Mooreed high up in the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, at 3500 meters above sea level is Tawang-the beautiful land of Monpas. With sobriquets like :The Hidden Paradise or Land of Dawn-lit mountains; this land evokes images of awesome mountain views, remote hamlets, quaint and sleepy villages, magical Gonpas, tranquil lakes and allot more. At Tawang, you have a heavenly tryst with nature at its best and the heady mixture of history, religion and legends. The area of the district is approximately 2,085-sq-kms bordered by Tibet in the North, Bhutan in the Southwest and Sela ranges separate West Kameng district in the East. The name Tawang derives from some bearings on surroundings. But people's interpretation is that the name Tawang was given by Merak Lama in the 17th century. The inhabitants of the districts are all of Monpa tribes. The Monpas belong to Mongoloid stock, are well built, and fair in complexion. Their houses are built with stones and timbers. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are the fundamental means of the Monpas occupation.
This is the route through which the Chinese soldiers entered Indian Territory, almost unchallenged, in 1962. This is where the Golden Pagoda shines from atop a hill, 3500 meters above sea level. This is the land of orchids, quaint sounding lakes and the handsome Monpa tribe. I was on my way to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, snuggling at the Himalayan foothills on India’s North East. Tawang literally means the land of the rising sun.
We started our journey from Tezpur, the pretty little town on the north bank of the Brahmaputra on New Year’s Day. Locals warned us that we would have to return from Bomdila, halfway to Tawang, because there had been heavy snowing during the previous days and the road could be closed. But we had faith in the efficiency of the Indian army, whose border road maintenance crew could not leave this vital road closed for long.
We were right. The road was open, but just enough. Bomdila, where we spent a night, was a picture-postcard landscape. Under the bright blue sky, blobs of white stood like a thermocol set design in a children’s school-play. The lakes were frozen solid on which the bare trees cast dark shadows, creating an illusion of a Japanese painting. The steep road was slushy with melted snow and the valley dipped off out of sight down below, but the expert Nepali driver of our jeep was nonchalant. Perhaps we should have chosen the tourist season (September-October or April) but coming from a hot climate, this fairyland in white was worth the bone-chilling cold. You had to just leave behind your fear of heights and enjoy!
On way to Bomdila we stopped for a while at the Orchid Research Centre at Tipi on the bank of river Jia-Bharali (Kameng upstream). The State Government project gives visitors a glimpse of this exotic plant. Arunachal has more then 600 species of orchids. Some of them like the “Ladies Sleeper” variety are indigenous to the land and there is a prohibition on taking them outside the state. The road through the beautiful Dirang valley offered spectacular views of rivers, hills and grassland merging into one. Who needs a trip to Switzerland?
For the people of the North East, however, Bomdila, will forever be a symbol of the historical Himalayan blunder. The Chinese invaders reached here and it would have been a cakewalk for them to enter the Assam valley to the south had not been a ceasefire called under international pressure. The lesson has been learnt the hard way but learnt well; the meticulously maintained roads, the frequent army camps are proof. At Jaswant Singh Garh, near the Bumla Pass, the story of heroism of some Indian soldiers is retold. This is where Jaswant Singh of the 4th Battalion Garhwal Rifles held off the enemy for 72 hours single-handedly. He ran from bunker to bunker- firing and creating an illusion of many soldiers present. Two local girls helped him to carry the ammunition. The story goes that rather than give in when the Chinese soldiers were at their doorstep, Singh hanged himself. Army convoys on the way to the border make it a point to stop and pay homage at the beautifully maintained memorial. The jawans (soldiers of the Indian army) at the outpost treat everybody passing through with tea.
We often hear about the bitter weather conditions that soldiers have to face at the Siachen border in the north. At Sela Pass at 14,000 ft we could feel that for ourselves. For as soon as we got down, the whining wind and freezing cold almost knocked us out. We literally scooted to the warmth of a make-do cafeteria with its warm brazier.
