Tawang
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Sela Pass
Courtesy for Picture
Dr Mohd Tabrez Alam
Anaesthesiologist
Nagaland
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Tawang, the headquarters of the Tawang district (2085
sq.km) located on the Western tip of the state on a mountain side at 12000 ft
above sea level, is the land of the Monpa tribes and a major centre of
the Mahayana Buddhists. Tawang is famous for its 400 year old Buddhist
monastery which overlooks the wide Tawang Valley. The best season to visit
is from April to October. The nearest airport is Guwahati and Tezpur in
Assam which is 345 km
from Tawang (13 hours by road) and the nearest Railhead is Bhalukpong in
West Kameng district, 280 kms away. Buses and
Taxi ply regularly from Bhalukpong via Bomdila in West Kameng district to Tawang which is 180 km
away and takes
10 hrs. Deputy commissioner, Tawang Phone: 03794 - 222221 (O) 222222
(R) can be contacted for accommodation at Government Circuit House,
Tawang. There is helicopter Service from Guwahati in Assam to Tawang which
takes around 1 hour 20 minutes to reach.
Tawang is also ideal for trekking and hiking. On
the way to Tawang lies the World's second highest pass at 14000 ft, the
Se la Pass
through a high altitude lake of crystal blue water. Both sides of the
lake are decked with miles of rhododendrons. Bomdila- Tawang area
especially around the Tawang Chu offers one of the best treks. The trek starting
from Jong, located between Se- la and Tawang, to Mago is through forests studded
with waterfalls. May and October are the best time for trekkers. There is also a Orchidarium
at Tipi near the banks of the Kameng River in the West Kameng
District, enroute Tawang.
Buddhist Gompa
Tawang Monastery or Gompa also known as the 'Galden Namgyal Lhatse',
is a 400 year old  Buddhist monastery of the Mahayana sect, built in the 17th century. It is situated at a height of 3500 meters
or 10,000 ft at the Bhutan border. The monastery was founded by a monk, Mera Lama, a contemporary of the fifth Dalai Lama.
It is a vast complex of 65 buildings - a treasure house of old scriptures, priceless images, painted tapestries, books and collection of gold lettered Buddhist scriptures.
The ‘Parkhang’ hall of the monastery houses the
library which holds the rare hand written and block-printed 'Thankas' or
manuscripts of revered books like 'Tangym', 'Kangyur' and 'Sungbhum'. The other
rare works of Buddhist literature include 108 gold-embossed manuscripts of the
'Teaching of Lord Buddha' and 225 volumes of the explanations of Buddha’s
teachings covered with specially designed moth - proof silk adorned with
paintings. There is a towering 18 ft high gilded
statue of the Buddha in the monastery complex.
The Tawang Monastery
is associated with the famous Torgva festival
which is held in the eleventh Monpa month called
the Dawa Chukchipah(i.e Dec-Jan as per the
Buddhist). There is also a Craft Centre here producing fine woolen carpets of colourful designs.
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