Culture & Food
Each region of the east has its own festivals, crafts and kitchen — and they are very different from one another.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
A mix of settler communities from Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Myanmar alongside indigenous island peoples. Island Tourism Festival in the winter is the biggest gathering.
Odisha
Odissi dance, pattachitra scroll painting, stone and silver filigree work, and the huge Rath Yatra chariot procession in Puri.
West Bengal
Durga Puja transforms Kolkata each autumn with lit pandals and art installations; year-round there is theatre, terracotta temples and Baul folk music.
Meghalaya
Khasi, Garo and Jaintia communities with matrilineal traditions, bamboo crafts, and the Nongkrem and Wangala harvest dances.
What to eat
Seafood on the islands, rice and mustard on the plains, smoke and herbs in the hills.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Odisha
West Bengal
Meghalaya
Local etiquette
Temples
Remove shoes and leather items; some shrines admit Hindus only.
Photography
Ask before photographing people, and never photograph indigenous island communities.
Markets
Cash is still king in small towns and on the islands — carry small notes.