Interesting facts

1. Ziro is the district headquarters of the Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh. 2. The valley is famously home to the Apatani tribe, a non-nomadic, agrarian community. 3. Older Apatani women are identifiable by their distinctive facial tattoos and large wooden nose plugs called *yaping hurlo*. 4. Ziro sits at an elevation of approximately 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level. 5. The Ziro Festival of Music, held annually in September, is one of India's most famous outdoor eco-music festivals. 6. The Apatani Cultural Landscape is officially on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. 7. The Apatani people practice a unique system of paddy-cum-fish cultivation, rearing fish in the flooded rice fields. 8. Unlike many other agrarian tribes, the Apatanis do not use farm animals or tractors to plow their fields. 9. Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, located near Ziro, is a highly protected bio-diversity zone featuring giant ferns and orchids. 10. Ziro is divided into two main parts: Ziro (the old town/villages) and Hapoli (the newer commercial center). 11. The local indigenous religion is Donyi-Polo, which centers on the worship of the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo). 12. Tall bamboo poles called *Babo* are erected in Apatani villages to symbolize the community's strength and are used in acrobatics during festivals. 13. *Lapang* are large wooden platforms found in the villages, serving as gathering places for community elders and councils. 14. The Tarin Fish Farm in Ziro is a high-altitude fish breeding center that supplies seeds for the paddy-cum-fish culture. 15. Kile Pakho is a ridge in Ziro that offers a panoramic view of the Ziro valley on one side and the snow-clad Himalayas on the other. 16. The Meghna Cave Temple is an ancient rock temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, discovered in the 1960s. 17. Another major religious site is the Sidheshwarnath Temple at Kardo, which features a massive, naturally formed Shiva Linga. 18. The Dree Festival (July) and Myoko Festival (March) are the two most important agricultural festivals of the Apatani tribe. 19. Ziro is characterized by rolling hills heavily forested with meticulously maintained bamboo and pine groves. 20. The traditional local beverage is *Apong*, a mildly alcoholic rice or millet beer brewed in local households.