Enjoying the High Life in Tawang, North East India -Micheal Smith The Russian made helicopter rose slowly with its three crew and fifteen passengers, hovered just a few feet off the ground then accelerated gently down the runway, the drone of the engine ending conversation as we gained speed and height heading from Guwahati to Tawang in North East India to attend the 2nd International Tourism Mart. North East India has majestic mountains, raging rivers, dense forests, colourful tribal people and a rich cultural heritage of music and dance. It does not have good connectivity via air or rail and travel by car is challenging. Roads are narrow, winding and often unsealed. Some areas, which are heavily militarized because of shared borders with Bhutan, China and Myanmar, require entry permits. If you love adventurous eco travel in an unspoiled territory known as the last Shangri – La, and don’t need 5 star comforts, I suggest you visit soon before the rest of the world discovers it! **Cool Temperatures & Warm Welcomes Getting to Tawang is quite a journey. We flew from Singapore on Singapore Airlines to Kolkata, staying overnight at the excellent Swissotel before flying to Guwahati by Air India then taking the Pawan Hans flight. The helicopter ride was smooth, but a constant background noise of engines and propellers dulled our senses. We passed over green valleys, rice fields, forests and mountains before descending to a landscape dotted with monasteries and landed with a gentle thud. Stepping out into the thin air at 10,000 feet above sea level we accepted an offering of Khata, a traditional Tibetan styled scarf, and a cup of warm sweet tea as symbols of welcome and good luck from our government hosts. Young novice monks stared at the new arrivals to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh as we took their photos. **Venturing Out We had barely time to unload our bags at our modest but comfortable Gakyi Khan Zang hotel before setting off to Jung Waterfall an hour or so away on a rather primitive road (the first of many!). We were greeted by women of the Monpa tribe in their national costumes. Calling in at the War Memorial to the 2400 killed in the Sino Indian conflict of 1962 we gained an understanding of the difficult campaign and individual acts of bravery. Dinner was accompanied with generous quantities of local liquor made from rice with additional spices to add flavour. The temperature had dropped below 10 degrees and it was time for bed. **A Room with a View By 5.15am it was light. Opening my curtains the beautiful white walled Tawang Monastery dominated the hill opposite, a sight I adored and took many photographs of. It is the largest Buddhist monastery in India and the biggest in the world outside of Lhasa inTibet. It’s great fun in the mornings when monks play cricket, devotees turn prayer wheels and women sit, chat and knit. We were in for a long but spectacular day starting off with tea at a Thukje Chuelling Nunnery where surprisingly very young girls were accepted into the lifestyle. **Dancing Roads Leaving the nunnery we drove high into the Pangadeng Mountains on a dirt path full of potholes through a heavily militarized area and briefly visiting the Dalai Lama’s footprint before stopping for lunch and a walk around Pangadeng Lake at 15,000 feet above sea level. Prayer flags fluttered in the wind. Bouncing our way back along the road to Tawang we passed numerous construction workers attempting to improve the road surface then took a brief siesta at the hotel. **Monastic Performances Next up was one of the highlights of the trip; a visit to Tawang Monastery where a festival with monks and monastic dancing took place. The large trumpets started the prayer ceremony followed by dancers in masks enthralling both visitors and the local Monpa. **The Formalities The International Tourism Mart was formally opened in the evening with the objective of facilitating meetings between global travel agents and media from more than 20 countries with North East Indian tour operators and government agencies. The government is certainly supporting the 9 states which have only 4% of India’s population but a massive 28% of the tourism budget is allocated to the region. Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Nabam Tuki explained that improvements to roads, telecommunications and hotels were scheduled and a major promotion of the area was being undertaken with emphasis on festivals, culture, natural beauty, unique wildlife, trekking, sport and tribal villages. Union Tourism Secretary Parvez Dewan passionately welcomed each and every one of us and his infectious enthusiasm for the region was obvious to all as he encouraged us to come back with friends and customers. Presentations by state representatives from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkhim, Tripura and West Bengal were made to entice us to visit followed by a superb cultural show representing all of the region in the evening. **A Simple Life I was up early next morning. Stopping briefly at the Urgelling Monastery, birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama we watched nuns pouring holy water before moving on to Kitpi where he grew up. Walking through the rice terraces I could hear the sound of chanting before I saw the villagers threshing rice in the same manner used by their ancestors many generations ago. **Tawang Market The old market in Tawang is a must see. It is the place for people watching, particularly Monpa women with their hats, made from yak hair, and the best place to buy local souvenirs. **Let the Festivities Begin The Tawang Festival started that evening. I travel lightly but was glad I had packed a thick coat, gloves and hat as the temperature dropped rapidly. After the long, drawn out formal speeches the singers and dancers from the various states put on a dazzling show on the outdoor stage. The festival village had typical tribal houses set up providing food and drink. The bamboo rice, spicy fish and pork barbequed on a skewer were excellent. What a fitting end to my time in Tawang. Tomorrow I would hit the road and head for Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh. Incredible India!
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 12:21:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015