Travel:
On The Buddhist Trail to Tawang

chillibreeze writer — Ranjita Biswas

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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?

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For the people of North East India, however, Bomdila, will forever be a symbol of the historical Himalayan blunder. The Chinese invaders reached here and it wouldn't 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 in North East India 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.

Fact File:

To go to Tawang, Inner Line Permit is needed. Foreigners need to apply for special permit.

Between January - February, the Losar and Torgya festivals are held when lama dance and religious rituals prove a big draw.

How to go:

From Tezpur by road which takes about 12 hours to Tawang.
Share taxi Rs 350 approx per head, but a stoppage at Bomdila advised.
For more comfortable journey, individual hired jeep is better.
Also, buses are run by the state government transport department.

Accommodation:

Both Bomdila and Tawang have a number of comfortable hotels.

Tour operators also arrange trips.

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—About our writer:

Ranjita Biswas says,
" I am from the North East, now settled down in Kolkata. I write on women and gender, developmental issues, HIV/AIDS, health arts and culture etc. I am passionate about travelling, reading, cooking, dancing - not necessarily in that order. I also write short fiction, children's stories and translate fiction into English and have three published books in the area".

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