It is the headquarters of West Kameng district and has
a lot of attractions for the tourists with its cool climate,
Apple orchards, artistic people, snow-capped Himalayan peaks
and Buddhist Gompas. The Buddhist monastery of Bomdila is
the repository of culture.
Prime Attraction
Tibetan Monasteries
Bomdils' three Tibetan Monasteries reflect the origin
and culture of the local people and its proximity to Tibet.
The Dalai Lama inaugurated the largest of these, a Gelugpa
Gompa high above the town, in October 1997. One can ask
the caretaker monk for a tour of the monastery including
the small suite of rooms making up the Dalai Lama's private
residential quarters. The rooftop also offers superb views
of the town and the surrounding mountains.
An older Gompa houses a large statue of the blue Medicine
Buddha, on whom healers focus their meditations; the third
Gompa stands at the end of the main market street in the
middle of the town. This place has a tourist lodge, a craft
centre displaying local crafts and a shopping centre where
the visitor gets first feel of the local version of Himalayan
Buddhist life.
Excursions
Local site seeing to Dirang valley and the famous Sela
Pass (4,300m) are a thrilling experience on the way to Tawang,
from where snow covered peaks of Gorichen (6,488m) and Kangto
(7,042m) came into view.
The Orchid Research and Development Station at Tippi and
two other Orchid conservation sanctuaries located at Sessa
and Dirang are worth seeing places too.
How to Get There
Air:
Nearest airport in situated in Tezpur , Assam (160-km).
Rail:
Nearest railway station is Tezpur in Assam.
Road:
There are two roads out of Bomdila, onwards and upwards
towards Tawang, and back down the border towards Assam,
to Tezpur and beyond. State buses run daily from the lower
part of town to Tezpur and Tawang. One can also hire jeeps,
which also run daily services between Tezpur and Tawang,
in both direction.
