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Traveller GETAWAYS ARUNACHAL PRADESH TOP TEN Traveller GETAWAYS Editorial Business Office EDITOR Amit Dixit CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Indranil Roy CONSULTING EDITOR Lasya Nadimpally CMS EXECUTIVE Benny Joshua Advertisements VICE PRESIDENT Sameer Saxena MANAGER Rakhi Puri First Edition 2019 Research Copyright © Outlook Publishing (India) Private Limited, New Delhi. RESEARCHERS Ranee Sahaney, Sharon All Rights Reserved George, Lima Parte Circulation NATIONAL HEAD Anindya Banerjee Design ART DIRECTOR Deepak Suri Production ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Kapil Taragi GENERAL MANAGER Shashank Dixit DISCLAIMER SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rajesh KG MANAGER Sudha Sharma No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or DEPUTY MANAGER Ganesh Sah transmitted in any form or means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, ASSISTANT MANAGER Gaurav Shrivas recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Outlook Publishing Photography (India) Private Limited. Brief text quotations with use of photographs are SENIOR PHOTO RESEARCHER exempted for book review purposes only Raman Pruthi As every effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information in this publication as far as possible, we would appreciate if readers would call our attention to any errors that may occur. Some details, however, such as telephone and fax numbers or email ids, room tariffs and addresses and other travel related information are liable to change. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of information provided in this book. However, we would be happy to receive suggestions Printed and published by and corrections for inclusion in the next edition. Please write to: The Editor, INDRANIL ROY on behalf of Outlook Publishing (India) Private Limited from AB-10, Outlook Traveller Getaways, AB-10, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029 Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029 outlooktraveller.com Printed at GH Prints Pvt. 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A-256, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-1, For updates, news and new destinations, log on to our website New Delhi-110020 www.outlooktraveller.com 2 3 10 contents Introduction 06 THE CAPITAL AND ITS TWIN 72 SEPPA, DOIMUKH, SAGALEE 104 ANINI 130 Culture And Tradition 16 ITANAGAR 72 District Museum and Library MAYUDIA PASS 135 Adventure In Arunachal 28 Ita Fort Crafts Centre Advice For Tourists 34 Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum OF MYTHS AND MAMMALS 136 Map of Arunachal Gompa Buddha Vihar WHERE THE HILLS BEGIN 108 PARASURAM KUND 136 Pradesh 40 Gekar Sinyi PASIGHAT 108 TEZU 139 NAHARLAGUN 82 ROING 114 WAKRO 140 OF HIGH MOUNTAINS AND Mela General Ground Camping Kamlang Tiger Reserve MONASTERIES 42 Polo Park NAMSAI 118 TAWANG 42 Golden Pagoda ADVENTURE IN THE WOODS 142 Tawang Monastery ABODE OF THE APATANIS 84 Other Temples MIAO 142 Gyangong Ani Gompa ZIRO VALLEY Other Places of Interest JAIRAMPUR 146 Tawang War Memorial Hapoli NAMDAPHA NATIONAL Urgelling Gompa Apatani Bastis MONASTERIES, RITUALS PARK 148 DIRANG 54 Ziro Viewpoint AND MORE 122 Deban Dirang Dzong Tarin Fish Farm MECHUKA 122 Treks New Gompa Ziro Festival of Music BASAR 125 National Research Centre Kardo Hill Temple Hotel Listings 156–69 on Yak A BRIDGE ACROSS FOREVER 126 Tourist Offices 170 BOMDILA 62 THE BIG CAT IN MISTY WOODS 96 TUTING 126 Permits 171-172 Upper Gompa PAKKE TIGER RESErvE 96 YINGKIONG 129 Transport Directory 173–75 Middle Gompa Birdwatching Photo Credits 176 Lower Gompa Nature Interpretation Centre SPECTACULAR VISTAS, Bomdila Bazaar area Village Visits and Festivals SHAMANIC RITUALS 130 4 5 TEN TEN TOP TOP PRADESH PRADESH ARUNACHAL ARUNACHAL SANJIV VALSAN The Road Less Travelled Lake at Sela Pass bounded by snow-covered mountains INTRODUCTION across the state, each with are adept at bamboo INTRODUCTION he roads to, and in, snow, rain and heavy vehic- their own language, culture craft, fishing and organic Arunachal Pradesh are ular movement, but once and practices. Their life and agriculture. Tlong and winding, and you manage to galumph culture revolves around their A visit to this far-flung brimming with a promise of past these little challenges, respective topographies. corner of India will show adventure. Irrespective of you will be gifted with The Monpas and you what life is like in its which road you decide to sights that your eyes simply Sherdukpens reside in the simplest form. Till today, take in the largest state in cannot fathom. western part of Arunachal Arunachal Pradesh contin- India’s Northeast, in all While you’re immersed in Pradesh; the Apatanis and ues to be one of the great- probability, it will be ‘the the quiet majesty of the Nyishis in the central areas; est and last remaining one less travelled by’. Roads Himalayas, you will learn while the Idu Mishmis live repositories of unique can be bumpy at times, and that these mountains are on the eastern side. All are cultures and unexplored definitely thrilling thanks to home to tribes scattered expert weavers and most ecological wealth. 