The Enchanting North East

Guwahati, Assam

I embarked on this part of my journey unaware of what I should expect from this less celebrated part of our country, this being my first ever trip there.

We landed in Guwahati (Assam) and were greeted by the usual city bustle, dust, pollution (lesser than most cities but there nevertheless). This is one of the largest cities in the North-East and hence is pretty much a gateway to any place in this region.

Kamakhya Temple, nested in the Nilachal hills, would be the most important visit in this city. This temple, which gains popularity as one of the most important "Shakti Peeth", celebrates the female spiritual power, as this is supposed to be the place where Goddess Sati's Yoni (Vagina) fell. 

Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati

I was always fascinated by the mythological story about the formation of the Shakti Peeths, and Kamakhya Temple somehow stoked the feminist in me as well :P The garbhagriha is a small dark cave which leads to a small "yoni" like depression filled with water. The temple is closed for 6 months in a year as it is believed that the goddess observes the menstrual cycles as well here. The locals claim that this phenomenon is literally observed in the garbhagriha idol. This temple is an important pilgrimage for Hindus and especially for Tantric worshipers and is crowded through the year.In all, this shrine is highly enchanting for the believers and non-believers alike. 

We then took a ferry down the "Mighty Brahmaputra" to an old 17th century Siva temple - Umananda Temple, located on the quaint Peacock island. 

Peacock Island in the middle of River Brahmaputra

Personally, I felt the 15 minute ferry ride to the island is the more peaceful and interesting part.

Umananda Temple on Peacock Island

After this we headed off straight to Tezpur, to make it there by nightfall. However, some other interesting visits around Guwahati would include Assam State Museum, Old Guwahati, etc. You may even go shopping for some Assamese handicrafts and souvenirs in the market. For purchasing the Assamese silk sarees, shawls, Mekhela Chadors, Suits, etc we were recommended the Silkalay which has a great collection of the same at reasonable prices. So you can go shop away!!! :D 

However, I would recommend a trip to the village of Sualkuchi (about 32Km from Guwahati) if time permits. The entire village engages in the weaving of the famous Assam silk and hence would be ideal to see the artisans at work and purchase from them directly.

Tezpur, Assam

A 170 Km ( about 3-4 hour) drive through the plains of Assam brought us to this smaller city on the banks of Brahmaputra. The roads were undergoing widening and hence the drive was far from scenic. A layer of dust sat on all the flora, huts,  roadside shops & workers alike and it wasn't really the most comfortable journey. But I'm sure that would've changed by now (at least that's the hope! ) 

From here one must make a trip to Kaziranga National Park.
The elephant safari starts at 6 in the morning and would require you to be probably stay there overnight to make it on time.
Jeep safaris go at more godly hours and twice a day :)

However, people recommend the former for the obvious thrill of it and also because the elephant cuts across the park and takes you quite close to the animals.

You will surely get a glimpse of the famous single-horned Rhinos, bisons and different kinds of birds at the watering hole. But sighting other animals purely depends on the season, time of the day and of course...most importantly...your luck :P

However, animals or no animals, Kaziranga is a very peaceful place and a simple ride through sanctuary, taking in its tranquil surroundings is highly invigorating.

We made it back to Tezpur in good time and prepared for the next leg of our journey to Tenga.

We left early next morning to cover the 150 Km (4 hour) journey in daylight. As the sun sets here by 6 pm, it never left us with too much time in the evening to do any sight seeing. hence the days always started soooper early and ended at sundown. 

We crossed numerous, vast paddy fields on either side strewn across the famous plains. The only thing that would bring all my excitement down was the sight of all the jawans standing every 100m, covered in all the dust and soot, looking out to ensure the safety of the travelers.

Kemang River

The more scenic route starts after BhalukPong (about 50kms from Tezpur), which is the base of the hills. From here the roads set in the Himalayan backdrop are more winding but wonderful.

We stopped for a short break at Sessa (28Kms from Bhalukpong) & even saw an Orchid Farm on the way. We did not get to see many orchids (since it was winter) but were informed that June, July would be a good time to see the farm in full bloom(after the rains).

