THE MAGICAL AND ANGELIC MYSTIQUE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
1. Having a penchant for travel, marked by an uncanny desire to veer off the populous track, matched by a reasonable appetite for adventure, a trip to unravel the mystique nee unexplored paradise of North-East India has long been on my bucket list. Comprising of the seven sister States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur and one brother state Sikkim, the region is known for its enchanting beauty and breathtaking landscape. The entire package seemed very attractive and soul-stirring with the promise of a gargantuan yet amazing mountain scape, enchanting blue skies with the famed hospitality and simplicity of the mountain folk to boot.
2. Counting my blessings and most providentially, a part of my bucket list was fulfilled when I was able to take a trip to Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Assam sometime back. I say part, because elementary research led to the conclusion that, keeping in mind the distances, mountainous terrain, vagaries of weather and of course, the sheer expanse of the area, one can only cover it in segments — in case one has to savour and do justice to what is on offer. It being what it is, aided by a fair amount of research and in-depth planning by my wife and enthusiastic support and inputs from some friends in the Armed and Para Military Forces, we undertook a ten-day trip to Arunachal Pradesh with some parts of Assam thrown in for good measure.
3. To begin with, a bit of practical travel advice to save on precious time. For traversing the mountain passes, better to stock yourself with some chewing material (chewing gum/salted ginger or whatever suits you) to fight the demons of altitude sickness and its attendant dizziness. Also an “Inner Line Permit “(ILP) is required by non-natives to enter Arunachal Pradesh and a separate permission is required to visit the higher echelons of Bumla Pass contiguous to the China Border. Of course, both can be obtained online in advance and the process is fairly simple. And mind you, while travelling in the mountainous routes can be somewhat back-breaking with the roads sometimes, not in the best state, the experience remains unmitigatedly pleasurable and a must.
4. Landing in Guwahati (we had planned a trip just before the inauguration of the Donio Polo Airport in Itanagar and because of some reasons could not reschedule) we planned to divide the trip into parts with halts enroute — something which would enable acclimatization to the increasing heights and recalibrate the body and also enable us to enjoy and appreciate the journey with each stopover having something unique and different to offer and the drive not just being interspersed but offering a continuum of views — each a feast to the eyes — guaranteed to shake you out of your stupor and bring back to life a mind which may have been dulled by laziness. At Guwahati Airport, we were met by our Driver, a young, fun loving and happy go lucky boy (more brought into focus by the pronounced earnings), but with a maturity and local knowledge far belying his innocent and longish face who went by the name of Sangey Gutti and who was to be our guide and constant companion for the entire trip.
5. With a short visit to the Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Khetra — a memorial to the legendary Assamese singer — Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika — located just outside the Guwahati University replete with a full length statute of Dr Hazarika in standing position and an atmosphere made all the more surreal and enchanting by the continuously playing soft music and crossing the mighty Brahmaputra, its majesticity belying its massive size, we undertook our onward journey to what was to be our first halt- the city of Tezpur in Sonitpur District about 175 km northeast of Guwahati. Our love affair with the region (which was soon to border on infatuation) began almost immediately — what with the endless natural beauty and plush natural greenery being a feast and welcome change for the eyes which had become accustomed to and had their overdose of the jungle of concrete (not to mention the sky-rocketing levels of pollution) that Delhi has become.
6. Reaching Tezpur by early evening, we checked into the Circuit House located on the banks of River Brahmaputra — a prime location and a cosy/charming place. The Circuit House is also famous for the fact that His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, stayed there enroute to Mussoorie as a part of his journey during the miraculous escape from Tibet in 1959 and the staff very enthusiastically and animatedly showed us the room in which he stayed. Of course, its physical condition has inexorably mutated from its state then -a reflection of the need to adopt to the changing times. Another remarkable feature of this Guest House and what was, again, to become a constant feature at wherever we stayed on the trip, was the pleasant people on duty everywhere expressing and exhibiting utmost willingness to help, specially provide food to suit your tastes, needs and requirements, invariably freshly made and served hot. The entire package brought us back to life, tired as we were, from the flight and early morning activity which included navigating the maze and rigmarole that Terminal T3 of Delhi Airport is at that time of the day.
