The land of dawn lit mountains..

“The mountains are calling, and I must go” 

– John Muir

These words continue to echo inside of me. Mountains have that unexplainable aura. Even after multiple getaways, that irresistible urge to escape to the mountains unfailingly and religiously crops up. In 2023, this led us to materialize the plan to another gem of North east -  Arunachal Pradesh. Northeast has our heart, ever since we traveled to Sikkim in 2019. So zeroing down on Arunachal was not difficult. 

The most exciting part of any trip is deciding and preparing for the same. I happened to stumble upon a trek group called Wander on. (https://wanderon.in/) On contacting them, Jibon from their team helped me in customizing the entire itinerary to Arunachal- the west side. Our trip was 9 days and 8 nights, in the month of May. This month happens to be one of the favorable times to visit there, being summer. The weather is usually pleasant, but you may never know, mountains are unpredictable, so expect the unexpected! 

Arunachal Pradesh falls under restricted area and hence official permission is required to enter the state. The visitors other than natives of Arunachal Pradesh are required to obtain an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter Arunachal Pradesh. The travel team took care of our inner line permit. Alternatively, online ILP can be obtained from the official website Arunachal Pradesh Inner Line Permit Management System. Details and procedures are available at http://www.arunachalilp.com.

We also had booked a vehicle as per our preference, with a driver from the beginning to end. The team was very proactive. They explained to us vividly about our destination. We were clearly told that being a remote destination, stay and other options are limited and simple. The mainstay of people there is farming and not tourism. So the lodges and homestays are mostly with fewer rooms, but clean and comfortable. These discussions with the operations guy Rahul from Wander on helped us prepare better for the trip. He also advised on what to carry, network connectivity, the weather and food options. Bingo, exactly what we wanted, a raw and rustic getaway. 

Day 1: 

We flew from Bangalore to Guwahati on 20th May 2023. Our driver picked us up from the airport and we started towards Bhalukpong.

Bhalukpong falls in Assam-Arunachal border, at a distance of 240 kms from Guwahati. This is a pleasant 5-6 hour drive. We witnessed the sunset over the Brahmaputra enroute, our first sighting of this mighty river. It was magical. We stayed overnight at Bhalukpong. 

Day 2 : 

We woke up to a wonderful, slightly drizzling morning.

The view set us up in the right mood to start our journey to the land of the dawn lit mountains!

The scene changes as soon as you enter Arunachal. The clouds hugging the hills, the dense vegetation, the fresh air, the gurgling of streams, they completely awaken the body and soul. At this place, the journey and the destination, both stay with you forever. 

We stopped briefly near a suspension bridge over the Tenga river enroute, to soak in some breathtaking views and capture it in our cameras. It was also a good spot for a quick photoshoot!

                                    

The next stop was Dirang. This is a small town, about 4-5 hours from Bhalukpong, at a distance of 130 kms. We found a small restaurant in the main market and gorged on veg fried rice and chowmein. Finding basic vegetarian food is not such a big challenge here. Bread, tawa roti, rice, dal, fried rice, maggi are a few staples you get in most of the places. 

After lunch we visited Dirang monastery. Thupsung Dhargey Ling Monastery, as it is formally known, is certainly one of the most beautiful ones in Arunachal Pradesh. This Monastery is a learning institute for the study of Tibetian Buddhism by monks. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is far away from the main town, it is a very peaceful environment here. The prayer hall is on the top floor. A huge statue of Buddha can be seen at the center of the hall and the entire hall is decorated with Buddhist art work. 

It was an evening well spent. We even interacted with little monks who stay there. These little monks personify true happiness. Those genuine smiles, with no pretense, instill a lot of tranquility. 

We stayed overnight at Sangti Valley. This is about 14 kms from Dirang. Sangti River flows along the picturesque valley.

Day 3: 

We spent the next day driving up to Mandala top, which is located at an altitude of about 11,000 feet, 30 kilometers from Dirang. It is a one of its kind attraction in India consisting of 108 stupas. The 108 stupas have been arranged in five concentric circles. In the center, a Buddha statue with a small monastery at the bottom is being built. As per local tradition, the 108 stupas are arranged in such a way that people can circumambulate them, reciting or meditating on the sacred mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum”. As per Buddhism, this mantra fosters tolerance and compassion eliminating greed, anger, and other evil thoughts.

