The Alien Valley Of The East

Tripoto
Photo of The Alien Valley Of The East by Srishti Tehri

Did you ever imagine what a certain kind of bamboo would look like if it were to marinate itself on undulating hills for miles? You didn’t, right? Neither did I. But maybe Mother Nature did and perhaps, that’s exactly why she chose to lather these hills with such frondescence at 2452 m, with a sight even she’d be happy to witness from time to time. As if this weren’t enough, she blessed it with a phenomenon many fail to understand. Many a times, in the months of December and January, you’ll find this valley frozen in the morning & recovering back to its usual hues of green only a few hours later.

Dzüko, an alien valley, at the border of Nagaland & Manipur, is named so because of being dull & soulless. Centuries ago on its discovery, it was observed that even though the valley is incredibly fertile, nothing edible will ever grow. Hence, it was saved from the establishment of a human village which would have been nothing but disastrous for the unadulterated beauty that it held. There aren’t any animals to see but our guide mentioned the existence of wandering black bears. Also, for some reason, I don’t believe that the valley is soulless; there are legends that say there’s a spirit of a female that is heard crying late at night. I didn’t hear anyone but the eerie stillness of Dzüko has certainly claimed a few lives over the years. Twelve villages surrounding the valley in Nagaland have taken the responsibility to manage & take care of Dzüko throughout the year. Every two months, two representatives from one of these same villages are sent to the summit to look after the guests and the valley.

Conclusion: I despise trekking -it’s too much effort for this lazy Taurus lass, but I’d do it all over again.

This beautiful Brooke happily serenades across the valley. The water is mostly always freezing cold.

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

Would you look at those rolling hills? Certainly a sight to behold ❤️

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

a different landscape every few meters, Dzuoko is a vision.

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

imagine how no one really knows how these were formed

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

There was a huge forest fire in Dzuoko a few years ago burning most of the trees in the forest. They’ve been standing tall and dead since. I won’t lie, they look extremely creepy at night but when you’re close to them, you know they’re nothing but dead.

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

mornings are misty, but the sun occasionally comes to say hello and then the greens say hi :)

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

eerie but that’s literally Dzuoko’s vibe

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

love ❤️

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

the land of the Gods, they say, is also a land of the unknown.

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

misty sunsets and dewy flora, nothing better than this :)

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

playing hide and seek in the world of dwarf bamboo grasslands

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri

unbelievably stunning hues

Photo of Dzükou Valley, Mao, Manipur, India by Srishti Tehri