7. A sumptuous meal followed by a leisurely stroll around the compound, watching the starry skies and soaking in the fresh air we settled down to a night of blissful sleep in a comfortable room, replete with all the amenities that one could possibly imagine.
8. The sun rises early in these parts of India — a corollary to the area’s geographical location in India’s far east. However, given the sheer exhaustion of an almost complete day of travel combined with the blissful and sanctimonious tranquility of our room, our slumber was only broken by the gentle rays of the sun stretching their welcoming arms through the windows. While we had not gotten up early enough to watch the sun rise, the clear blue sky, coupled with the incandescent purity of the atmosphere compounded by the soothing touch of sun rays working in tandem with the (mandatory) cups of morning tea had the effect of the most revitalizing tonic. Exploring the precincts of the Circuit House and its neighbourhood areas accompanied by a gentle stroll to the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra was a mesmerizing experience in itself. Of course, there was a tinge of solemnity and undeniable sadness when we visited the war memorial in the compounds of the Circuit House. Apparently, while Tezpur did not have to bear much of the brunt of the Chinese attack in 1962, the unmistakable sense of loss and hurt still prevails in the entire area even more than sixty years after its occurrence. On the positive side, the bitterness seems to have spawned a new found confidence, unmistakable in its manifestation of the capability to deal with the enemy head long, reflective of the generational shift and concomitant attitudinal changes since then.
9. Soaking in the blissful surroundings, clean fresh air, a pristine blue sky and after a hearty breakfast, we embarked on a trip of Tezpur before undertaking the onward journey to Bomdila. The rendezvous with Tezpur was a mixture of mythology and the spiritual. Agnigarh (derived from “Agni” meaning fire and “Garh” meaning fortress or walls) a hillock located in the city and as per Hindu mythology is the site of a fortress which was surrounded by fire at all times by Asura King Banasura to keep his daughter Usha in isolation. Remarkably well-maintained, it is a mixture of a natural beauty and mythology with verdant greenery and mystic views in a somewhat undulating terrain providing a pleasurable experience. This was followed by a spiritual visit to the Mahabhairab Temple, which houses one of the world’s largest Shiva Lingams and legend has it, was built by the Asura King out of stone. With a chequered history and having suffered the ravages of the catastrophic earthquake of 1897, the reconstructed temple is remarkable for the cleanliness and orderliness despite the multitude of devotees visiting it almost daily to seek the blessing of lord Shiva — a perfect example of seeking spiritual attainment in the lap of natural beauty.
10. As we commenced the journey, our driver insisted on stocking up some packets of biscuits/loaves of bread for feeding to the monkeys (which he promised there would hordes of) during our journey through the verdant forests. The initial part of the journey was marked by plain roads with leafy green trees forming a welcoming arch with dense forests on all sides in a breezy, calming and soothing atmosphere. As anticipated, perhap by sheer intuition or indoctrinated behaviour, duly conditioned over time, hordes of these Symean creatures approached the vehicles, going at varying speeds, through the forests. While feeding monkeys is somewhat of a religious and pious duty in Hindu Mythology (I personally or even spiritually have nothing against the practice), the sheer indoctrination or conditioned behaviour of the monkeys living in forests was somewhat, to put in mildly, not a very pleasing sight- what with some of them having broken limbs/injuries most probably caused by the ongoing traffic. Perhaps some way will have to be found to balance the need to soothe our souls and providing natural habitat to these Symean creatures living in forests.
11. My mind also went to the many instances I have seen of fishes swarming near the shores expecting food to be dropped by the people (mostly tourists) who throng the area. Both these instances where human beings, for any reason whatsoever — fun, thrill or even spiritual emancipation are willy-nilly a part of the gradual weaning away of these animals from their natural life styles, feeding patterns/habits and interfering with their natural and pre- ordained way of life point to need for rethink on this count. Amongst the concerted action being taken with alacrity with regard to various other issues of global concern/importance, the issue of balancing/controlling human selfishness (for want to a better world) with the needs of other living species requires somewhat greater attention, unidirectional focus and unmitigated attention.