We walked along the valley in the evening, enjoying nature and the fresh air.

Our hearts and stomachs were full after a wholesome dinner prepared by the hosts in our homestay. Hot rotis, a local variety of home grown rice, dal and aloo-baingan sabzi, added to it the warmth of the hospitality. Just what we craved for.

Day 4: 

From Sangti Valley, we started early the next day towards Tawang. The distance is nearly 135 kilometers. This is an uphill drive through the Sela pass, which is the gateway to enter Tawang. We stopped at Baisakhi and enjoyed breakfast and a view in the army cafe. Anything to do with the army just strikes my emotions. After all, the army is the guardian angel of this divine state. The  little one wrote a message to our brave men to be pinned up on the board there.

Sela pass, a high mountain pass at an altitude of 13700 feet, connects Tawang to Dirang and Guwahati. This is one of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world. This is home to Sela lake, one of the 101 lakes in that area sacred to Buddhism. I must appreciate the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of India which works to keep the pass open throughout the year, it may shut down temporarily after landslides or heavy snow. In fact, the efforts of BRO show in every nook and corner of Arunachal, maintaining such good roads in that terrain is certainly a herculean task.

During the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Sela Pass was one of the locations that witnessed a lot of action. A soldier of the Indian Army named Jaswant Singh Rawat remained at the pass fighting, and is said to have held off the Chinese for about 72 hours.

This is where we went next, the Jaswantgarh War Memorial. 

That ache in the heart you feel when you enter this sacred place is unexplainable. Arunachal Pradesh has heroism written all over, the mountains silently tell you the saga of our bravehearts who laid down their lives for our country. 

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was a member of the 4th Garhwal Rifles. The fierce battle had taken place in Nuranang, in the North-East Frontier Agency during the 1962 war. The battle had resulted in 300 casualties among the Chinese. Jaswant Singh Rawat, along with Lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain brought down accurate fire using hand grenades on the approaching Chinese soldiers and held them off for 72 hours. This memorial is built at the post where he fought the Chinese. Another honor bestowed upon him is that he continues to serve even after death; he has been awarded promotions as if he is still serving. He was awarded the prestigious Maha Vir Chakra posthumously. 

It filled our hearts with pride when we witnessed the living example of Geneva Convention III. As per this, “the detaining authorities shall ensure that prisoners of war who have died in captivity are honorably buried, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, and that their graves are respected, suitably maintained and marked so as to be found at any time”. 

Exactly the same was seen. 

After lunch, we visited the Nuranang falls, which is located 2 kms away in the Jang town of Tawang district. It is the highest and most spectacular waterfall of Arunachal Pradesh. It came to limelight when a song from the movie Koyla - Tanhai Tanhai Tanhai featuring Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit was shot here and at Sangetsar Lake. This place had such cheerful vibes, with 80’s music playing in a nearby cafe and visitors grooving to its tunes. We had not experienced anything like this in a public place before. 

We reached Tawang by 5.30 PM. Checked into our hotel and had a good night’s rest. The next day was scheduled for Tawang local sightseeing. 

Day 5:

Tawang is both historically and naturally endowed. It is a mesmerizing place with sightseeing spots that will spoil you for choices. We first visited Tawang Monastery, the second biggest and the oldest in Asia. Tawang Monastery is known in Tibetan as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, which translates to the celestial paradise of divine site chosen by the horse. It was founded by Merag Lodroe Gyamtso in the year 1680-81.An 8 meter high statue of Lord Buddha is present in the sanctum.The monastery has a residential building for the monks, a library, a museum and school for the basic education.The monastery is situated near the top of a mountain, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, with a good view of the valley and the town.

We also visited the giant Buddha statue, which is in Tawang circuit on a small hill. This Buddha overlooks the town. 

We then proceeded towards the Tawang war memorial. This is a 40 meter long stupa built in honor of the 2420 soldiers who laid their lives in the 1962 war.

