Seven Sisters of India: states, map and why the name

The Seven Sisters are the seven contiguous states of Northeast India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The name came from a 1970s journalist conference and stuck: seven states, tied together by history, tribal cultures and one tenuous road and rail corridor through the Siliguri neck. Sikkim joined the North Eastern Council in 2002 and is called the only brother.

Why are they called the Seven Sisters?

All seven states were part of colonial Assam, became states between 1963 (Nagaland) and 1987 (Arunachal and Mizoram), and share international borders with five countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Nepal-touching corridors. They are “sisters” because they rise and fall together, connected to the rest of India through a 22km-wide chicken neck near Siliguri.

The sisters, one line each

• Arunachal Pradesh: dawn-lit mountains, Tawang and the 400-year-old monastery. Start here.
• Assam: tea, one-horned rhinos of Kaziranga, the Brahmaputra and gateway airport Guwahati.
• Manipur: Loktak’s floating islands and the sangai deer. Status-first guide.
• Meghalaya: the wettest places on earth, living root bridges, Shillong.
• Mizoram: blue hill ranges, the calmest of the sisters. Guide.
• Nagaland: seventeen tribes, the Hornbill Festival, Khonoma and Dzukou.
• Tripura: palaces and the colossal carvings of Unakoti. Guide.

How to visit the seven sisters

Nobody sees all seven in one trip and nobody should try. Most first visits run one of three lines: Assam plus Meghalaya, Sikkim-style Arunachal (Tawang), or December’s Nagaland festival circuit. Permits matter: Arunachal, Nagaland (outside Hornbill week) and Mizoram need an ILP, all explained in our permit guide.

Quick answers

Why are they called seven sisters of India? Seven contiguous states carved from old Assam, named at a 1970s conference; Sikkim, joined later, is the brother.

How many states are in North East India? Seven sisters plus Sikkim: eight states under the North Eastern Council.

Which is the best sister to visit first? Assam and Meghalaya for ease, Nagaland in December for the Hornbill Festival, Arunachal for mountains.

Planning the grand tour? Message us, we build seven-sisters trips for a living, or browse our itineraries.