12. We, then proceeded with our journey to Bomdila, in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh — a journey of about 150 kms which commenced our ascent into the higher terrains through Dahun and Tenga Valleys and which we were informed were breathtaking and represent the ultimate grandeur and pinnacle of natural beauty. Moving on from the sermonizing and pontification, the drive itself was a unique combination of explosive greenery and soothing adventure (pardon the oxymorons).
13. As we entered Arunachal Pradesh a brief but engaging stopover at the Tippi Orchid Research Centre near Bhalukpong gave me , I may admit, my first tryst with the world of orchids and how they are nurtured/bred and grown. As we moved onwards to Bomdila, the journey through circuitous mountain roads was enthralling for its soothing yet awe-inspiring turns and hair pin bends as well as the amazing yet unbelievable beauty.
14. The drive was also punctuated by a stop at Tenga Valley nestling in the lap of the Eastern Himalayas in the West Kameng District. The area was most memorable for the small Bakery on almost the roadside where the delectable treats on offer with a couple of steaming hot cups of coffee thrown in for good measure (the lowered temperature at the increased heights made them all the more soothing) whetted our appetite and lined our stomachs in full measure for the onward journey to Bomdila which Sangey promised us was going to be even more enjoyable, exciting and remarkably adventurous.
15. And the experience truly lived upto what Sangey had predicted and promised — enchanting beauty, mesmerizing views to provide a sublime, visual experience, clean, pure, cool air to invigorate your mind with intermittent yet soothing sounds of the flowing Kameng River and a number of waterfalls of varying propensities — in an atmosphere punctuated by seemingly treacherous mountainous roads (navigated admittedly skillfully and deftly by Sangey) — the entire package was surrealistic, a magical potion of extraordinary natural beauty with more than a fair amount of thrill, adventure and burst of adrenaline thrown in for good measure.
16. Arriving at Bomdila at just about nightfall -physically somewhat exhausted but in a state of normalized mental tranquility and entering into an Army Guest House, we were greeted by the caretaker who had an unmistakably gracious smile, charming countenance reflective of a genuine desire to make your stay comfortable, homely, cosy and memorable. The place was reflective of an ideal combination of elegant luxury, optimum comfort and, of course, accompanied by the mesmerizing 360% views on all sides- courtesy the big windows lining the common area. Situated at a vantage point, sitting there gave you an amazing view of the valley (something which we discovered next morning) with the vast expanse of greenery and the mountains in the distance providing a somewhat diminutive view belying their gargantuan size.
17. The unparalleled hospitality apart, the Guest House with its elegant construction and soothing package was remarkable for the distinctly Buddhist theme that underlay its décor. Replete with a fair share of Thangka Paintings the entire place had a distinct Buddhist flavour — right from the crockery, to the tapestry to the other wall hangings and items of decoration — with its mandatory accompaniment of orderliness, cleanliness, grace, beauty and, of course, the overarching sense of spirituality akin to nestling in Gods eternal abode.
18. The cosy guest house and the elegant bed-rooms, designed to keep you at ease, equipped with all manner of amenities, with even a thermal blanket thrown in, was a perfect recipe for a night of peaceful slumber. And when the helper asked us the time of the bed-tea and we replied 5.00 a.m. — his face said it all — a mixture of incredulity at the seemingly insane time (as a matter of habit we are early risers) combined with primordial grace and instant willingness. Sure enough he was there at sharp 5.00 a.m. with steaming hot cups of tea — flashing a bright and cheery smile. Of course his pride in being an army man became evident when sharing with us stories/tales of bravery of the Indo-China War — tales of bravery, valour and sacrifice narrated with pride, emotion and, of course, sentiment. A morning walk in these salubrious surroundings was of course a necessity — a once in a lifetime invigorating experience -having the magical effect of cleaning your lungs and decluttering your mind — the clear blue skies and overreaching greenery in the midst of mountains working in tandem to conjure up a scintillating atmosphere.
