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-   -   Call of the wild : Western Arunachal in a Mahindra Thar (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/164426-call-wild-western-arunachal-mahindra-thar.html)

Arunachal Pradesh is vast and largest of the North Easter States in India. Arunachal is divided into 16 districts and Tawang is the western most district. Tawang came into prominence for the Sino-Indian war of 1962. Though it is seeing tourist influx nowadays, the war has left a distinct mark on the place.
Inner Line Permit or ILP is required to visit Arunachal. ILP can be obtained from Guwahati, Tezpur or Kolkata. ILP is needed only for the people and no separate permit is needed for the vehicle. This permit is just for visiting Arunachal. Sensitive border areas like Bumla will need additional permits from the DC office in Tawang duly signed by the Brigadier in Tawang.

Map of Arunachal Pradesh from the Internet : Tawang is the western most district



A few pics to start with..







It was an impromptu decision to visit Arunachal and we hardly got anytime to plan. ADC da's thread on TBHP was our guiding star and the man himself patiently answered all our queries over the phone. As there is very little documentation found on team-bhp about Arunachal, I will try to post this thread more as guide for the Tawang circuit.

Day 1: Kolkata - Phuentsholling via NH34, NH31
Distance : ~ 700 Kms
Time taken : 18 Hours
Actual moving time : ~ 14 hours
Places/Things to see enroute : Farakka Barrage, Forests of North Bengal namely Chalsa, Hishimara, Gorumara, Jaldapara etc.

My college buddy as well as tbhpian Rajarshi and I were to make this trip but we were not able to decide on the vehicle. It was either my White Bolero 4WD or his Black Thar CRDe 4WD. Both vehicles had close to 60K on the odo and equally reliable. Both had been through the lengths and breadths of India. It was an equal competition and the more insistent owner won. So it was the Mahindra Thar that was to embark on this journey to the Wild North East.
We started at midnight after an impromptu meet in the evening with ADC da and fellow bhpians and HVKians Anish, Smarajit, Sanjoy Da and Chandranath Da.
We took the NH34 and this was the worst timimg I ever had on this route. Got stuck at Kaliachowk due to an accident between two trucks.



The weather was good, it was raining. It meant less pressure on the AC of the Thar.





We got stuck again at Dalkhola for about 2 hours due to total chaos. Finally reached Siliguri after 15 hours out of which actual moving time was 11 hours. We decided to continue to Alipurduar. However Rajarshi had a brainwave enroute and he said that it would be better to go an additional 18Kms to Phuentsholling in Bhutan. The logic was that the hotels would be better and the food would be good. My incentive was to visit Phuentsholling after 25 years. The drive from Siliguri to Phuentsholling was beautiful, uneventful and fast.

Hotel : Sinchula
Tariff : Rs 1800 including tax for a double bedroom

The entry gate to Phuentsholling, Bhutan




Day 2 : Phuentsholling - Tezpur via NH31C, NH31 and NH15
Distance : ~ 470 Kms
Time taken : 8 hours and 10 minutes
Actual moving time : 7 hours and 50 minutes
Places/Things to see enroute : Tea Gardens of Assam

This was again an uneventful but fast drive. One thing to note is to do this drive in daytime as the route passes through the Kokrajhar area. Most of the route in Assam is 4 laned highway with a few diversions here and there. Also, please do not rely entirely on Google maps as it sometimes shows the route through Guwahati. One has to take a left at Baihata Choriyali towards Tezpur.





Hotel : Hotel KRC Palace, supposedly the best in Tezpur
Tariff : Rs 3000 including tax and complimentary breakfast for a deluxe double bedroom after corporate discount of 10%








Day 3: Tezpur - Bomdilla via Bhalukpong
Distance : ~ 160 Kms
Time taken : 6 hours
Actual moving time : 5 hours and 10 minutes
Places/Things to see enroute : Nameri National Park, Kameng River, Eagle Nest Sanctuary

We left the hotel and went to the Arunachal Government DRC (Deputy Resident Commissioner) office at Parvatinagar to get Inner Line Permit. Finding the DRC office was not so easy following Google maps. Had to ask quite a few people and they were very helpful. The DRC office opens at 10 am. Documents needed to be submitted are -
1> Photocopy of address proof like voter id card
2> 2 passport size photos
3> One form available from the DRC office - Places to visit in Arunachal have to be mentioned in the form. We had put Bomdilla and Tawang.
4> Rs 40 for the form

Address of the DRC office is Parvatinagar, Tezpur - 784001



The rule is to submit the documents between 10 am to 12:15 pm at the DRC office. The permits will be available for collection between 3 pm and 4:15 pm the same day. That meant that we would lose the entire day at Tezpur. I took a chance and when everybody else had left I asked the clerk if there was anyway he could arrange for the permit sooner. He asked me to meet the Deputy Commissioner once he arrives. I took a seat in front of the clerk and waited patiently. At around 11:15 am suddenly heard my name being called out. The clerk said that the officer had still not arrived but he had managed to arrange for the permit for us. It was a moment to rejoice. But please be aware that everybody might not be so lucky everytime. So please note this while planning for the Tawang Circuit.

