Arunachal Pradesh - beautiful

We boarded a train for Harmuti, Assam. From the Harmuti railway station, we took a bus, which traveled thirty-two kilometers to reach Itanagar. We put up at Hotel Itafort.

I loved the Buddhist temple as it reflected the extensive Tibetan influence and provided us with beautiful views of Itanagar and the surrounding countryside.

We went to see the Rajbhawan, which is the official residence of the Governor. From there, we headed towards the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum. This museum is a kaleidoscope of Arunachal Pradesh. We saw musical instruments, textiles, woodcarvings, handicrafts and archeological finds. A workshop in the Handicrafts Center specializes in traditional cane manufacture.

I liked the library section of the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum. From the museum, we went to the Indira Gandhi Park. We took many pictures at that place. I remember the delicious taste of the “dhokla” and “khandvi” that we had at a nearby restaurant.

The next morning we went to visit the Government Piggery and Poultry Farm at Nirjuli. From there, we toured around the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology at Nirjuli and the Arunachal University at Doimukh. The former is an engineering institute that provides an innovative way of education. We also saw the Donyi-Polo Vidya Bhawan, which is a premier public school.

My grandpa told Itanagar had been identified with Mayapur, the capital of the eleventh century AD Jitri dynasty.

From Itanagar, we went to Ziro. It is a hill station, which stands at 5754 feet enclosed by blue pine-clad beautiful hills. The rice fields at Ziro were charming. My Grandma was very happy to reach Daporijo, the Menga Cave or Temple. This place gives immense satisfaction to every believer of Lord Shiva. This is a famous sacred place of worship and it draws a large number of visitors and pilgrims, especially during Shivaratri and Makar Sankranti.

We were privileged to experience the awesome scenic beauty of the surrounding nature, on our way to Along and Pasighat.

Indeed, the way to Along and Pasighat is of immense scenic beauty. The riverbanks are mesmerizing. There are beautiful picnic spots. Most ideal locations are available for river rafting. I remember enjoying the magnificent sights at the Talley Valley. I remember the Menga Cave vividly. I loved my tours of the Mouling National Park and D’Ering Wildlife Sanctuary.

My tour of Itanagar also included Roing, Mayudia and Anini. Roing has the district headquarters of the Lower Dibang Valley district.

Mayudia is a unique hill resort. It is at a distance of 56 kilometers from Roing. It is situated at a height of about 7000 feet.

Roing is situated amidst lush green forests, lofty hills and magnificent landscapes.

Our guide told Roing was famous for the historical fort of Bhishmaknagar, which was built with clay bricks and was embellished with pottery. Pihu and Ragini have written nicely about Bhishmaknagar. The guide told that the Bhishmaknagar Fort was first excavated in 1996-1997. This excavation testified the penetration of the Aryan culture into Arunachal, during the 4^th century AD.

We visited a picturesque small town called Hunli, on our way to Anini. This town is situated about 90 kilometers from Roing.

We visited an interesting cave temple at Kupunli near Hunli.

Tawang is a hill station tucked in the Himalayas which has a unique combination of history, architecture, landscape and religion to lure tourists. Known by several names like Hidden Paradise and Beautiful Land of the Monpas it immediately steals the heart of the tourists.

While in Tawang we spent endless hours in watching the mountains and exploring the beauty of nature. Nature is at her best here in form of waterfalls, beautiful landscapes and hot water springs. We also visited a number of monasteries there. There is a 400 years old Mahayana Sect Buddhist Monastery popularly known as Tawang or Gompa monastery. We were astounded by the huge collection of Buddhist manuscripts, scriptures, tapestries and gold- lettered Buddhist scriptures kept there.

While travelling from Tezpur towards Bhalukpong little did I know the wonders that were waiting for me. A little known village located at the foothills of the Himalayas and beside the river Kameng, Bhalukpong is a place that mesmerizes every one.
It is a nature’s paradise with river and dense forests and picturesque landscapes. While in Bhalukpong we tried rafting in the river Kameng.

We also picnicked in the tourist spots adjoining the river. The most memorable part of the tour was visiting Tipi Orchidarium. The place has a collection of over 500 orchids and viewing them in full bloom was an exotic experience.

I will never forget the drive from Roing to Hunli. The well-maintained black road provided us with thrilling and mesmerizing scenic beauty.

We visited the Mehao Lake. It forms a part of the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. It is at a distance of about 17 kilometers from Roing. Mehao is a vast lake. It is surrounded by a rich treasure of flora and fauna. My brother drew my attention towards the crystal clear water of the lake. Our walk around the lake gave us heavenly pleasure.

We also visited Sally. It is a beautiful lake resort about 3 kilometers from Roing.