Land Of Monpas
The inhabitants of the districts are all of Monpa tribes
except Shyo village, which is dominated by people of Tibetan
origin. The Monpas belong to Mongoloid stock, are well built,
and fair in complexion. Their houses are built with stones
and timbers. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are the fundamental
means of the Monpas occupation. { Book Tribal Tours }
Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse
The spiritual center of the universe for the Monpas is the
Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse. This is the divine site believed
to have been chosen by the celestial white horse. According
to the legend, the site of the Tawang monastery was shown
to the Mira Lama in a dream. A white horse pawed the ground,
which was to be the site of the monastery.
About forty years of construction work, starting from the
1640s, was needed to complete the structure. After three
centuries of peace, this monastery was badly damaged by
the Chinese invasion of 1962, with priceless murals and
Tankhas (also spelt as Thankas or Thangkas) being destroyed.
Reconstruction still goes on in parts of the monastery.
Tawang Library - The Buddhist Treasure
House
Another interesting feature is that the Tawang is still
"alive" in today's world. Its library is a repository
of thousands of block-printed commentaries and treatises
on the subject of Mahayana Buddhism. This is a valuable
resource for Buddhist scholars in the region. Even the paper
used is produced by the Monpas locally, from the bark of
the Hong Seng tree.
Other Attractions
There are beautiful lakes around Tawang, the most being
Pankang Teng Tso (P.T. Tso) Lake. It is a fetching heaven
for tourist only 17-Km away from maddening crowd of township.
It is a beautiful natural site and provide tourist a lucky
chance for deep communion with nature. Other eye-catching
lakes are Sangetser Lake, and Banggachang Lake.
Architect Changsey
The 'Changsey' is probably the first architect of green
landscaping in Tawang District. His efforts transformed
the place into growing greenery. Driven by the love for
nature, creation of new, he started his plantation from
the year 1979. The species, which dots his backyard, are
both the local as well as the exotic ones. Now every household
looks for the crown species called Crytomeria Joponica,
popularly known as Rigilling 'Sheng', introduced by the
"Changsey". Other notable species planted by him
are Blue Pine, fir, popular Salix, Oak, Thoza etc.
How to Get There
Air:
Tezpur in Assam is the nearest airport. Other alternative
air route is via Guwahati.
Rail:
Rangapara in Assam is the nearest railway station to Tawang.
But it is advisable to reach Guwahati by trains from other
parts of the country. There are a number of trains including
Rajdhani Express to Guwahati that best suits to reach the
state of Arunachal. From Guwahati one can reach Tawang by
road either by bus or taxi
Road:
One can reach Tawang from other parts of the country via
Guwahati and Tezpur in Assam. From Guwahati or Tezpur, one
has to go to Bhalukpong in West Kameng district of Arunachal
Pradesh and from there via Bomdila and Sela Pass one can
go to Tawang by road. There are daily bus and private taxi
services from Tezpur to Tawang.
Entry Formalities
Any Indian tourist coming to Tawang has to obtain an Inner
Line Permit. The permit is granted as a routine for the
tourists and so it should not deter any tourist from coming
to Tawang.