“They stood steadfast for not that they hated what was in front, but for they loved what was behind” 

The names of all the martyrs are engraved here. The memorials of Subedar Joginder Singh and Major Mahender Singh Choudhary are also within this place. A sound and light show takes place every day at the memorial, 4 shows everyday starting at 6 pm. Each show is approximately 25 mins long. It is recommended to purchase tickets in the afternoon as the seats are limited and get easily sold out. Watching the show against the backdrop of the hills and the stupa is another emotional experience. The street is enlightened with tri color lights. 

“Ae mere watan ke logo, zara aankh mein bhar lo paani, jo shaheed hue hai unki, zara yaad karo kurbaani” .

This song reverberated in my ears. 

Day 6:

We visited the Bum La pass. The Bum La Pass is a border pass between China's Tsona County in Tibet and India's Tawang district. It is 37 km away from Tawang at an altitude of 15200 feet. It is a treacherous uphill drive and you get to see many snow capped peaks. We first visited Sangestsar Tso, a lake enroute, which falls beyond the bifurcation of the road leading to Bum La Pass. Created by falling rocks, boulders and trees in an earthquake, this is also popularly known as Madhuri lake, after the song from Koyla was shot here.

We were blessed as we got clear views of the lake with minimal cloud covering. It is quite cold there so it is recommended to wear appropriate clothing. Momos and chai are also available, to provide that additional warmth! 

We witnessed snowfall enroute Bum La. It was a joy seeing little snowflakes graze past our windows.  Snowfall in May! Expect the unexpected!

Visit by civilian tourists of India is possible with permission from the Indian Army. Most of the travel agents and the hotels in Tawang can help you in obtaining the permit, which is usually done only on the previous day of the visit. Make sure to check regarding the same beforehand. After crossing multiple army checkpoints, we reached the waiting area of the place. This is where you are given a number, and the army team takes you to the border by walking in batches. The feeling once you walk up to the border is beyond words. There is a heap of stones here where pebbles are placed as gratitude to the mighty Himalayas and the guardians of our northern frontiers. There is a Sino-India friendship sign here. Bum La pass is one of the five officially agreed Border Personnel Meeting points between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army of China for regular consultations and interactions between the two armies. For obvious reasons, no photography or videography is allowed here.

The story of Subedar Joginder Singh  was narrated to us there. He along with a handful of his men defended the border at Bum La in the 1962 war  till they ran out of ammunition. Post which a badly wounded Joginder Singh was captured by the Chinese and taken with them. He refused to take treatment, endured their torture without giving out any crucial information and finally succumbed. He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously. 

Salute!

This day will be forever etched in our memories.

Day 7: 

After breakfast, We started towards Bomdila from Tawang. This is a 5 hour drive, with a distance of 175 kilometers. We again came face to face with the Tenga river enroute and you can stop by to appreciate the gushing river. Lunch can be planned at Dirang. 

We visited Bomdila monastery after lunch. Bomdila Monastery was established in 1965.  Followers of Mahayana Buddhism consider this place sacred. There is a huge prayer hall. Adjacent to the prayer hall is a monastic school and residential complexes. It is also a great place for some gorgeous views. 

Day 8: 

This day marked our longest journey in a day. Bomdila to Guwahati, at a distance of 260 kilometers. It is a 7-8 hour drive. I started having withdrawal symptoms, of mountains now going slowly out of sight and dreaded coming to the plains. 

The highlight of the day was seeing the women of the Boro tribe as we entered Assam. Cycling all the way on a busy highway. Some even had children at the rear. This was quite a sight. 

We checked into our hotel in Guwahati after the long journey to call it a day. 

Day 9:

We had nothing much to do, except reminiscing about our beautiful days spent in the hills. We had half a day left, so we visited the Brahmaputra heritage center in Guwahati. This is a British-era bungalow situated on a hillock that used to be the 17th century military office of the Ahom rulers. This is now converted into a heritage center depicting life along the Brahmaputra. The center has on display the history of the Battle of Saraighat, the heritage of Assamese war boats, an amphitheater, an exhibition space and a cafe. The other attractions include a collection of traditional equipment, photographs, paintings and artifacts related to the history of Guwahati, the textile designs and indigenous musical instruments of Assamese communities. 