6 7 SHUTTERSTOCK Geography est state in India with TEN TEN Arunachal Pradesh shares its respect to size, it has one of TOP TOP borders with Bhutan in the the lowest population den- west, the Tibetan sities in India. Autonomous Region and For administrative pur- PRADESH PRADESH China to the north, poses, Arunachal Pradesh is Myanmar and Nagaland to divided into 25 districts the east and Assam in the depending on cultural dif- south. The state extends ferences, connectivity and ARUNACHAL ARUNACHAL over an area of 83,740 sq geography. Several rivers, km and is the largest among such as the Kameng, Siang, the Northeastern states. Subansiri, Lohit and Tirap, Although it is the 15th larg- whose sources are in the Greater Himalayas, meander A yak in western Arunachal through the high mountains and lower valleys of Nuranang Waterfalls makes for a spectacular view Arunachal Pradesh to even- tually join the mighty passes such as Sela and Assam, where it joins the INTRODUCTION Brahmaputra. Bumla are located here. Brahmaputra. INTRODUCTION The western and north- There are also various lakes The central zone of the ern boundary areas of the in the area that are consid- state hosts the busy capital state are characterised by ered sacred in Tibetan city of Itanagar. It marks the lofty, snow-capped moun- Buddhism. Additionally, the beginning of the Eastern tains and sparse vegetation. region is a free grazing Himalayas and the state The challenging terrain ground of the Himalayan border. The region hosts occasionally disrupts con- yak, which can be spotted spectacular river valleys, nectivity of roads and bridg- almost everywhere. The which are home to several es during monsoon and Kameng River originates in indigenous tribes such as winter. Landslides, snow and the Tawang district and the Apatanis, Adis, Nyishis, heavy rains are the norm flows all the way down to Tagins and many others. It is here. Several high-mountain Nameri National Park in also home to the mithun, a SHUTTERSTOCK 8 9 SANJOY GHOSH large, semi-domesticated the spectacular Mishmi TEN TEN bovine. Hills, while both hills and TOP TOP Dense rainforests cover plains comprise the south- much of the eastern part of eastern belt. the state, which is one of PRADESH PRADESH the most accessible regions Climate from outside the state The plains and lower reach- owing to an improved road es of Arunachal Pradesh network. Several rivers flow experience humid, subtropi- ARUNACHAL ARUNACHAL through the area to join the cal climate through most of Brahmaputra, one of which the year. The higher moun- is Noa-Dihing that enters tains are snowbound and Arunachal Pradesh from witness alpine climatic con- Myanmar. The northeastern ditions with the barometer side of the state is home to recording sub-zero tempera- tures during winter, which Mountainside covered in mist, Tawang A long footbridge lasts from November to March. Abundant rainfall tribes, which were passed the British and Burmese INTRODUCTION occurs in the state from down through the genera- empires fighting to gain INTRODUCTION March to October. The tions, provide clues to control over India’s lower Himalayas receive many questions about their Northeast region. After heavy rainfall and tend to origins. Burma’s defeat, Assam get cold in the winter The earliest sources of became a part of British months. written history on the region India in 1826. Even with this can be found in Sutiya and development many tribes of History Ahom accounts, since both Northeast India continued The early history of this kingdoms held parts of to govern themselves, with- region is shrouded in mys- the state from the 12th to out interference from the tery since no written records 19th centuries. British till Independence. from that time exist. The In 1824, the First Anglo- Moreover, the Inner Line rich oral traditions of the Burmese War broke out with Regulation Act of 1873 cut SHUTTERSTOCK 10 11 off the tribes from any out- NEFA was declared TEN side influence. a union territory of India in TOP In 1914, the British sepa- 1972 and was later named rated areas with a high den- Arunachal Pradesh. It was sity of tribal population from made a state with Itanagar PRADESH the rest of the Assam as its capital in 1987. Province. These areas formed the North-East Sino-Indian War (1962) Frontier Tract (NEFT), which Conflict over who controlled ARUNACHAL became a part of the state the Aksai Chin and NEFA of Assam in 1947. In 1954, (present-day Arunachal it was renamed North-East Pradesh) regions were the Frontier Agency (NEFA). main triggers for the war between India and China in Tawang War Memorial 1962. However, several other factors also escalated tensions between the two countries that eventually led INTRODUCTION to all-out war. One such reason was Namdapha India granting asylum to the Dalai Lama during the National Tibetan Uprising in 1959—a step that was not looked upon favourably by the Park Chinese government.