By 11:30 am we were out on the highway towards Bhalukpong. Bhalukpong is the border between Assam and Arunachal and is on the Arunachal side. ILPs are checked at entry gate. Till Bhalukpong it is plain land and after that the hilly area starts. We were welcomed by the beautiful Kameng river as soon as we entered Arunachal.

Kameng River



The route is beautiful and we stopped numerous times to absorb the greenery and the serenity.











Hotel : Tsepal Yangjom, again supposedly the best hotel in Bomdilla. The address is Main Bazar Line, Bomdilla. Mobile - 09436241432. Landline - 03782-223674/223473
Tariff: Rs 2000 inclusive of tax for a double bedroom after a bit of negotiation



View from the Hotel Tsepal Yangjom



To be continued...

Day 4 : Bomdilla - Tawang via Dirang
Distance : ~ 240 Kms
Time taken : 8 hours 30 minutes
Actual moving time : 7 hours and 15 minutes
Places/Things to see enroute : Sela Pass, Sela Lake or Paradise Lake, Jaswant Garh or JGarh, Nuranang Falls or Jang Falls

Though I have mentioned the prominent places to visit enroute to Tawang, the entire route is replete with greenery and unknown waterfalls. One can only wish to have more time at hand and stop more frequently. Words cannot truly describe the beauty of Arunachal.

Sela Pass : Legend says that a girl named Sela had paid the supreme sacrifice during the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the pass was named in her honour. The altitude of Sela pass was shown as 13,700 feet on my Garmin eTrex.



Sela Lake : Just after the Sela pass is the beautiful Sela Lake also called the Paradise Lake.



Jaswant Garh : Built to commemorate the valor and sacrifice of Rifleman (RFN) Jaswant Singh, Maha Vir Chakra Posthumous. He fought singlehandedly for 72 hours or 3 days at a stretch. I do not have any pictures of the Garh.


Nuranang Falls : Also known as Jang Falls or Bong Bong Falls. Legend says that it was named after another girl named Nura who had helped Jaswant Singh during the war. However it is possible that the falls might have been named Nuranang before 1962 as per wiki.



Some random pics from the route
























We reached Tawang at around 5 pm and found a neat and tidy but a bit cramped hotel at the entry point near the main market place called Nehru market.
Hotel : Pungteng House
Tariff : Rs 1000 for double bedroom after some negotiation


We went out to find a restaurant as we were famished and found a nice little one called the Woodland Restaurant in the main market place. It is owned and run by Dechen Hrider and his wife. The food was so good that we did not go anywhere else during our three day stay at Tawang.


Day 5 : Tawang Town and around

Tawang Monastery

We started early morning and visited the famous Tawang Monastery. It is visible from almost everywhere on the Tawang Valley. The Tawang Monastery is the second largest monastery in Asia after the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Legend says that it gets its name from Ta i.e. Horse and Wang i.e. Chosen meaning Chosen by the Horse of Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in accordance of the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. The monastery is also called Galden Namgey Lhatse which means "celestial paradise".





















Permit for Bumla, Sangetsar Lake and Tak-Tsang Gompa (Tiger's Den)

From the monastery we went to the DC office to submit the form for the permit to Bumla, the Indo-Chinese border. The DC office is easy to find as the road signs are there and the DC officer was very helpful. We had to go to the Jurisdiction section of the DC office. Documents needed were -
1> 2 photocopies of Voter ID card
2> 2 Photocopies of the Driving License
3> 1 Photocopy of the ILP
4> The permit form obtained from the DC office
5> Rs 40 for the form


We submitted the documents and were told to come back at 3 pm to get the permit. The permit would be issued for the next day and valid for just one day. Point to note is that no separate permit is needed for Sangetsar Lake and Tak-Tsang Monastery. There is a place called Y Junction. From there one road goes towards Bumla and another towards Sangetsar Lake Tak-Tsang Gompa.

Ani Gompa

From the DC office we asked for directions to Ani Gompa. The route is beautiful and should be high up on the to-do list of the people visiting Tawang. The Gompa is visible from a distance and seems to be tucked into the looming mountain.











Day 5 to be continued...

Thanks for the brilliant and detailed travelogue! Absolutely lovely place and the photos you've taken is stirring the wanderlust in me. :thumbs up

Day 5 continued..


