Arunachal yatra, A journey to the Land of the Rising Sun

NIRVANA

2007-05-03T12:14:00.000+05:30

A typical place of worship of the Himalayas called the "Gompa" in Mechukha.. When serenity beckons on you, the urge for salvation/ nirvana is but spontaneous .. check out the snow clad mountains at the backdrop..

2007-04-28T11:46:00.000+05:30

The river that flows by the mechukha valley

Gateway to heaven

2007-04-25T11:31:00.000+05:30

This is the proverbial Gateway to heaven!! A photo taken by my friend in Mechukha

The bridge down the river mechukha

2007-04-20T18:45:00.000+05:30

Check this out!! Seems unreal..this is the uphill stream which flows along Mechukha...A perfect place for those who loves to trek along the river upstream,angling and all those who appreciate untouched nature in its pristine glory

ME-CHU-KHA:'Fire-water-ice'

2007-04-20T11:08:00.000+05:30

Well. all this while my blog has been focusing only one part of the vast beautiful state 'arunachal'. Today I am starting a new series highlighting another beautiful destination in the state-MECHUKHA valley, which literally translated means 'Fire-water-ice'. The other version says that the name mechukha is derived from the word 'Menchukha', which means 'The Rivermouth of Healing'.Legend has it that the area had a water source which had power of healing and oft used by the locals and claimed to have medicinal value.

This lovely place is a part of the west siang district and home to the memba tribes. The membas are buddhist by faith and very hospitable lot. The destination was only connected by air until recently which now has a motorable road. I am told pollution in mechukha is negligible, attributable only to the fire wood burnt by the locals for domestic purposes and occassional visits of the IAF planes. This is nature lovers paradise at its highest glory. some call it the switzerland of the east while others tend to draw parallal with other destinations.. for me mechukha is one of its kind with no parallal... you got to see to believe ..

Alot of beautiful photos are lined up on mechukha... until next time.. plan ur next trip to mechukha

A custom made trip to Tawang

2007-04-17T10:41:00.000+05:30

For long I have been recieving queries for the best way to enjoy a trip to Tawang from people who intend to visit Tawang. I have realized that almost all visitors make a half baked programme of the visit. This results in a tired spoilt holiday and also end up not seeing the lesser known beauties of Tawang. It is in this light that I have made an attempt to design a whole some trip to tawang with health on the top priority.

From Kolkata:

1. The alliance air flies to Tezpur tri-weekly which is the nearest airport. One can take the flight.
2. From Tezpur drive up to Bhalukpong(1000 ft approx) for 2-3 hrs and halt for a day or two. The area is a typical monsoon forest with the kameng river flowing through it. This is a paradise for adenture sports such as white water rafting and angling. Halt in B'pong also works as a accclimatization programme which is a must before taking the hieghts.
3. From B'pong you can drive to Dirang valley (3000 ft)via Bomdila for 4-5 hrs. Dirang valley is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the beauties of the valley. You can visit the local sightseeing places of interest of which bird watching is a hot favourite .
4. From Dirang driving at the wee hours of the morning with the aim to reach the Sela pass(18000 ft) by sunrise is an effort worth it. the sunrise at Sela is by far the most breathtaking spectacles i have ever seen. One can take a easy drive thereafter to reach Tawang by evening.
5.The next morning you can see the nearby places of interest in and around tawang.This is also to rejuvenate your lost energy after a long drive..
6. Organise a picnic with packed food towards T Gompa, Sangetsar lake to have a close interaction with nature.Enjoy the sight of glacial lakes, the wild golden ducks,yaks etc..the next day.
7. For those who like to stretch things to the limit a long trek to Mago/Thingbu would be icing on the cake. but proper guide a must for this.camping in the wild with tents is a lifetime experience one should not miss...
8. Return and halt at Bomdila(10000 ft approx) site seeing.. and back to tezpur..
This itinery can be further customised to suit individual needs

The wheel of life

2007-01-14T08:33:00.000+05:30

Well!! My first post inthe new year has to be to be the wheel of life. This is a picture of a "MANE" with mantras inscribed on it in the bodhi language and the mantra goes as ' OM MANE PADME HUNG' which literally means the jewel in the center of the lotus. It is a mantra invoking the AVALOKITESWARA-the Buddha of compassion.This is the mantra to develop compassion towards all sentient beings which is the main underlying philosophy of Buddhism. All buddhists chant this mantra and also revolve this prayer wheel with the belief that the mantras inscribed on it will be carried by the wind horse(Lung Ta) in all directions to spread the feeling of compassion.

