The northeastern part of India is unlike the India we know, unlike the India we see. It's unique, it's distinctive, it's offbeat. The food, the people, the weather and the lifestyle are all diverse. However, there are two things they are really passionate about - music and football. And so when the eight sister states of the region combined to make one football team, there was bound to be mass hysteria.
NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) is the team that we are talking about, of course. The team has united the small, and often ostracized part of the country to celebrate for one cause - football.
Nicolas Leandro Velez, the Argentine forward who was signed for the club last season, feels that love. He is back for another season with the "Highlanders" after a good stint the first time around. Speaking exclusively to ESPN, the footballer says the reason for coming back to India has been simple -- the people.
"The real reason is the love of the fans. They give me support so I really appreciate it. So when I got a call from John (John Abraham, the owner), I didn't have to think for more than five minutes. I feel like home here. I feel like home with all the staff. I'm very happy, I am very comfortable here so that's why I am here once again," says Velez.
The Indian Super League has attracted quite a few big names. Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires, Roberto Carlos and this year Diego Forlan to name a few. But what attracts them to the come to India? Is it the money? Or are they genuinely interested in helping India become good at football? Velez, 26, says for him it's the experience that he revels in.
"The best part of the league is I think when we play the games -- the fans, the stadiums. Every stadium you go to, you see the fans. They are crazy. So I think the ISL is very attractive to everyone"
However, NEUFC players in general face a major problem: travel. Kolkata and Delhi are the closest to Guwahati, the place they host their matches, but travelling to Mumbai, Pune, Cochin, Kerala and Goa every few days is not ideal when you need to play 90 minutes of football for seven games in a month.
"I don't like to travel," says Velez. "For us, we are too far. But, we can't do nothing (anything) about that."
The forward says travel is the biggest problem, but after having scored five goals in his first season and having played an important role in NEUFC's first win against Kerala Blasters this year, the River Plate youth academy product says life has to go on and he wants to try and go all the way this time with NEUFC.
"I want to try and score more goals than last season. I will work very hard in training and in every game and give my 100 percent. This season we have to somehow reach the playoff and hope that we can win the title. There are a lot of new players in the team and there is big potential."
The ISL has provided a major platform for lesser-known Indian players to shine. Jeje Lalpekhlua, for instance, hails from Mizoram and had a fantastic season with Chennaiyin FC in 2015. He is now a household name after making a mark in the national team as well.
"The Indian players always work hard," says Velez. "They give their best in training, every game. They never stop to run in. They are very good talents in India. Last season we had very good players, this season also we have good Indian players. The infrastructure is very good, but it could be better. Next year when the league will be little bit longer it will help Indian football."
Before coming to India, Velez played for Warriors Football Club in the S-League, the top tier league in Singapore. He scored an impressive 21 goals in 26 appearances, second only to Brazilian Rodrigo Tosi (24 goals) to help Warriors FC to the 2014-15 league title. While we might think the conditions in Singapore and India for playing football are similar, Velez says there is a stark contrast.
"The fans and the passion is different. Here in India they love football. They are crazy about football. This is the big difference from Singapore. There is also a different style of life and they see football as something spectacular. They don't have this passion for football."
With new coach Nelo Vingada at the helm at NEUFC, Velez will be looking to build on a good first season with the highlanders, who have an added advantage because of the passion that resonates in the region.You can never underestimate the energy of 20,000 people cheering for you. If NEUFC make their home difficult for their opponents, as Velez says, a shot at the title is a sane expectation.