Urgelling Gompa

Another must-visit place just 5 Kilometers south of the Tawang Town built in the 15th Century. It is the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama. It is beleived that a Mongolian warrior had destroyed the main monastery. What stands today is a small buidling compared to the previous one.



Road to Urgelling Gompa







Abandoned bunkers of the 1962 war




Tawang War Memorial also known as Namgyal Chorten

Built to commemorate te 2420 soldiers who laid their lives during the 1962 war. The names and ranks of all the martyrs are inscribed on the walls of the memorial. An army officer explained to us in details on what had happened during the war.





Permit for Bumla continued...

From there we went back to the DC office to collect the permit for Bumla. The DC officer gave the permit and told us to go to Tawang War memorial and submit the permit to be signed by the Brigadier. We went back to war memorial and submitted the document. We had a sumptuous lunch with momo and thupka at the woodland restaurant and went back to the War Memorial to catch the light and sound show that starts everyday at around 6 p.m. It is a 1 hour show and is educative, inspiring and an eye-opener for the uninitiated.After the show we waited till 8 p.m. to get the permit signed by the Brigadier. The form mentioned that we had to reach the Y junction between 1 pm and 3 pm to be able to visit Bumla. However upon asking again we found that the timings had changed. It was now between 9 am and 11 am as after that the snow starts melting and it gets difficult for the vehicles.


Day 6 :

Penga Teng Tso or PT Tso

We started from our hotel at 7:30 am so that we could reach Y Junction at 9 am. After a few kilometers there was no tarmac and the road condition was quite bad. Melting water was flowing from everywhere and the Thar was in its elements. There were numerous lakes enroute and one them was the famous Penga Teng Tso also called PT Tso.




We took it slow due to the road conditions and reached Y Junction at 9:10 am. We had to produce the permit for Bumla. Here the road divides into two as the name Y junction suggests, one goes to Bumla and the other to Sangetsar. We were told to come back to the junction by 11:30 am if we were to visit Sangetsar and Tak-Tsang Gompa.



















Bumla

The route to Bumla is scenic as well as treacherous in places. The melting water flowing over loose rocks and stones needed engaging of 4WD. Some of the Tata Sumos were not able to cover the last 3 Kilometers to Bumla and had to turn back. Thanks to the 4WD of the Thar we made it without drama. Bumla pass is at around 16000feet and saw one of the fiercecest battles during 1962. The 14th Dalai Lama also escaped to India from Tibet via this pass. One can cross the border and set foot on Chinese soil past the Line of Actual Control or LAC. The bunkers and a few Chinese buildings are visible from this point. One needs to be escorted by an army personnel to go to the border.






















Day 6 to be continued....

Black Pearl,

Beautiful photographs combined with mesmerising narration. Extremely interesting and very informative too. Looking forward to the rest of the travelogue.

Saji

Hi Black Pearl, Is the route to Tawang Monastery negotiable by a hatchback. Did you drive into the monastery compound or are those photos taken dismounted? Fantastic photos and the weather looks superb for driving!

Yes, the route to Tawang Monastery can be done by a hatchback. Though you will need patience and skill to cross Sela if its raining, otherwise very much doable.

Day 6 continued..

Tak-Tsang Gompa or TGompa, also known as Tiger's Den

We came back to the Y Junction at around noon but were allowed to continue towards TGompa and Sangetsar Lake. Tak-Tsang Gonpa is believed to be hallowed by the visit of Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century A.D. This is one of the oldest monasteries of the district.





Sangetsar Lake

Sangetsar lake is also known as Madhuri Jheel named after Madhuri Dixit due to her dance performance there for the film Koyla. However the name Sangetsar sounds much better. The lake, formed in 1950 as a result of an earthquake, looks eerie with those jutting out tree trunks. A waterfall gushes into the lake and another one flows out of the lake. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in the district.













This waterfall flows into the Sangetsar




Some random clicks on day 6







These little ones asked for lift from TGompa to Sangetsar



To be continued....

Wow this is your 3rd Himalayan travelogue in a single month!

All these three travelogues have three different Mahindra Thar's with Sherpa (the white Thar) being a common factor in two of them. Its sure you are going to prove yourself to be one loyal Mahindra customer, who justify there tag line 'Live young, Live free' !

If anyone wonder what am referring to, for them am attaching the links of BlackPearl's other two travelogue's published in this month itself!

1) http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ndra-thar.html

2)http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-baiguney.html


Coming to this travelogue, its really another wonderful travelogue with some lovely pictures. Yes the pics do need a special mention! They are indeed beautiful. The pics of the snow certainly bring a sigh of relief in this hot & humid Kolkata summer. When every one shares there travelogues on Ladakh or other popular tourist destination's a travelogue on the less visited Arunachal is definitely like a breath of fresh air. Once again thanks for sharing & yes rated 5*!

