Miao, Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh India

Miao is a beautiful town of Changlang district with amazing hills, valleys and dense forests. These forests are highly exploited by smugglers and have made the area a major destination for the Plywood industry. Miao is a developing town with good schools, colleges, government institutions and a few industries.

Miao is a great place for trekking and hiking in the dense forest and angling on the river Noa-Dehing.

Miao and its neighboring areas are mainly inhabited by the Tangsa, Singpho, and Lisu tribes. The city has a considerable good population of the Tibetan refugees. There are a number of Christians residing here who have been converted. This makes Miao a cosmopolitan town with flair of various cultures and religions. The main languages spoken here are Tangsa, Singpho, Assamese, Hindi and a bit of English.

A number of locals are engaged in government jobs, but the main occupation of the residents is agriculture and animal husbandry. They practice the method of Jhum cultivation. In the hilly areas, Tea Plantations are also developing greatly.

The tribes have their own religious practices. Few of them believe in the Sun and Moon God, few in their local deity called ‘Rangfrah’, a few of them believe in spirits. Christianity and Buddhism is also a major religion in Miao.

The traditional tribal houses are huts made of wood and have interesting bamboo sticks as a base. The houses are built on the hill top which has a stony and completely uneven base. Hence to create an even platform they erect a number of bamboo sticks and using this as a platform they build bamboo huts on it with bamboo staircase to climb up. This elevation also protects them from the attack of animals and insects.

The historical background of Miao and its district Changlang is very ambiguous. It reminaed isolated from the rest of the country for a very long time. The source of the tribal settlements here is not very clear. Historians say that it was ruled by the Ahom Kingdom, the rulers of Assam in the 13^th century. The Ahoms came into contact with the tribes who were referred to as the Eastern Nagas. Most of the tribes had conflicts with the Ahoms though a few of them were in friendly terms. During the reign of the Ahom king Gadadhar Singha, the tribes raided the Ahom salt mine in 1692 and killed twenty three people. This aggravated the conflict and a war broke out. Finally the tribe agreed on a settlement.

Finally after the British entered the zone in the 18^th century and the Treaty of Yandabo was signed between Assam and the British that led to Assam and its neighboring areas including the Changlang territory coming under the control of the British in1826. The British did not focus towards any development of the tribes. The tribe gradually began to settle down in plains and began cultivation.In the early 20^th century the policies of the government changed and since then the economic condition of the tribes began to improve.Changlang territory was a part of Tirap district until 14th November 1987, when it was bifurcated from Tirap and declared as a separate district with Changlang city as its district headquarters.Tribes, Ahom Kingdom, British were the prominent rulers.Miao is famous for the Namdapha Tiger Reserve located here.

The spectacular view of Miao will make you spell bound. Miao in Arunachal Pradesh is the homeland of Tibetan refugees and thus amply reflects the Tibetan culture there. The people of that area mostly talk in Tutsa, Tangsa, Assamese and Singpho. Besides these, English and Hindi language are also very common in that place. The folks of Miao are very good weavers and the carpets produced by them are of high fashion and quality.

The sightseeing of Miao includes the mini zoo which though small in size is the abode of many wild animals. Even the Namdapha National Park which is rich in vegetation, is the homeland of many wild animals and acquires a distinctive place as a popular tourist destination in Miao of Arunachal Pradesh. Veneer and Plywood mills are also some popular places for the tourists there.

For accommodation at Miao, the tourists can avail a room at the Miao Tourist Lodge. Even the Circuit House has also enough accommodation facility for the tourists who visit in large numbers every year. Advance reservation is required from the Extra Assistant Commissioner.

One can avail a gypsy or jeep from Dibrugarh airport or Margherita railway station to come down to this place. The intrepid travelers may enjoy angling, trekking and hiking in Miao. The best time to visit the Miao at Arunachal Pradesh are the months between October to November.A visit to Arunachal Pradesh Miao will give your soul immense pleasure yet at a much reasonable expense.