The Sundarbans and the Northeast

Back from the islands towards the eastern Himalayas we reach the Sundarbans, in the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries: a rare mix of river, sea and land.

About half is in India and half in Bangladesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Its mangroves, trees that grow in salty water with tangled roots, hold the muddy delta together.

Last stop: the hills of the Northeast. The Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills, part of the Meghalaya Plateau, are green, wet and full of waterfalls, like the Seven Sisters Falls. This area gets some of the highest rainfall in the world. The Khasi people celebrate Shad Suk Mynsiem to thank nature.

Mawlynnong village in the East Khasi Hills is called the cleanest village in Asia, with bamboo dustbins and eco-friendly living.

It also has living root bridges: people weave tree roots across a stream over many years until they form a bridge. It is grown, not built, and gets stronger as it gets older.

The chapter's summing-up: from the snowy Himalayas to the hot Thar, from river-fed plains to the plateau between two seas, India's varied geography has created different soils, plants, animals, ways of life and jobs, and has shaped a rich culture and civilisation.