The Road ‘Barely’ Travelled – Journey to the hidden paradise, Tawang

Brimming with cultural, national and military history, there are a few places that can be as enticing as Tawang. Located in the north western part of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Bhutan on the west and Tibet on the north, it houses the largest Buddhist monastery in the world (outside Lhasa), it is the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, has one of the highest motorable passes in the world, is also the site of the historic 1962 Indo Sino war, and till date China claims it as their territory.

From Tezpur onwards it is all uphill. Once we entered Arunachal Pradesh via Bhalukpong, we could witness the sudden change in the air. Located along the Kameng river, Bhalukpong is a hub for wide water rafting. There is something transitional about Bhalukpong. From a Hindu surrounding there is a sudden shift towards Buddhist influence, with prayer flags and small chortens adorning the roads.

I was lucky to bump into some men from the Nishing tribe. Wearing their long hair tied up in a knot just above the forehead, called the Padum, the Nishings can be easily distinguished and they were more than happy to be photographed.

A quite valley that sounds of the bubbling brook, Tenga is a very small town which can be crossed in barely 5 minutes. Low clouds surrounded by mountains and the melodious flow of water, it is the kind of place Ruskin Bond would have chosen to write a story.

 If this is too laid-back for you, then Tenga also has monasteries and a bird sanctuary nearby, ready to be explored. The Chillipam monastery, atop the mountain and old fort ruins at Rupa are worth visiting.

The road to Tawang is filled as much with history as is Tawang itself. After crossing towns like Bombdila(known for its apple orchids) & Dirang(known for its therapeutic hot springs), we climb higher until we reach the gateway to Tawang, Sela pass. S

ela pass which stands at 13, 700 ft above sea level, ornamented with colourful prayer flags fluttering in the chilling wind and a fantastic view of the Sela lake, makes it one of the most beautiful if not the highest motorable mountain pass in the world. By now my nose was red with cold and ears blocked due to the high altitude.

Nestled in the arms of white mountain peaks, a little ahead of Sela is the Jaswantgarh War Memorial. Epitome of bravery and courage, according to legend, a sepoy of the Indian Army named Jaswant Singh fought all alone against the Chinese soldiers and the treacherous weather for three days during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his courage posthumously. This epic route is incomplete without one paying their respects at the war memorial.

On a clear day, one can see the Tawang monastery, as soon as you move downwards from here. As we drove towards Tawang, the landscape changes drastically, the green meadows were dotted with big hairy yaks and cascading waterfalls along the road.

Closer to Tawang, we could see people from the Monpa tribe along the road. You can differentiate from their distinct attire and their traditional hat made of yak hair.

After acclimatizing for a day, which is not enough, we head towards the epic Bumla pass. They say Tawang is the land of 101 lakes. I don’t know if 101 exists today but we crossed at least 4- 5 lakes, of varied sizes and in various states of freeze. The road to Bumla is considered significant since it is from here that the Chinese marched into India during the 1962 Indo- Sino conflict. Bumla pass, situated at the Indo-China border is situated at 16,500 ft above sea level is covered with heavy snow for most part of the year. This pass is also of great historic importance since it is through this pass Dalai Lama entered India while escaping from Tibet.

Another 40 kms through the snow covered route and we reach Sangester lake, also known as Madhuri lake since one song from the Bollywood movie Koyla starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri was shot here. Can’t say much about the glamour quotient but with the fog down, and dead trees protruding, it is one of the most breathtakingly and sinister looking lake.

I kept the best for the last. My final day in Tawang and I finally paid homage at the mammothian Tawang monastery. Its sheer size itself can be overwhelming. With a capacity of housing more than 700 monks, it is one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the world. The main altar with it’s 27 ft high statue of Lord Buddha streams with pilgrims who come from near and far to seek blessings. The air inside felt heavy with the aroma of incense stick and smell from the burning of the yak butter candle, all together.

Tawang is also of major religious significance since the 6th Dalai Lama was born here. A small shrine, known as the Urgelling gompa, is built here to venerate this holy ground. On the lawns I finally got a chance to interact with some people of the Monpa tribe. We could only speak the universal language of a smile, but it was evident that they were as curious and intrigued about me as I was about them.