There on, we covered the journey to Tenga in the company of the lovely Kemang River.

With a little time to spare on reaching Tenga, we decided to cover the Chilipam Monastery situated nearby.

ChiliPam is a quiet & peaceful monastery situated on one of the peaks of the beautiful Tenga Valley. This is a relatively new monastery and has colorful artwork done by a Bhutanese artist. 

Photographer's Delight

This monastery is a wonderful muse for all you photographers out there.. So make sure you get your fancy cameras and lenses to go with it...and get clicking!!! :D

We then drove around, taking in the beauty that is the Himalayas, with the Tenga Chu river flowing alongside faithfully.

Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

The next morning we embarked on the dreaded 8 hour long journey (around 208 Kms) to Tawang valley. The roads really put the 'highway' in the Assam plains in perspective.
The only thing that helped us through was the excitement that this looooong & painful journey would end in the beautiful Tawang Valley. 

Crossing Bomdila

We crossed quaint villages like Bomdila, Munna on the slopes of the tall peaks. 
there are large Kiwi cultivations in the Dirang valley. You have GOT to stop for this....its absolute yummness!!! :D:D

With short stops along the way at Sapper & Senge for chai-paani we started the treacherous climb to the famous SeLa pass at 13,700 ft altitude above sea level.












We were greeted by strong-chilly winds inviting us into the great Tawang Valley. 

And finally "Welcome to Tawang" !! :D

The air was thin and with no acclimatization  we were quite light-headed after just a bit of photo session :P

However, my excitement was at an all time high as I could see Tawang beckoning through the beautiful, colorful archway.


















Just across the archway, you find the Sela Lake, completely frozen at that altitude. We got down  for a small stroll 'on' the lake with tiny snow crystals falling from the sky :) Mind-Blowing experience it was!! :D :P

They were on a quest to break the ice!! :P

They were on a quest to break the ice!! :P

We continued on our seemingly never-ending journey. We had been on the road for almost 4 hours and our destination wasn't exactly nearby yet :( 
But as we entered into the Tawang valley, there was a certain calm in the air. We descended into the valley crossing frozen waterfalls and small streams. The place is supposed to be dotted with numerous gushing waterfalls after the rains. However, this wasn't exactly the scene in winter.

One of the many frozen waterfalls on the way

One of the many frozen waterfalls on the way

And then a frozen stream :)

And then a frozen stream :)

Yaks!! :D

Our next stop was at Jaswant Garh which is a memorial in honor of the valiant Indian soldier Rifleman (RFN) Jaswant Singh.

"A popular and widely-disseminated local story goes as follows : It was the final phase of the Sino-Indian War in November 1962. Even as his company was asked to fall back, Jaswant Singh remained at his post at an altitude of 10,000 feet and held back Chinese soldiers for three days assisted by two local Monpa girls named Sela and Nura (in some versions one or the other girl is mentioned). They set up weapons at separated spots and maintained a volume of fire that made the Chinese think they were opposed by a body of troops. Finally the Chinese captured the man who was supplying rations to Jaswant and he revealed to them that they were opposed by only one man.They attacked in force,Sela died in a grenade burst, Nura was captured and Jaswant supposedly shot himself with his last cartridge when he realized that he was about to be captured. It is alleged that the Chinese cut off Jaswant Singh's head and took it back to China. However, after the ceasefire, the Chinese commander, impressed by the soldier's bravery, returned the head along with a brass bust of Jaswant Singh. The bust, created in China to honor the brave Indian soldier, is now installed at the site of the battle."

(Thankyou Wiki:D)

The memorial is currently being maintained by the Indian Army and everyone stops to & from Tawang, to pay their respect to this brave soldier who laid down his life for our nation.

