Tawang

The beautiful Land of Monpas

Nestled near to the Indo-Bhutan Border, Tawang is known as the mermersing town of Monpa Tribes. It is bordered by Bhutan in the South West, Tibet in the North and Sela Ranges in the East. It is also famous for its adventurous outdoor services and is known for being an incredible hill station situated in the north western part of Arunachal Pradesh. Adventure enthusiasts, newly weds and those searching for a laid back peaceful time in the quaint surroundings often visit Tawang. It is completely cut away from the hue and cry of the city life, thus making it even more delightful and important.

Tawang is situated 1000 ft above the sea level. The Tawang Monastery located in the territory of this hill station has been established for the past 400 years, thus making this hill station a very important centre for Buddhist learning. Initially, the territory of Tawang used to come under the Kingdom of Tibet. The name of this town is also inspired from the name of the monastery. Few believe that Mera Lama endowed the name Tawang in the 17th centruy. It is also believed that followers of Tantric religion used to inhabit this region before the advent of Mahayana Buddhism.

Following are the main attractions of Tawang

Tawang Monastery: It is the largest monastery in India. It is believed that this monastery was established by the wishes of Mera Lama, who was the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. It is also known as Galden Namgyal Lhatse. It took forty years to complete this monastery. It was damaged by the Chinese invasion in 1962. Even now, recontruction work is going on within the monastery.
The monastery is famous for housing lamas along with the 8.3m high idol of Lord Budhha. Valuable handrwritten text books, sculptures and idols have been preserved within the campus of Tawang monastery. The two important Monpa festivals, Torgya and Dungyur are celebrated within the monastery.

Pankang Teng Tso Lake: It is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tawang. It is located 17 km away from the main city area. Chirping birds, peaceful ambience, fine fragrance of wet earth and sparkling lake water makes the entire lake look very beautiful. It is ideal to visit the lake only in summers as it remains frozen during the winter months. Bright rhododendrons adorn the path towards the lake making it look even more exquisite.

Bum La Pass: It is located 37 km away from Tawang and 16, 500 ft above the sea level. The route towards the pass is quite challenging and time taking. But tourists find the eventual beauty of the pass so enrapturing that everything is worth it.

Nuranang Falls: It is also known as Bong Bong Falls. In spite of being so spectacularly beautifful, this waterfall is known by very few of the travelers. It is located on the road connecting Bomdila with Tawang.

The Tawang War Memorial: As the name suggests, this memorial is built to commemorate the sacrifices of those  2140 Indian soldiers who lost their precious lives in the Indo-Chinese war in 1962. The names of these soldiers are mentioned on the prayer wheels that are constructured within the memorial. Maps, artifacts, bullets, helmets, pots, mugs and other little remains of the war have been preserved in the memorial.

Excursions from Tawang
The location of Tawang makes it a little cut off from other Indian states. Though, few important locations near to Tawang are Rangapada (382.1 km), Tezpur (391.8 km), Itanagar (512. 8 km), Guwahati (555.3 km).

Shopping in Tawang
Exquisitely carved carpets are the most important and sought after products of Tawang. These carpets have lush green trees, dragons and valleys drawn over them. Tribal dresses, hand crafted bags, ethnic dresses and shawls are some of the other essential souvenirs that tourists buy from Tawang.

When to Reach
The ideal time to visit Tawang is from April to October. It can get really cold during the winter season.

How to Reach
Air: The Tezpur airport in Assam is the nearest airport to Tawang.Tourists can hire a taxi from Tezpur to reach Tawang.
Rail: The Tezpur and the Guwahati railway stations are situated closely to Tawang.
Road: Shared taxis and buses are available from Tawang to Tezpur.