19. After a sumptuous breakfast served most willingly, graciously and affectionately we commenced our onward journey to Tawang — a journey of about 180 kms but considering the mountainous terrain was not just likely but certain to be time-consuming. We started early for while photostops (given the vast landscape of natural beauty) were a given, we personally wanted to spend some time at the Jaswantgarh War Memorial and of course, Nuranang Waterfalls. Driving through, what appeared to be treacherous roads, surrounded by the majesticity of the Himalayas, the natural beauty was again soul- enhancing/stirring — you can describe it in any way that soothes you. Gradually reaching a height of almost 14000 ft we reached the World’s second highest motorable road at Sela Pass — the serene blue waters of the Sela Lake with somewhat chilly winds and dropping temperatures in the backdrop of magnificence of the surrounding landscape making for a perfect setting. A cup of steaming tea served cheerly and earnestly by a road-side Chaiwala was most welcome.
20. Moving forward and steadily loosing height we reached Jaswantgarh — a memorial to Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat enshrined in history as the dare devil who exhibited the highest levels of valour, bravery and sacrifice in fighting the Chinese in the 1962 Indo-China War. Legend has it that he refused to evacuate, despite getting orders and single handedly through grit, determination and by displaying extraordinary tactical acumen took on the might of almost 300 Chinese solders. Legend also has it that two local Monpa girls (sisters) — Sela and Nura selflessly and devotedly aided Rifleman Jaswant Singh to put up a dogged and determined fight. Given the passage of time and perhaps shoddy record keeping, the exact fate of these two girls remains somewhat surrounded in mystery (atleast so it appeared to me), what is undoubtedly true is their role in aiding and abetting Rifleman Jaswant Singh in the arduous task. Awarded the Mahavir Chakra posthumously, the memorial serves as a reminder to his sacrifice. In the finest traditions of the Forces, the Indian Army still treats him as continuing in service even after he gave the supreme sacrifice with promotions being awarded as if he is still serving. The elegant yet understated memorial with its focus on personal details and memorabilia left me with an unmistakable lump in my throat. Of course, the army personnel and the local populace recount the incidents of the 1962 with deep nostalgia and his sacrifice with passion, love and untold pride. Perhaps one day, hopefully in the very near future, one of our acclaimed Bollywood Directors would step forward and make a Biopic on his life to do justice to stature and sacrifice. I was told of a movie called “72 Hours” available on You-Tube. After coming back I watched it but sadly, it seemed to handle the subject rather amateurishly and hardly did justice to the Hero, and also to Sela and Nura whose sacrifice represents one of the most glorious chapters in Independent India’s history.
21. The next step on our way to Tawang was the famed Nuranang Falls (also known as Jang falls) located about 40 kms before Tawang. Falling from a height of about 100 mts into the Tawang River, the seemingly ferocious falls behold a stunning landscape. One was also wonder and awe-struck by the rapidity with which the enormous gravitational force generated by the falling water, almost instantaneously, dissipates just as the water encounters land with the river making for a calm and serene flow giving no hint of the mammoth energy generated by the falling water. These falls have also had their tryst with Bollywood with the song “Tanhai-Tanhai” from the Shah Rukh Khan/Madhuri Dixit starrer “Koyla” having been shot there. The movie, otherwise, a box office flop is famous for the song shot amidst the picturesque locales of Nuranang Falls coupled with the elegant and eye-catching performance of the superstars. The bottom of the falls, which can be reached by a somewhat steep but invigorating walk, also has a small café which plays this song almost constantly and offers you photo-ops of dancing to the beat apart from providing steaming cups of tea/coffee, freshly cooked Maggi and the like in the most comforting and ultimate lap of nature.
22. The tryst with nature at its tranquil best amidst the falling white sheet of water spraying mist all around amidst the mountainous landscape enveloped with soothing greenery was a manifestation of nature at its magnificent test. After this pleasing interlude, commenced, what was to be the concluding part of our scheduled travel for the day i.e. the almost 40 km journey to Tawang, a town close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. By the time we reached the city (physically exhausted but mentally alert), it was pitch dark. While we could not gauge much of what the city had to offer, the clean air with the warm welcome and charming grace of the personnel at the official Guest House brought a new vigour to our travel weary body frames. After a yet another gut enriching meal, we retired to bed early to be fresh for the sojourn to Bumla Pass, for which we had to leave somewhat early the next day.
To be Continue in Part -2
