Its not the hills
Its not the falls
Which makes you fall
But its the beauty which reigns .......
That makes you ..
That makes you fall!
.... ...Lying in the state of Arunachal Pradesh at a height of 11,155ftnear
the Indo -
Bhutan border is the
land of Hidden Paradise. Its a place where poetry comes alive naturally.
Flashback :
This land of Dawn - lit Mountains was mainly inhabitied by Monpa people,
who reigned the Mon kingdom that stretches from Tawang right up to Sikkim.
The Mon Kingdom was later on absorbed by the neighbouring Bhutan and
Tibet. Later on Tawang Monastery
was formed.
The Tawang monastery was founded by the Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1681 in
accordance to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Nagwang Lobsang Gyatso.
After India severed Tawang off from Tibet, it was not until 1962 when
Chinese troops occupied Tawang during the Sino-Indian War, destroying
portions of the monastery. The valiant last stand of Mahavir Chakra awardee
Jaswant Singh Rawat took place in Tawang. After the voluntary withdrawal of
Chinese troops, Tawang was once again under the control of India. The Tawang
district broke off from the West Kameng district in 1984.
Today, Tawang serves as a center for tourist attractions, thanks to the
preserved beauty of the Tawang monastery.
Tawang at its best
- Urqelling Monastery : If you want to
visit one of the birthplaces of the Dalai Lamas, this place is the
one to go for -5 kms away from Tawang its the birthplace of the 6th
Dalai Lama.
- Sangeshar Lake : The myraid lake which
makes Tawang look splendid is a place to sit by.
- Lohsar and Tagya Festivals : If you
happen to visit Tawang in the month of January - Feburary you should
see the Losar and Torgya festivals which are held in these months
when lama dance and religious rituals prove a big draw.
- Hot water springs : Known for their
Therauptic Values; (the Thingbu and Tsachu hot water springs) its a
must to have a dip in one of them - especially if you have some
incurable disesase.
Where and Why
Its a picture postcard place - its mountains, waterfalls, greenery and
the hills - all attributing and adding to the beauty of the hill
station.
Began your journey from Tezpur - the linking way to Tawang - in a cab,
passing by the Se La Pass and Peak - admiring its great dragon wind -
swept gateway (its also the worlds highest - at 13,714 ft).
Moored highup in the mountain ranges of himalayas, at a feet of 3500
mts - this land of Monpas landed me in a ethernal land. On dropping
here, talk a walk around this land of beauty. Walk among the awesome
mountain views, remote hamlets, quaint and sleepy people, and tranquil
lakes. The whole atmosphere is breathtaking. Take phtographs as many as
you want for there is nothing like the beauty of the hills. Settle out
on one of those sleek benches with a few feet high wooden tables. The
tea - a mix of milk and sugar came with added ginger and moms. Enjoy
this little treat.
Now there are so many lakes around that you almost loose count of them
but still they are bound to make your journey to the Tawang Monastery
more easy. Tawang monastry is a place where peace reigns in all its
splendour. Sit here as the chantings overtake your senses. The monastry
last visited by Dalai Lama in 1960); has the 26FT-HIGH GILDED BUDDHA
(housed in the inner sanctum embellished by a mural rich ceiling
supported by gilded pillars.
Take some photographs of the Buddha statue; ann then move forward to
see the library. You will be amazed by the vastness of the hall and the
precious manuscripts, rare gold lettered Buddhist scriptures, ritual
vessels and Tangkhas of great antiquity. There is also the craft centre
in the monastry which laid down the various crafts of Arunachal Pradesh.
They say very natural occurences can match the signs and sounds of
waterfall. Lose yourself in this sound as you move onwards to see the
Nuraneng (42KMS away from Tawang) and the Babteng - Kang falls. The only
thing you can do here is sit by the falls and admire the beauty and
stillness of the falls.
There is also something which you can't go amiss - the hot water
springs at Thingbu and Tsachu. Known for their therapeutic values a dip
in one of them is must. If Kerala (South India) is known world over for
its Ayurvedic therapies; Tawang is famous for its hot water springs
(similar to the hot water springs in South Africa). End your day with
the Arunachal Pradeshs speciality - the Butter Tea.
Suggestions
- Its quite cold in Tawang - so do take warm
woolen clothes with you to cover especially head and feet.
- The best dress is either the Track Pants or the
Denims along with some cottons.
- Its advisable to keep some snacks during the
entire tour of yours.
- You need to take a permit from Govt. of India
for visiting Tawang.. For the permit and other necessities, contact
us.
- Book a hotel in advance and try to take a guided
tour if on a individal tour. Or ask your travel to book a hotel for
you in advance.
