Saiha District

Saiha District is one of the districts of Mizoram. It is situated on the southernmost fringe of the North-eastern region of India and is bordering Myanmar on the eastern and southern side. It has its administrative headquarters at Saiha town. Saiha District is surrounded by Lunglei district on the north and northwest and by Lawngtlai district on the west. It covers an area of 1399.9 sq kms. Saiha District has a total population of 60,000 as per the 2001 census. Saiha, the district headquarters, is the third most developed and also the third most populous town in Mizoram. It is also the capital of the third largest tribe, the Maras in Mizoram.

Administratively, Saiha District is divided into two blocks namely Saiha and Tuipang. Saiha block has 37 Village Councils and Tuipang block has 41 Village Councils. The district area comes under Mara Autonomous District Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The Councils function like mini- Legislative Assemblies with powers to pass their own laws and rules, subject to approval by the Administrator (Governor of Mizoram).

Tourism in Saiha District, Mizoram, is known for its exquisite natural beauty and for housing ancient monuments. The place also depicts the tribal culture and their history. Nature adorns the district beautifully attracting a plethora of tourists from different parts of the country. Dense forest, majestic hills and enchanting lakes are the most amazing features of the tourism in Saiha District. The district has also well preserved the ancient cultural heritage of the district.

Siaha
Siaha serves as the capital of Maraland Autonomous District Council. It ranks third in the state of Mizoram in terms of population as well as development. Siaha is also the capital town of the Maras, which is the third largest tribe in Mizoram. It is also enlisted among the eight district headquarters of the state.

Saikao
The mission headquarter of the Missionaries of Maraland is situated in Saikao. The place was selected owing to its ideal geographic location and language of the people. One of the major tourist attractions in Saikao is the House of the Missionaries, built several decades ago. It still stands intact exhibiting a unique beauty. The wood used to build it was imported from the dense forest of Myanmar. It has also been declared by the Archaeological Survey of Maraland as a significant monument of the district. Saikao also serves as the headquarters of Congregational Church of India, Maraland. This church denomination ranks second largest in Maraland. Lorrain Ville is another tourist attraction which is a beautiful and picturesque street where London missionaries live since 1920s. The town also house a cemetery where the departed missionaries are buried. Saikao is also well known for being the town where the Mara tribes were evangelized by the first three mission pioneers of Mizoram. Mara tribes are starkly different from Paites, Lusheis, Hmar tribes in terms of culture, language and stature.

Mount Mawma
Mount Mawma is another tourist attraction of Saiha District situated in Mara Autonomous District Council and is the highest mountain in Maraland. In the state of Mizoram, it is the fifth highest mountain. It is located in south east region of the state and about 15 kilometres from the international boundary of India with Myanmar.

Pala Tipo Lake
Pala Tipo Lake, also known as Pala Lake is located in the western region of Maraland spanning an area of about 30 Hectare. It is the largest lake of Mizoram. Dense forest with a pristine beauty encircles the lake. A variety of wild animals, including elephant, are found wandering around the lake. Initiatives have been taken by the Mizoram Government to develop and beautify this place from tourism perspective.