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The Queen of Hills

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Land of the last Himalayan Kingdom

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Andaman & Nicobar

Scuba Diving

Sundarban

Home of Royal Bengal Tiger

Kolkata

The city of Joy

Nepal

Asia's alpine playground

Bhutan

The land of Happiness

'Tawang Travel Tour Information

Tawang, Arunachal PradehTawang at the height of 11,500 ft above the sea level, moored high up in the hills of the Eastern Himalayas is the original land of Monpa Tribes. Popularly known as “ The Hidden Paradise” or “ The Land of Dawn Lit”, Tawang district occupying an area of 2085 sq. km evokes images of Majestic Lofty Mountains with Snow Capped Summits, clear sparkling Lakes, exquisite Gompas, quaint and sleepy Villages, remote Hamlests, beautiful monasteries, congenial climate  and above all hospitable people.

 

Bordered by Tibet in the North, Bhutan in the South West and Sela ranges separate West Kameng Dsitrict in the East, Tawang was under the governance of Tibetan Government till 1951 and during the Tibetan rule it was called Monyul. The mountainous terrain of Tawang comprises of the snow capped Higher Himalayan ranges and sparsely populated plateaus and valleys, which are drained by the Tawangchu and Nyamyanchu rivers. Tawang is well connected to Tibet in the north by the Bum La and Tulung La passes.


The name Tawang derives from some bearings on surroundings. But people’s interpretation is that the name Tawang was given by Mera Lama in the 17th Century. It is believed that The fifth Dalai Lama, Mera Lama, set out in 1681 searching for a place to construct a monastery. One day after praying for guidance, he found his horse standing quietly on a hilltop and took it as a divine sign. Hence the name Tawang, which means chosen by the horse. The name ‘Tawang’ ,derived from the two words ‘Ta’ meaning horse and ‘Wang’ meaning blessing.


Tawang , the district headquarters is beautified by the Tawan Chu ( In local language “Chu”  means river), which carves  a deep gorge as it rages by in the South, while jagged cliffs rise steeply towards the North and snow capped peaks frame the East. To the West of town, the Tawang Monastery looms across the horizon, its enormous yellow roof and white walls standing out like a beacon for miles on end.

Tawang Town, Arunachal Pradesh
The inhabitants of the districts are all of Monpa tribes except Shyo village which is dominated by people of Tibetian origin. The Monpas belong to Mongoloid stock. They are well built, fair in complexion. Their houses are built with stones and timbers.  Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are the fundamental means of the Monpas  occupation.


The friendly and liberal locals practice monogamy and usually resort to cross-cousin marriage. Their attire consists of the colorful Kangnom or Dhorna while the womenfolk love adorning themselves in jewelry.


The economy is primarily agrarian with people raising potato; maize, millets, and etc. the people also rear yaks, sheep, pony, cows and goats. Tourism too is an upcoming revenue-generating sector in the district. Besides handicrafts are the forte of the local women folk who practice weaving and make incense sticks.


The charming Tawang District mesmerizes tourists and brings home to them the fact that heaven is a place on earth. This paradise offers a platter full of traditional monasteries and nunneries that sightseers can visit, the most famous being the pristine Tawang Monastery or Golden Namgyal Lhatse.

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