Our  main intention of visiting here was to see Brahmaputra up close. There are good viewing decks when you can sit peacefully watching the river. This is open on Sundays too, with entry tickets costing Rs 100 per adult. Good place to spend a couple of hours. 

We flew back from Guwahati to Bangalore in the evening, carrying loads of fond memories and experiences to be cherished for the longest time. This remote state of Northeast India captured our hearts with its stunning landscapes, from snow-capped mountains and dense forests to pristine lakes and flowing rivers. Whether you're seeking adventure, tranquility, or a cultural rendezvous , Arunachal Pradesh has something to offer to everyone. Most importantly, a strong connection is felt here with our history. The army has a huge role to play in keeping Arunachal the way it is. You cannot help but shed tears and pay homage to our soldiers for their supreme sacrifice. 

How to get there:

By air : There are three options ; North Lakhimpur’s Lilabari Airport, Dibrugarh's Mohanbari Airport and Guwahati’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, all of which are in Assam. Out of these, Lilabari and Mohanbari are close to Itanagar whereas Guwahati can be the choice for the western circuit.However, Guwahati airport promises better connectivity and better flight frequency.

By train: There are varied options. The nearest major railway station is Rangapara Railway Station located in Tezpur. Another one is Harmuti train station of Assam which is close to Itanagar.  The practical way to reach Arunachal Pradesh by rail is to come into Guwahati Railway station and continue onwards by train to Naharlagun, which is close to Itanagar. 

By road: There is good accessibility from all the surrounding states into Arunachal Pradesh. 

Travel tips:

1. All Indian nationals need to carry valid govt. ID proofs (Driving license/Passport), their copies and passport size photographs while traveling. Traveling here is safe,locals are friendly and helpful and the Indian Army has a heavy presence almost everywhere.

2. Public transport is scarce in Arunachal Pradesh. It is advisable to hire a car either from Guwahati or Dibrugarh once you alight from your flight to get around in the state.

3. The sun rises as early as 4.40am in Arunachal Pradesh. It is advisable to start your travels  early and reach your destination by maximum 5.00pm. Do not calculate the travel time based on the number of kilometers between one place to another, like the way you would do it in plains. A distance of about 200 km can take up to 10 hours here because of the terrain.

4. The road conditions are good. BRO has put in a lot of effort in maintaining the roads as well as placing quirky signboards! Yes you do have some bad patches enroute Jang falls, Sangti valley but it is not for a great distance.

5. Dhabas don’t flank the state highways. It’s advisable to be open and to whatever is available and make the best of it. That doesn't mean you’ll end up starving. Basic staples are available in most of the places. Restaurants are usually small and clean, mostly attached to the houses of the locals. There are good hotels and homestays, it is advisable to book prior. They serve food prepared in their private kitchens so don’t expect anything fancy.

6. Avoid traveling during the monsoons as the roads can get washed away due to landslides. Winters can get quite cold and snow can block high mountain roads from December to February. March, April, first half of May and October are ideal for travel. Carry sturdy shoes, umbrellas and woolens as the weather can get unpredictable.

7. Things move at a slow pace here and travel plans can get slightly changed at times. But that is what we look for in a holiday right, to slow down a bit?

8. Please carry your personal medication and toiletries and this is a remote area and availability of items can be limited in few places. For people prone to motion sickness, it is advisable to take the medication before the journey.

In Arunachal Pradesh, every sight is a reminder of the power and beauty of nature. Every moment spent makes you appreciate the beauty and magic of the world around us. See it to believe it!

Places we stayed in. Offered comfortable accomodation with vegetarian food options.

1. Prashanthi Cottage, Bhalukpong. https://iorahotels.com/prashaanti-cottage-bhalukpong/

2. Lanying River View Homestay, Dirang. https://lanying-river-view-homestay.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

3. Hotel Yangzom, Tawang. http://easthimalayas.com/hotel-details/59/yangzom-hotel

4. Hotel Elysium, Bomdila. http://easthimalayas.com/hotel-details/54/hotel-elysium-bomdila

P.S - 

Photo credits: To Mr Husband, like always! :)