Spellbound… in Arunachal
Monday, March 24th, 2008If there is one place in the Northeast where nature seems to be at its best, it must be Arunachal Pradesh. Blue-green hills, gurgling streams, winding rivers, and breathtaking scenery – Arunachal Pradesh presents a serene and tranquil atmosphere, offering respite to weary souls.
Boarding a flight from Kolkata we reached Guwahati, from where we drove to Tezpur which is about 200 kilometres away. The very next morning we hit the trail, and 60 kilometres later, we arrived at Bhalukpong, the gateway to Arunachal Pradesh. It is still a restricted area; foreigners need a government permit and even Indians are required to carry an inner line permit. Located at the farthest point in the Northeastern part of India, Arunachal Pradesh occupies a strategic position amongst the other Northeastern hill states of the country. Known as the Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains, it shares its borders with Bhutan in the west, China in the north and northeast, and Myanmar (former Burma) in the east and southeast. Assam lies to its south.
AMAZING SIGHTS
Our destination for the day was Dirang via Bomdila. An interesting stop-over point is Tipi which boasts of some rare collection of orchids. The journey from Sessa and Neciphu (two sleepy hamlets), and Tenga (an army camp set in sylvan surroundings), was uneventful. But gradually, as the plains gave way to the rugged terrain, we began to ascend the hills at regular intervals. If at one point we were at 5500 ft, fifty minutes later we would descend to 2500 ft. Such a big difference in altitude was thoroughly supplemented by visual treats that were as amazing as they were almost unbelievable. The alpine features of the lofty Himalayan ranges are plenty, and the rocky formations are interspersed with streams and cascades that seemed to leap, dance and flash silver in the sunshine, lending an interesting slant to the mountainscape.
Two very beautiful rivers – the Kameng and the Tenga – provide a soothing sight to the eyes. The intense blue of the river waters finds a pale echo in the canopy of the sky. Turn in any direction and as far as you eye can see, the picture is a motif of a green stretch of vibrant flora. Even for the most absent-minded traveller, it is difficult to miss this amazing kaleidoscope of nature’s bounties.
BOMDILLA
Standing at an altitude of 8500 ft, Bomdilla – situated 109 kilometres from Bhalukpong – is surrounded by rolling hills. Adding charm and mystique to the town is the presence of two Buddhist monasteries : the upper monastery and the lower monastery. Sombre, holy and exclusive, the upper monastery is a world far different from the one we live in. In the lower monastery, a gaggle of young lamas adopt us as their new friends. The craft centre here is an interesting display of woodwork, carpet-weaving, spinning and items made of silver. But, perhaps the most stunning spot in the town – both for researchers and laymen, is the district museum.
Arunachal Pradesh with its screen of wilderness, hides a population of numerous tribes. And this museum, with its limited but valuable collections like pakcha, chandung, chuskar – which are native gadgets of the tribes – speaks volumes about their inscrutable world.
A mysterious and poignant note of melancholy floats in the air in Bomdilla. In 1962, the Chinese had reached up to this point, halted and retreated. They left behind a trail of destruction, and several hundred Army men who were martyred. Along the entire route are war memorials, erected in honour of the dead soldiers.
Further away from Bomdilla is Dirang located at 5500 ft. It provides a picture of idyllic bliss. The gurgling Dirang river and the foot suspension bridge present an amazing sight and are waiting to be savoured.
THE MONPAS
The route we are traversing belongs to west Kameng district, inhabited mainly by the Monpas. The age-old Monpa houses with orange corncobs, hanging in branches from verandah roofs, are a sight for sore eyes. Prior to our trip, our doubts about a potential language problem were laid to rest by officials who assured us that the Monpas understand Hindi perfectly. But, it would not have been difficult to converse otherwise in the universal language of smiles with which the Monpas greet a stranger.Th eir gestures are a stark reminder to the decreasing trend of cordial hospitality. Evidently, the world of Monpas is a nice balance between traditionalism and hi-tech modernism, a world not frozen in time but that which is tranquil.
