Introduction

Lying in the southernmost outpost of North Eastern India, Mizoram is often called as the land of the whispering winds. It has a mild climate, comfortable in summer 20 to 29 °C and never freezing during winter, with temperatures from 7 to 21 °C.Mizoram is the land of the Mizos or the Highlanders who belong to the Mongoloid race.

Evergreen ranges of Mizoram hills with blooms of exotic flora and thick bamboo jungles rise sharply from the plains of Assam in a north south direction. These hills and plunging gorges are crisscrossed by gushing rivers and sparkling waterfalls. The cities of Mizoram are cocooned by the mighty mystic mountains and rare flora and fauna. On the contrary of these woods are the precipitous hills with lavish green fields. The meandering river with a graceful gait and shimmering waterfalls make up the exorbitant atmosphere of the state.

The Land

Mizoram is a land of rolling hills, valleys, rivers and lakes. As many as 21 major hill ranges or peaks of different heights run through the length and breadth of the state, with small plains scattered here and there. The average height of the hills to the west of the state is about 1,000 metres. These gradually rise up to 1,300 metres to the east. Some areas, however, have higher ranges which go up to a height of over 2,000 metres. Phawngpui Tlang also known as the Blue Mountain, situated in the south-eastern part of the state, is the highest peak in Mizoram at 2,210 metres.

The People

Three words: Social, Amicable and Affectionate explain in short who the Mizos are.Mizos are a close-knit society with no class distinction.They are a perfect host, very friendly and cordial who know no discrimination on the basis of gender. The Mizo code of ethics focused on "Tlawmngaihna", an untranslatable term meaning that it is the obligation to all members of the society to be hospitable, kind, unselfish, and helpful to others. Tlawmngaihna to a Mizo stands for that compelling moral force which finds expression in self-sacrifice for the service of others.

According to 2011 census report, there are 1,091,014 people living in Mizoram. The state has literacy rate of 91.58%, second only to Kerala. It scores approximately 93.4% in sanitation. Mizoram also has the 2nd highest urbanization rate in India with 22 towns included.

The Culture

Endowed with a rich and colourful culture, the Mizos are passionately drawn to dance and songs. They have a rich repertoire of community dances and songs reflecting their mirthful nature which has been handed down for generations. In fact, the Mizos are a singing community and still prolific with new songs and Christian hymns to this day. Festivals, weddings, death of a person and calamity are occasions involving the whole village community.

Though mostly Christians and greatly influenced by the Western lifestyle, the Mizos cling to their rich cultural heritage, colourful customs and lively traditions. The festivals and dances of the Mizos have a unique tribal flavour. Other than Christmas and New Year's Day which are the most popular festivals, Chapchar Kut, a festival marking the end of the laborious clearing of jungles for the year's cultivation during the first week of March, is another occasion celebrated with much gusto. The most popular dances of Mizoram are Cheraw, Khual Lam and Chheih Lam.

Mizos are adept artisans and their weaving is simply superb. The motifs, the patterns, the designs, the colors, the styles all are precisely traditional in nature. The Mizo women weave peculiar and traditional patterns on their looms. The designs they weave on shawls and ‘Mizo Puan’ (worn by women), for instance, is typical to the state handed down from one generation to the other.

This write-up on the State of Mizoram is just an introduction to the land and its people. It is not meant to be an exhaustive or authoritative document.