Why you too want to visit Arunachal Pradesh – India
The state of Arunachal Pradesh in India, had you ever heard of it? It is a state in northeast India, on the border with Tibet and Bhutan. That alone captured my imagination and made me want to go there. When I got the chance to visit the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India in January, I took it with both hands.
In collaboration with Sange from The Holiday Scout, I travelled around Arunachal Pradesh for 12 days. And I’m sure if you’ve seen and read all this you too will want to visit this undiscovered state of India.
Read all about why you too want to visit Arunachal Pradesh
Where is the state of Arunachal Pradesh located?
Aruchanal Pradesh is part of the 7 Sisters, which are the 7 states that make up northeast India. The part sandwiched between China, Bhutan and Myanmar. They are the states: Aruchanal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
And then the question why you also want to visit Arunachal Pradesh? As a Dutch girl, mountains attract me, let alone that it is the Himalayas? Arunachal Pradesh is largely in the Eastern Himalayas. Every travel day, beautiful views of occasionally snow-capped peaks and beautiful valleys through which rivers flow.
I am looking for Meaningful Travel.. and that is in this undiscovered state of India is very easy. Read below to find out why.
Authentic culture in Arunachal Pradesh
Why you too want to visit Arunachal Pradesh? The state is not yet very well known on the tourist map of western tourists, which is very nice. So you will walk into an authentic landscape with still the traditional clothes, authentic work and colourful houses/monasteries. Every day I enjoyed these colourful images and colourful people. From towns like Bomdila, Tawang and Dirang to small villages like Zemithang, Mukto or the mountain village of Thingbu.
Did you know that as many as 26 different tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes live in Arunachal Pradesh? Examples include the Monpa, Naga, Apatani and Nyishi.
Travelling around Arunachal Pradesh you sometimes feel like you are in Tibet or Bhutan. This is not surprising considering that parts of this state once were part of Tibet. Also, many Tibetans came to live in the rest of the state after China occupied Tibet. Consequently, many Tibetan monasteries can be found in Arunachal Pradesh, with the largest Tibetan monastery outside Tibet in Tawang.
Visiting ancient sites in Arunachal Pradesh
Why you might also want to visit Arunachal Pradesh is to see and feel the ancient monasteries. For instance the magistical Lhagyala Monastery from the 7th century, which is still in use. After a long drive, winding through the mountains of the Himalayas, we arrived at this ancient monastery. The Lhagyala monastery was completely shrouded in mist which of course adds to the mystique of such a unique place. How cool it was that I got the time to just meditate there for 15 minutes!
Meditating in unique places in this world – Meaningful Travel
And how about the place where supposedly the 6th Dalai Lama was born? What is certain is that he lived there. There are two places (Bekhar and Urgelling) in Arunachal Pradesh that claim the 6th Dalai Lama was born there. So this place in Bekhar is called the 6th Dalai Lama mothers place. There too, we were given time to meditate in the old house. After the sister of a Rinpoche (A twenty-something with the spirit of a reincarnated Tibetan Lama) served us lunch, we were left alone and could immerse ourselves in this ancient age-old atmosphere.
Impressive scenery in Arunachal Pradesh
From the impressive mountains to valleys and everything in between can be found in Arunachal Pradesh. You can probably imagine that if there are many mountains, you will also drive on beautiful roads. Along the mountainside with the most beautiful views in the distance.
And what about the villages in the mountains? Here you will still find the small farmers and goat herders, the last papermakers or women making hats from yak hair. Here you will experience a different time than in the bigger towns in the valleys. There you will find busy markets, crammed shops but also the larger (Tibetan) monasteries. Life in the Asian streets is something I don’t easily get bored of.
And when you go to such a village in the mountains, you are amazed at the way of life, as if you were stepping back in time. There is no internet, running water is not always available and the houses are made of wood, just as they were hundreds of years ago. I found it a really impressive experience. Living off nature, living off what it offers you and being able to make the most of it. And how beautiful is it that we get to be part of that, at least for a while?
Learn from each other in Arunachal Pradesh
Learning from each other is one of the best aspects of travelling, though. And so it was on this trip in Arunachal Pradesh. I made paper, was explained how a yak’s hair hat was made and made momos with a Monpa woman in Dirang. I danced with the young people in Bomdila who put on a performance for us and sang a Dutch song in the karaoke bar hidden somewhere far in the Himalayas. Zoutelande I chose, in case you’re curious about it!
This way, you really connect, get to know the people and culture better and have time to ask your questions.
History India / Tibet – China
We drove for several days close to the border with Tibet (now China) and Bhutan. And I must confess that the whole history of China and India has never been so clear to me. When I was in Aruchanal Pradesh, I learnt how China still displays intimidating behaviour at its borders to this day. That behaviour consists, for example, of building uninhabited villages in the border area. So there are very many army bases in this border area and the border with China has to be closely guarded.
Culture preservation in Arunachal Pradesh
Authentic culture is still really alive in Arunachal Pradesh. The state has many festivals dedicated to culture every year, e.g. the Losar, Solung, Dree and Chalo-Loku festival. They like to celebrate that unique culture and try to encourage its preservation. Like everywhere, certain aspects are dying out, e.g. the huge nose piercings of the Apatani women in the Ziro Valley. These have been banned for years I understood. So you will only see older women with the piercings and tattoos. So there are many tribes that are slowly changing as time demands, as people start living in a different way.
Cultural change in Arunachal Pradesh is inevitable. Of course, this also entails making life easier in certain aspects and having to say goodbye to ancient-old traditions.
I did not visit the Apatani tribe in the Ziro Valley this trip but would like to organise that as a meaningful trip in the future. Together with Sange from The Holiday Scout, I am looking at organising a tour in Arunachal Pradesh where we will also go to the Ziro Valley to meet the Apatani.
Are you interested in such a tour? Let me know and I’ll keep you updated on progress.
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Jacomijn is een politieagent uit Nederland die jou graag laat zien hoe je veilig, actief en gezond de wereld kan over reizen. Safe and Healthy travel is a MUST