May the year 2007 be a year of peace for all

Himalayan flora

2006-10-03T19:40:00.000+05:30

A rare sight of adaptation by plants to the harsh environment in the

higher reaches of Tawang

Wild Wild East

2006-09-02T17:58:00.000+05:30

The transhumance nomads milking the yaks for their "daily butter". In the background is the temporary stone shelter...

"Cotton field"

2006-08-25T14:26:00.000+05:30

Well, early monsoon picture taken of the panorama around the district.. the monsoons are the times when rains are aplenty and life both flora and fauna is at its best.. infact it is one of the sights one would not afford to miss.. come what may.

"How green is my valley?"

2006-08-19T12:50:00.000+05:30

This is another beautiful location untouched by 'civilization', en-route the trek to Mago-Thingbu in Tawang district. This valley b'coz of its mind blowing view is oft sought after by trekkers and nomads to make it a transit stop over point. The tents once pitched, you feel a strange sense of liberation(mukti) from the worldly complexities and sense of fulfillment prevails over you which no amount of money can buy you. You will be on the proverbial lap of the serene nature enjoyin the view and pollution free air. Infact the air is so pure that some times one finds problem inhaling the air here.. The only price one pays to reach this crescendo is a hard trek of about 50 odd Kms from the nearest point of road connectivity.. And I assure you that the price you pay will be more than compensated by the dividends you get once you reach the place.... The best time to plan a trek here is in the month of April. Anyone game?

Tso-kyo-The crooked lake

2006-08-18T17:14:00.000+05:30

Well!!! as the name suggests this is an arc shaped lake about 15 kms above the town towards to the Chinese border. let me assure u that the sight of this lake with all the wild yaks grazing in the vicinity will be etched in ur memory for a long time to come .. If you are lucky u might even spot some migratory pair of golden ducks from Siberia.. It is also an ideal place for picnic but let me warn you that since all the 108 lakes in the district are sacred to the locals, littering the place will be taken in bad taste.. I had recently been to this lake and had done a circumambulation and it was great fun..the flora around the lake is unique... since I was there in the spring time the flora in full bloom the sight was breath taking. The more adventurous ones can also dare taking a plunge in the lake.

Tsa-Nga-Phu : Mt Gorichen- The white giant

2006-08-16T13:37:00.000+05:30

This is the photograph of Mount Gorichen located in Tawang district, Gorichen is one of the highest peaks (22,500 Ft) of Arunachal Pradesh. It is covered by snow twelve months a year and that's why many refer to it as the 'White Giant'. It is revered as Sa-Nga Phu, which literally means the Abode of the guardian deity and therefore, sacred to the Monpa tribe. Gorichen is a delight for all the mountaineering and trekking enthusiasts. The months of September and October are the ideal time to indulge oneself to taming this 'White Giant'(Warning:Ventures by the untrained could prove to be fatal).The mountaineers have classified this giant as "Gorichen Main-6488" and "Gorichen east 6222m" in terms of its hieght and difficulty to scale. Let me inform you that many of the peaks are still unclaimed and you could be the first to scale them and get a peak named after you- doesn't it sound exciting?.

TAWANG - 'Blessed by the Horse'

2006-08-15T12:51:00.000+05:30

Welcome to 'TA-WANG', which literally means blessed('WANG') by the horse('TA'). Legend has it that Saint Mera Lama wanted to built a monastery in this region and was not sure of the location. It was his horse that chose the place on the picture as the ideal place to built the monumental structure and hence the name "TAWANG". This monastery is one of the oldest and largest in Asia and imparts religious knowledge to 500 inmates(Monks/Lamas).
The district is home to the MONPA tribe. The Monpas are buddhist by faith and the entire socio-cultural activities of the Monpas revolve around this Monastery which is called the "Gaden Namgyal Lhatse Gompa".

The Back View of the Gaden Namgyal Lhatse Gompa Monastry. Breath taking view!!

The entrance to Heaven!!! That small pagoda welcomes travel weary visitors to the beautiful town of Tawang. All the scenic spots are within a radius of 15 Kilometers from the town, though the unexplored natural beauty will call for a welcome 100 KM trek, anybody game?

Birds eye view of the Tawang Town, taken from the monastry, taken using a point and shoot camera.

An Unnamed Glacial Lake in Tawang

2006-08-14T18:57:00.000+05:30

This beautiful view is of an unnamed glacial lake in Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh. This place is 80 miles trek from the point of last possible signs of civilization towards Chinese border. I assure you that this breathtaking sight is one of its kind in India and most of all unexplored to all the nature buffs...

Enjoy and posts your comments and queries..

Next update- very soon, with lots of pictures.

We are planning to take one district at a time, and will be posting a lot of pictures from Tawang in the first Installment.