Tawang is a town in the Himalayas in the far west of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. Tawang is situated at an elevation of approximately 3,048 meters (10,000 ft) in the north-western part of Arunachal Pradesh of India. The second-largest Buddhist monastery (gompa) in the world is here and was built in 1681.
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| PC-Kingshuk Mondal/CC 2.0 |
The town once served as the district headquarters of West Kameng district and became the district headquarters of Tawang district when it was formed from West Kameng.
Tawang town is located approximately 555 kilometers (345 mi) from Guwahati and 320 kilometers (200 mi) from Tezpur. Tawang has an average elevation of 2,669 meters (8,757 ft).
There are two major religious festivals of the Monpas viz "LOSAR" and "TORGYA". Both festivals are celebrated once annually.
The LOSAR s celebrated to the commencement of New year. Every third year of Torgya, the festival of Dungyur is celebrated. Both "Dungyur and Torgya" festivals are celebrated at the premises of the Tawang Monastery with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm.
There are many beautiful glacial lakes in and around Tawang with crystal blue waters such as Sela lake, P.T.Tso lake, Sangetser lake, Banggachang lake and many more. These remain frozen in winter while in summer they become a haven for migratory birds.
Best Places to Visit in Tawang
1. The Sela Pass, Tawang
The Sela Pass (more appropriately called Se La, as La means Pass) is the high-altitude mountain pass located in Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh state of India.
It has an elevation of 4170 m (13,700 ft) connects the Buddhist city of Tawang Town to Tezpur and Guwahati and is the main road connecting Tawang with the rest of India.
Tawang is situated at a distance of 78 km from Sela Pass while Guwahati is at a distance of 340 km
2. Tawang Monastery, Tawang
About 2 Km from the town is the Tawang Monastery. The Monastery is the second biggest and oldest in Asia and is known as the Tawang Ganden Namgyal Lhatse i.e., the celestial paradise of the divine site chosen by the horse was founded by Merag Lodroe Gyamtso in the year 1680-81.
The Dalai Lama gave him a painting of goddess Palden Lhamo to be kept in the monastery. The 8 m high gilded statue of Lord Buddha dominates the sanctum.
The great rotating prayer wheels, priceless thangkas, the drone of monks in prayer, sputtering butter lamps are an evocative vision.
The Tawang Monastery has a residential building for the monks, a library, a museum and a school for basic education. Pierced atop a hill dominating everything around and below it is an enormous yellow-roofed Tawang monastery which was originally a large and fortified complex strategically sited where the caravan routes from Tibet, Bhutan and West Kameng met.
The place is also famous with the legend of 7th Century A.D., King Kalawangpo and Khandro Drowa Zangmo, known as RTA nag Mandal Sgang.
3. Nuranang Waterfall Jang, Tawang
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| PC-Sdasamdabad / CC BY-SA |
One can visit the famous Phong- phongma waterfall about 40 Km drive from Tawang. Also popularly known as Nurongneng waterfall or the Jang Falls. This enticing beauty of milky white water is an enthralling and thunderous ovation for those visiting this place
4. War Memorial, Tawang
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| PC-Malcolm Williams / CC 2.0 |
The War Memorial is at a distance of 1 Km from the town. A beautiful Stupa is built in memory of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1962 Sino-Indian war.
5. Gorsam Chorten Zemithang, Tawang
The sky looming high about 92 Km from Tawang was constructed by Lama Prathar from Kharman village in Zemithang, in 13th Century A.D., it stands to feature 186 feet base and 93 feet high is modeled after the Boudhanath stupa of Nepal. Thousands of devotees visit during Gorzam Kora festival to observe the virtuous occasion during the last day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
Best Time to Visit Tawang
Summer
The summer season starts in Tawang from March and ends in June. Temperature ranges from 5- 22 degrees Celsius. Summers are the best time to visit Tawang as the city comes to life with the Losar festival.
Monsoon
The monsoon season starts in Tawang from July and ends in September. The region experiences moderate rainfall, which at times leads to a drastic lowering of temperature in this region.
Winter
The monsoon season starts in Tawang in October and ends in February. Not a good time to plan a trip as the weather is way too cold. Snowfall starts in Tawang from late November to February. December is the best time to watch the snowfall.
How to reach Tawang
By car
The town is about a 16-hour drive from Guwahati. However, it is best to hire a Tata Sumo from Tezpur in Assam (4 hr. drive from Guwahati).
From Tezpur, you go to Bhalukpong (border of Assam and Arunachal), where Indian and non-Indian tourists have to show a permit, easily obtainable at either Guwahati or Tezpur, and proceed to a beautiful and rough drive up the mountains.
It is advisable to break your journey at either Bomdila or better still, the charming little valley town of Dirang. Sela Pass is notoriously difficult and heavy snowfall (during the season) could force you to stay on either side.
By motorbike (Heaven for Bikers)
For bikers who need thrill and enjoy adventure riding this road for you. There is a section main highway under construction and the section of road you will find mud roads with stones.
The road very much depends on weather conditions so before you kick your bike get sure with the weather condition.
By Air
The nearest Domestic Airport is Salonibari Airport, Tezpur, a roughly six-hour drive from Tawang. It is well connected to Kolkata and Guwahati through Air India flight.
The nearest International Airport from Tawang is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, roughly 480 km from Tawang.
It is connected with major cities like Delhi, Imphal, Kolkata, Agartala, Aizawl, Dibrugarh, Lilabari, Silchar, Dimapur, Jorhat and Mumbai.
Important- For visiting in Arunachal Pradesh you need Inner line Permit.