You also get a whiff of the warm hospitality from 5,000 feet to 15,000 feet, proprietary to the Fauj :)

The regiment stationed here provides free chai-paani to all tourists crossing by..and what wonderful hosts they are! :D

The brass bust of Jaswant Singh

The brass bust of Jaswant Singh

Personal belongings of Jaswant Singh

Personal belongings of Jaswant Singh

With each passing Chu, Tso & La we learnt more about the War of '62, more popularly known as the 62 Debacle :( and the blood bath that these beautiful mountains & valleys witnessed :(

You hear heart wrenching stories of the many unsung heroes who laid down their lives for our safety :(

We drove on, passing many colorful flags & prayer wheels, whispering words of love, peace & prosperity into the wind.....

....and hopefully across the border as well :(

We reached Tawang at Sun down and were greeted with more of the above-mentioned famous fauji hospitality :)

The place is extremely cold through the year and can make you feel slightly light-headed (at close to 9,000ft). So, if heading there, carry heavy woolens, thermal wear, gloves, socks, woolen caps and the works....

The most important place to visit here is obviously the Tawang Monastery and the entire complex looks stunning as the first rays of the sun fall on it. So try to drag your butt outta bed early (its close to impossible :( ) and start off early.. :)

First rays of the sun falling on Tawang Monastery

First rays of the sun falling on Tawang Monastery

Tawang Monastery is the largest in India and said to be the second oldest monastery in the world as well.

Within the complex there are 65 residential buildings and 10 other structures and also a large library with valuable old scriptures.

It is home to almost 500 lamas who live, pray & eat together, dedicating their life to the peaceful ways of Buddhism.

 The most fascinating part is the Dukhang or Assembly Hall — a three-storied building housing the temple and the 8.3 m (27 ft) high Golden Buddha as well as the paintings on the walls made of vegetable dyes.

In all, its extremely peaceful and an interesting place to experience the teachings of Buddhism.

Next stop in our itinerary was the famous Bumla Pass. 

The drive although bumpy, is extremely scenic. With all the motivating words & slogans painted on the rocks, I was quite hopped up on patriotism by the time we ascended to Bumla :D

Mera Bharat Mahaan indeed!! :D

At an altitude of around 16,000 feet, Bumla is famous as the pass where Dalai Lama crossed over to India when fleeing from Tibet. 

Here you can see the Indo-China border line and even take a step into Chinese soil if possible :P

Thats me in China! :D

Here, you show your support for the Indo-Sino peace by making your contribution in the 'heap of stones' :D

One for Peace! :)

Though you cannot see the Chinese troops across the border like many other posts, its still interesting and a good place to understand what hardships our forces go through in the effort to protect our country.

This post holds great importance as that which hosts the quarterly special Border Personnel meets to enhance peace in the sector.

We then headed to Shungatser Lake, more popularly known as Madhuri Lake after she shot for the film 'Koyla' in the lake (Our Bollywood obsessed nation! Sheesh!!).

First view of the lake

This beautiful lake was formed as a result of an earthquake & flash floods that followed and remains frozen through the winter..So, nestled in the lap of condescending steep rocky mountains (aptly named Devil's Cauldron), this lake really looks absolutely breath-taking.

The spectacular ride to these places is half the fun of the trip. You cross loads of frozen lakes on the way, which I presume can only be ten times prettier during summer :)

More Yaks!! :D

Devil's Cauldron!

During winter, the journey is an adventure in itself ,with the vehicle drifting dangerously towards 

the valley, as it treads on the ice :s :s

Another MUST see is the Tawang War Memorial, built to honor the martyrs of the 62 war.

This ended our first leg of the journey. Though extremely tired & sleep deprived, we headed back more peaceful & rejuvenated :)

Observing the alternating sceneries of the mountain rock-face & the stunning valley while driving up the winding roads back to Sela, I watched the Tawang Valley evaporate. Jotting down thoughts that cropped up inspired by the beauty, I decided to write this travelogue in hopes of re-creating at least 5% of the magic that is Tawang.

This concluded the first part of our journey covering few places in Assam & Arunachal Pradesh. We headed to Meghalaya next, which I was promised would be a different kind of experience altogether :)

With that in mind we drove back to Guwahati, bringing back with us the memories; bearing the messages of love & peace those flags gave; hoping for a better tomorrow for the people there...