Next morning after crossing Sangrila, an Army camp which is located at 11,000 ft, we are on our way to Se-La. La stands for pass in the local language. Sixty-four kilometres away from Dirang, it is a very diffi cult and rugged terrain. To add to our woes, our car had to negotiate the bends through a dense fog, making it almost impossible to see if we were going the right way. Inside the car, a chilling awareness engulfed us that invisible gorges were lying beside, and one wrong move would have meant certain death.
The sight of the entrance to Se-La was a pleasant relief to us. From here onwards, began our ascent to Tawang. At a height of 13,714 ft, you feel a biting cold in Se-La. As we raced towards Jang, we came across a martyr’s corner. In the war of 1962, rifleman Jaswant Singh gave away his life to save a place called Nuranang. A memorial has been erected here in his honour called Jaswant Garh – the Bastion of Sacrifice.
As we moved on, the sight of cool and mossy nooks gurgling with crystal springs, the winding hilly road, picture-perfect villages nestled on distant slopes and the sound of the crickets’ song – made us lose track of time. However, we realised later that this enchanting panaroma was just a preface, and that, an even more breath-taking scenery awaited us as we approached Nuranang waterfall. Cascading down a steep green rock, this milky-white, magnificent and majestic cataract merging into the azure Tawang river was enough to mesmerise us. I blinked several times to make sure it was not a dream.
Another eighteen kilometres later, we reached Lohu, a hamlet of pristine beauty. From here, Tawang was just twenty kilometers away
TAWANG
The origin of the name Tawang is steeped in a queer legend. The site for the local Gaden Namgyl Lhatse Monastery which is now more than 400 years old was initially spotted with the help of the horse of Mera lama. The lama gave the name Tawang to this place which means “blessed by the horse”.
From a distance, Gaden Namgyl Lhatse Monastery popularly known as Tawang monastery, looks like a fl oating ship. Once you enter it, the awesome interior makes you feel that it is a collage of mystery and aesthetic charm. The museum inside is a vast treasure-trove of rare manuscripts, scrolls, ivoryware, coins of Tibet and other curios.
The Tawang war memorial is also worth a visit, even if only to serve as a reminder of the army men who were martyred in the 1962 war. Photographs of the mortal remains of the soldiers being carried by yaks were a poignant reminder to us and a sadness gripped our hearts as we left the place.
Tawang town at a height of 10,800 ft is like any other found in the hills. But, excursions around the town will take you to peripheral places where one encounters sudden and inexplicable vistas of beauty.
Arunachal Pradesh receives the first rays of the morning sun. A dazzlingly bright sunny day greets us the moment we peep out of the window at 5:30 a.m., and we decide to head for Pankang Teng Tso (P. T. Tso – tso stands for lake) and Shungatser lake. Along the way, we could see abandoned bunkers on the road which are also a reminder of the war.
Stopping at Nagu-La, 16 kilometres from Tawang and standing at 14,500 ft was the frozen P. T. Tso, topped with snow. Never before had we seen such bewildering nuances of snow – snow like white satin, white lather, snow falling like tiny white balls and like white marble. The adjoining black and brown foothills, the seasonal flora with flaming and fi ery colours of red, yellow and green and the ravishing snow provided such a beautiful contrast – it was enough to keep our eyeballs popped.
SHUNGATSER LAKE
We had to move on as we had yet to see Shungatser lake. We reached Bumla point at a height of 14,615 ft which incidentally was the highest spot on the trip. After quite a long drive in another direction, one can reach the Chinese border. But, this zone is off -limits for civilians. A little later, we began descending the mountain and fi nally reached Shungatser lake. Nestled at a height of 13,500 ft, the sight makes you speechless. You can feel it, admire it but can never express it eloquently.
If you want to experience what ecstasy stands for, then Tawang is just the place for you. It is a place with music for the heart, soul and body. Here, every spot will off er you a stopover point to realize how much more incredible than dreams can reality be.
Tags: army camp, assam, beauties, breathtaking scenery, farthest point, hamlets, hill states, himalayan ranges, intense blue, kameng, rare collection, restricted area, river waters, rocky formations, rugged terrain, sessa, sylvan surroundings, tezpur, tranquil atmosphere, weary souls, west china