Till 1951, Tawang (also called Monyul) was under the Tibetan government. Its claim to fame is the 400 years old Tawang Monastery belonging to the Galukpa faction of the Mahayana sect of Buddhism. The huge fort-like monastery can house more than 700 monks. The name denotes ‘founded by the horse’ (Ta= horse: Wang= chosen). Legend has it that, following wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Mera Lama set out in 1681 searching for a place to construct a monastery. One day after prayer for guidance, he found his horse standing at a spot on a hill-top quietly and took it as a divine sign. Locals helped build the monastery and even today they are responsible for looking after it. Inside, the huge 30 ft gilded Buddha made of wood sits serenely amidst priceless tankhas (scroll-paintings) and Buddhist artifacts. The priest-guide said that the whole structure was brought from Tibet, piece by piece, on horseback and assembled here. The whole atmosphere is of a reverential silence except for the chanting of the monks. Attached is also a museum which displays ancient manuscripts, and precious artifacts, evocative of the centuries-old Indo-Tibet Buddhist trail.
The local people, the Monpas, are a handsome tribe, peace loving and courteous. Religion plays a dominant role in their lives. There are a number of separate monasteries in this area for Buddhist nuns who follow even stricter schedule than the male monks.
Despite greater flow of tourists today and even shooting of Hindi films (ln the Hindi movie Koyla, the location near the cascading Naraneng Falls is pointed out), this is a world that still retains the pristine beauty of a hidden paradise.
Tawang is located at an altitude of 3500 m above the sea level in Arunachal Pradesh. It covers the area of 2085 sq km and is surrounded by Tibet in the north, Bhutan in the southwest, Kameng in the east and is separated from the west by Sela ranges.
Tawang - Origin
Tawang was at part of the Kingdom of Tibet during the medieval times. It was ruled by the Local tribal rulers from time to time. It was declared as the off-limits area in 1873 AD. The area around Tawang was the reason of disagreement between India and China after the Independence of India in 1947. Tawang was invaded by the Chinese army in 1962 but they later withdrew.
Tawang is called by several names like the Beautiful Land of Monpas, the Hidden Paradise and land of Dawn-lit Mountains. The name Tawang probably has some bearing with the local surroundings. The local people believe that Merak Lama gave the name Tawang to this hill resort in the 17th century AD.
Tawang - To See
Tawang has landscapes, history, religion and architecture to offer to its tourists. Tawang has countless monasteries and nunneries; up teem lakes, several waterfalls and hot water springs. The place is perfect for religious as well as adventure tourism amidst unexplored scenic beauty. Tawang Ganden Namgyal Lhaste, popularly known as the Tawang or Gompa Monastery, is a 400 years old Mahayana Sect Buddhist Monastery. It was built during the 17th century AD by Mera Lama, a contemporary of the 5th Lama. It is situated at a height of 3500 m near the Buddhist border. It is a place worth paying a visit because of the collection of huge scriptures, books, gold lettered Buddhist scriptures, images and tapestries. The Parkhang Hall of the monastery has the library with the rare hand-written and block-painted thankas or manuscripts of revered books like Tangun, Kangyur and Sungbhum. The 108 gold-embossed manuscripts of the 'Teaching of Lord Buddha' and 225 volumes of the explanations of Buddha's teachings covered with specially designed moth - proof silk adorned with paintings are the other rare works of Buddhist literature. The18 ft high gilded statue of the Buddha in the monastery complex is also worth watching. The festival of Torgya is held in the 11th Monpa month called the Dawa Chukchipah in the Tawang Monastery. A Craft Center here produces fine woolen carpets in various colorful designs.
Urqelling Monastery is the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama who is the only Indian to have risen to such a high position in Gelupka Sect of Buddhism so far. These monasteries along with several other monasteries and nunneries are visited by several tourist from all over the world all the year round. Tawang is popular haunt for several adventure sports. The rivers Tawang-Chu and Namjang-Chu are ideal for river-rafting activities. There is also an option for rock-climbing, paragliding, skating and other winter sport activities.
Source: http://royalenfield.com/community/trip-stories/details/?id=886