You seem to be in T-20 mode :) I haven't seen three different travelogues by a single BHPian at the same time which are roaring in front page of Team-BHP travelogue section. Kudos to you! I have thoroughly enjoyed your narration as well as the stunning pictures. I am still traveling and have spotty internet access. However, I couldn't resist myself from appreciating your tlog by putting this comment! Keep it up as it inspires many of us to take the next plunge.

Cheers,
Golam

I absolutely love your threads more each day. clap: Thanks a lot for sharing with us folks.


Surely you mean 180 kms or 18k kms, :).

Would love to meet up for a while next time you are passing through town. Would love to see your Thar too!

Day 7 : Tawang - Zemithang and back
Distance : 92 Kms each way

The 7th day started for us at around 8 in the morning. Filled up diesel and headed for Zemithang. No permit is needed. Zemithang lies in the remote and sparsely populated north-western corner of the Tawang district. It is very close to Bhutan and Tibet. The Nyamjang Chu (river) from Tibet flows through the picturesque Zemithang valley.





Bap Teng Kang Waterfall or BTK, approximately 70 Kms from Tawang enroute to Zemithang






Gorsam Chorten, Gorsam

Just before Zemithang there is a place named Gorsam after the Gorsam Chorten. The chorten is a replica of the Swayambunath in Nepal. Very little documentation is there about the time period when the Gorsam Chorten was built. The stupa is about 100 feet tall.








Zemithang Valley and the Nyamjang Chu












Another route to Tak-Tsang or TGompa and Y Junction from Zemithang



Random Clicks on the way and back

























The man and his reliable machine



A breathtaking hidden waterfall, only the mist can be seen




To be continued...

Day 8 : Tawang - Tezpur (Return leg starts)
Distance : ~ 400 Kms
Time taken : 12 hours
Actual moving time : 10 hours

As every good trip has to come to an end, it was time for us to start the return journey. At 5:20 am on the 8th day we bid adieu to the Tawang town and headed for Tezpur. It was a long 12 hour journey and reached Tezpur at around 5:30 in the evening. Stayed at the same KRC Palace hotel.


Day 9 - Tezpur - Siliguri
Distance : ~ 550 Kms
Time taken : 10 hours 30 minutes
Actual moving time : 9 hours

Since it was back to plain land and roads were good, we started leisurely from Tezpur at around 9:30 am and reached Siliguri at 7 p.m. We stayed at Sharda beside Mainak and would not recommended the hotel. The room was shabby and untidy. However we were tired to go out and find another place just for one night.


Day 10 : Siliguri - Kolkata via Purnea-Bhagalpur-Dumka-Suri-Bolpur route
Distance : ~ 720 Kms
Time taken : 14 hours
Actual moving time : 12 hours 10 minutes

Since the traffic jam at Dalkhola railway crossing and Kaliachowk were still fresh in our memory, we decided to give the resident expert Mr. Sheel a call when we reached near Dalkhola. As of that morning Vikramsila setu was devoid of any hold up was his update. We met Sheel on the way. He was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule and meet us on the highway. We got a chance to look at his 4WD Black New Scorpio. It surely looks impressive in Black.





After taking leave from the DBhpian we continued on our return journey and it was smooth and uneventful till we reached Suri. From Suri to Bolpur we got stuck for about an hour due to a terrific storm. Tree branches were falling here and there and blocked the NH2B. It was hell scary. The Thar was shaking and at times it felt like it was going to topple over. We tried to keep calm assuring ourselves about the 2+ tonne weight of the vehicle.



A small video of the storm from inside the vehicle
https://youtu.be/miN6bzk_WyQ

After the storm passed away and the road was cleared, it was again a smooth journey back to Kolkata. The 10 day trip had indeed come to an end....

The entire route over the 4000 Km road trip as logged by the Garmin eTrex 30




PS: Thanks to -

Rajarshi for making the trip at such a short notice
Soumyajit for lending the impressive wide angle lens
ADC da for his guidance
And last but not the least, the Mahindra Thar CRDe 4WD for yet another impeccable performance :thumbs up

Thanks a lot Snehal.

Thanks SajiNSalin. The travelogue is finally complete.

Thanks Kumar R. Yes, roads in Tawang are good and easily negotiable in a hatchback. Except Bumla Pass, I dont think low GC vehicles will have problem anywhere.

Thanks a lot Samba for the nice words. I wish you and Himadri can go to this place and take some excellent photos to do justice to the place.

Lol Golam, thanks for the compliment. Will wait for your travelogue as well once you are back.

Thanks johy. It was 18 kilometers :)
Sure, will let you know when I am there next time.

Sorry, my bad, I was thinking Siliguri to Phuentsholing, but yes, it is Alipurduar (or en-route to Alipurduar) to Phuentsholing..