Tawang situated at a height of over 10,000 feet, is truly a hidden paradise for nature lovers. Mesmerising waterfalls, sprawling lakes spread all over, snow-bound alluring white peaks in faraway mountains, Tawang brings us closer to nature at its finest monasteries and magical gompas.
The door to this paradise is Bomdila at 8000 feet and gradually just move upwards to 14000 feet where the awe-inspiring Sela Pass stands at its majestic glory with tales of love and bravery written all over it. For the extreme nature lovers, it is also a paradise for high-altitude trekkers starting right from Bomdila.
A town is exemplified by the people of the place and here the simple, ever helpful and caring people of the Monpa tribe simply display it at its best. The monks robed in warm red and yellow clothes have a smile which can melt a million hearts, are found all over the place. The freezing ice-cold temperatures round the year keep the town alluring and fresh for the native eyes. Draped in a misty cover for most of the time sunlight can hardly be seen, although this part of the world get the first rays of the sun here.
The Tawang Monastery or the Golden Namgyal Lhatse built in the 17th century, and one of the largest in the world can be spotted from any part of this quaint town. The magnificent grandeur inside and outside the monastery with exquisitely crafted architecture and embroidered paintings (thankas) all over just displays the vibrant creativity of the place and the power of spiritual consciousness.
Home to around 500 Buddhist monks the buzz of the prayers just hovers over the lingering air. The library adjoining it is a huge resource of ancient artifacts, scriptures, manuscripts and other Buddhist relics including the Kangyur manuscripts.
The monastery serves as the connecting point during any kind of ceremonies, festivals and major events in Tawang. Another famous landmark of Tawang is the Urgelling Monastery where the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso was born. Constructed around 1498 A.D., this house still has a unique charm in its own colourful way.
Tawang being close to the international boundary with China is also known for its war memorials and tales of bravery and courageous soldiers. On the way to Tawang is the Jaswant Garh, a symbol of ultimate bravery and sacrifice named after Jaswant Singh, who fought valiantly for 72 hours single handedly and successfully stalled the Chinese progression during the Sino-Indian war.
And for some memorabilia from this lovely place, Tawang has a small market where beautiful hand weaved traditional carpets, shawls and other wooden and cloth items with unique Buddhist embroidery can be found.
Tawang is surrounded by almost a hundred lakes each with its own unique charm and for the most part are engulfed in Snow and mist perhaps to protect themselves from the zealous prying eyes of human kind. Among a few notable are the PTTSO lake and the Sangetsar Lake (Madhuri lake after the filming of a Bollywood film Koyla here).
Juggling through the serpentine roads with narrow alpine bends of the Himalayas and scenic views, snow-capped pine trees with ice droplets hanging from the pine leaves all through the place, the journey itself is the destination.
For a detailed guide/itinerary, please visit here
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