Places to See in Barak Valley: Part A
Located in the southern region of the Indian state of Assam, Barak Valley is home to many scenic places starting from tea gardens and hills to rivers and stone quarries. In this travel blog, I penned down some of the picturesque places in the valley of the Barak river to explore and experience the serenity.
Koomber
On the northeast of Silchar, 30km from the city center, just beyond the Kumbhirgram Airport, lies one of the most picturesque tea gardens I’ve ever seen in Barak Valley. I’ve been to the tea estates of Tamil Nadu’s Ooty and Kerala’s Munnar, but this very Koomber TE near my hometown just gave me the Nilgiris vibes. On a late autumn morning, Koomber looks picturesque and misty. A ride through the lanes of the tea estate with green tea plants on both sides and a beautiful view of bluish Borail hills on the backdrop will make it jaw-dropping.
Madhura
The slow-flowing river, the gorge-like rocks, and the stone quarry around it make Madhura a perfect picnic spot during winters. 26km from Silchar via Udharbond and Chandighat, this place is unique and the gorge-like rocks give the feel of Karnataka’s Mekedatu.
Sindura
Inside the Kalain Tea Estate, on the northwest of Silchar city, lies the picnic spot of Sindura with emerald green water, stones on the banks, and a broken bridge. Sindura is around 42km from Silchar via Kalain Road. The bridge hanging over the stream gives an old-charm feel to the environment, and the still water in winters suits best for playing stone skipping with flat, round stones lying all around.
Martycherra
Martycherra (also known as Matycherra, Matichara) boasts of a scenic ride when coming from Silchar via Koomber and Pathecherra. This tea estate lies 36km from Silchar city via Udharbond Road. Numerous trails through the tea garden with pebbles and autumn leaves make it a worthy spot of relaxation during late autumn. The concrete roads through the estate are very much suitable for an early morning bike ride.
Ainacherra
Just beside Martycherra, one will find this beautiful tea estate of Ainacherra with the Chiri river flowing through it. The view of Borail hills on the backdrop and steady flowing river with mid-size boulders makes it another great spot for a day out and playing. This spot of Ainacherra with green banks (in the below photo) lies 40km from Silchar city and can only be accessed via two-wheeler or by foot. The roads are narrow and rough but worth the ride when one gets a view like this. The regular picnic spot of Ainacherra TE with stone quarry and river lies 37km from city center and 7km from Martycherra TE.
Chatla
Chatla is one of the most easily accessible scenic spots near Silchar city. Lying 20km away from Silchar and 31km from Hailakandi, Chatla falls on the way (from Silchar) to Barak Valley’s only central university — Assam University, Silchar. The uniqueness about Chatla is that it also has a wetland which during winter becomes fully farmland where rice cultivation is done, and after winter from March onwards, this piece of land gets filled up with water and becomes a lake. Chatla is also a great spot for boat rides during lake season.
Malidor
This scenic place near the Assam-Meghalaya border is another popular one for picnics during winters among the locals of Barak Valley. Situated 46km away from Silchar and 32km from Badarpur, Malidor has a stream, lots of boulders, and some mesmerizing backdrops. If you visit Malidor during late winters then spend some time listening to the soothing sound of the gush of stream water.
Listen to the sound of water here:
Damchara
At around 44km from Silchar via NH 27, Damchara is a beautiful place with tea gardens, railway bridges, and the Jatinga river flowing through the estate. The current road (at the time of writing this blog) to Damchara from Silchar is very rough, dusty, and jerky, but the NH construction is going on and the roads are going to be smooth for traveling. Out of all the picnic spots mentioned in this blog, I’ll rank Damchara above all.
Sonbeel
Sonbeel in Karimganj district is the second-largest seasonal wetland in Asia and the largest wetland in Assam. Just like Chatla, it becomes farmland for rice cultivation during winter, and then post March the land fills with water and becomes a lake. The sunsets here are mesmerizing and the shades of gold and blue reflecting on the water make it a great spot for photography. The seasonal wetland is a house for many Hizol trees (Barringtonia acutangula) which offers an amazing view around the lake. The trees stand tall in both dry and wet seasons and the half merged Hizol trees are a point of attraction. Sonbeel lies 49km from Silchar, 41km from Karimganj, and 14km from Hailakandi.
Dolu
Located at 27km from Silchar city via NH 27, Dolu is famous among the youths and locals for evening rides and photoshoots. The vast area of Dolu TE comprises a big lake and tea gardens. During winters, the garden looks misty and visually appealing with trees bearing pink flowers over green tea plants.
These are some of the natural places to see in Barak Valley which I mentioned in this part A of the blog. Part B will feature some historic places from the valley. Barak Valley has many hidden gems, it’s time we bring them to the world.
Happy travelling!
