, scenery.The valley lies at around 1500 meters above mean sea level and is inhabited by the Apatani tribe whose spiritual beliefs and customs have enabled them to coexist harmoniously with nature for centuries. One of the unique and ingenious practices employed in the region is the combination of wet rice cultivation with fish farming, in an attempt to make judicious use of the limited land area. You’re likely to see fertility totems in front of the houses, facial tattoos and modification on the older natives and abundance of apong (local rice beer) and smoked beef. Check local culture, ecology, peculiar customs.It is in the middle of all this natural splendor that the Ziro Festival of Music has found its home. The four-year-old event that sells itself as India’s greatest outdoor music festival draws a few thousand people for a period of four days in September, and a host of international and local musical talent. Northeast India has always displayed great enthusiasm for rock music, and has produced some great bands in recent years, many of which perform at the festival. This year’s lineup includes such acts as Tripura rapper Borkung Hrangkhawl aka B.K. who is also performing at the NH7 Weekender 2015, Manipuri folk singer Mangka Mayanglambam carrying on the tradition of the Laihui Ensemble, the Omak Komut Collective that fuses jazz, dubstep and world beats with tribal folk music of Arunachal Pradesh, and a protest-EDM duo Digital Suicide from Guwahati.Besides bringing local musical talent into the spotlight, Ziro festival features acts from around the country that have become standard fixtures of a hit lineup. Last year, the event saw performances by veteran Mumbai band Indus Creed, Kolkata blues rockers The Supersonics, Delhi reggae group The Ska Vengers, singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, gypsy jazz/ cabaret Peter Car Recording Co., Khasi guitarist-singer Lou Majaw, electronic music duo Shaa’ir n Func, Sky Rabbit, swing/disco duo Madboy/Mink, Delhi garage act The Superfuzz and alternative rockers menwhopause. It’s fair to say most contemporary musical genres are represented here. Check musical tradition, rural India, urban India.The lineup for Ziro Festival 2015, while yet to be announced in its final form, so far includes the alternative/electro-rock band The F16s from Chennai, electronica producer-guitarist Dualist Inquiry, electro organic act Nicholson, four-piece acoustic rock band Neel and The Lightbulbs, singer-songwriter Dayglocrazie, Indie folk act Run! It’s the Kid, Pune musician Gowri Jayakumar, guitarist composer Takar Nabam, Burmese indie rock-punk outfit Side Effect, eclectic artist group North and another Delhi band The Pilgrim.For festival attendees not suffering from excesses of the evenings, or for those eager to take in some nature, there are bird-watching treks, heritage walks, and cycling trips on offer. And to sample some of the local culture there are presentations of tribal dance, shops selling woven, bamboo and metal handicrafts, and regional cuisine consisting of rice, pork, fish and vegetables. Check shopping, local cuisine.While there are local homestays and a handful of ledges/ hotels available for tourists, the event organizers have set up a camp site near the festival grounds for a more immersive experience, with various single and group stay packages. Check late-night cultural exchange.How you pay for this unforgettable, rare, life-changing experience is with the commute to Ziro from the nearest airport in Guwahati, and the drive back. That’s how the cosmic balance between good and bad, comfort and culture, light and dark forces is maintained. Ziro is an 18-hour crushing drive over long, undulating, winding roads from Guwahati in the neighboring state of Assam. Visitors – whether Indian or international – to the state of Arunachal Pradesh also require special permits. While Indians need to obtain an Inner Line Permit (ILP), foreigners are required to get a Protected Area Permit. However, this year festival organizers are offering an on-arrival ILP system for festivalgoers carrying their passport photos and valid IDs, at the Kimin Gate and Naharlagun Railway Station. Perhaps on that tedious, character-building journey to this little slice of heaven lies some form of spiritual enlightenment. Quite fittingly, the tag line for the festival this year reads, ‘Ready for the journey of your life?’ Check self-discovery, spirituality.Ziro Festival of Music is scheduled for September 24 to 27, 2015. For more details, and to buy tickets, visit the website zirofestival.com or the Facebook page.Follow @ARTINFOIndia
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