Top Ten Reasons To Visit Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh a land of Rising Sun. The first state to greet the morning sun in the country. A far off state in the Northeastern part of India. It lies in the extreme Northeastern Himalayan Range. It shares international boundaries with Bhutan, Tibet, and Myanmar. It shares an internal border with Assam and Nagaland. It is one of the largest states amongst the eight northeastern sisters states.

Map of Arunachal Pradesh

A virgin destination less traveled waiting to be explored, discovered and experienced.

When we think about Arunachal as a destination we talk about Tawang Monastery and Ziro Festival but Arunachal has much more in its platter to offer.

I have been living in Arunachal since my birth. I have been witnessing the place, people, culture and its glamour. Still, it fascinates and shakes me up with its charm.

If you’re a nature enthusiast, a wildlife lover, an adventure fanatic, off the beat traveller wish to explore, discover and experience unknown or a peace seeker love to spend time with nature. I promise Arunachal is the perfect destination for you.

Places To Visit :

1. Ziro
2. Pasighat
3. Yingkiong
4. Anjaw
5. Itanagar
6. Namsai
7. Bhalukpong
8. Dirang
9. Tawang
10. Dambuk

There are numerous reasons to visit a wonderful evergreen unspoiled state other than Tawang Monastery and Ziro Festival though I want to share my Top 10 reasons why you should visit Arunachal in 2020.

Splendid Beauty :

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the most stunning and mysterious states of India. It has the most diverse landforms ranging from the deep valley, magnanimous cliff and mesmerizing plains.

An array of the spectacular landscape includes steep gorges, snow-clad mountains, zig-zag terrain, lush green tropical forest, rustling rivers, and streams, beaming waterfalls, serene lakes, tranquil valleys, hushed hill station and the lovely paddy fields in the plains, lure the Wanderer with it’s the charm.

My words are inadequate to justify the beauty of awesome Arunachal. To really explore and experience the jinx of this place you have to literary drop in here. I bet you won’t be disappointed at all. Visiting Arunachal is like a once in a lifetime experience.

Vibrant Culture And Heritage :

Arunachal has rich age-old ancient culture and heritage that is passed on from generation to generation. Arunachal is a pad of 26 major ethnic tribes and 125 sub-tribes.

This state is a living example of diversity at it’s best. Each and every tribe has it’s own unique way of lifestyles whether it is the dialect they speak, attire they wear, rituals they perform, customs they follow, festivals they celebrate and the food they eat are entirely different from the rest of them.

I may not be wrong if I say every few kilometers as you move you will be surprised by its diversity. What I like most about the place is the way they embrace diversity and live in sync with each other.

The most extraordinary thing about them is their eco-friendly lifestyle and enriching tribal history.As far as I know, having been lived in close vicinity with them. There are three major cultural groups:

• Sherdukpens, Monpas, and Akas who follow Mahayana Buddism greatly influenced by the Tibet religion and culture.
• Galo, Adi, Nyshis, Tagins and Apatani worship ” Doli-Polo” which in local dialect means the sun and the moon. They worship mother nature too.
• Nocte, Khamti, Tanksha, and Mishmi are the believer of Vaishnavism and Hinayana Buddhism.

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Festivals held massive importance in tribal life. Various tribe celebrates agricultural, religious and socio-culture festivals. Observing the celebration is a treat to our eyes. They celebrate the festivals with much gaiety and pompous. Every festival is strongly connected to its deep-rooted customs and religious belief. Few festivals are harvest festivals related to agriculture as they mostly do farming.

During the festival, ladies wear vibrant handwoven clothes and authentic accessories consisting of precious stones and beads, and necklaces made up silver and bronze, which passed on from the generation. Men too wear handwoven and lavishly embroidered jackets and clothes on the top of them a distinctive headgear.

Men and women sing folk songs, hymns, and dance together and offer prayer to their deities and mother nature. The head priest performs all the rituals.

You will be amazed to see a unique blend of contemporary and ancient tribal customs and traditions. I would recommend to visit Arunachal during the festival to see how glorious is their customs and tradition

People of Arunachal are the most hospitable, cordial and welcoming, I can vouch on that as I have been living here for the longest time.

Important Festivals:

1. Dambuk Orange Festival ( January).
2. Tawang Festival.
3. Ziro Music Festival.
4. Pangsau Winter Festival ( January).
5. Ojiyale Festival ( March- April ).
6. Tawang Torgya Festival ( January/ February ).
7. Kshyat- Sowai Festival of Khowas ( December – January ).
8. Solung Festival ( July/ August ).
9. Reh Festival ( February / March ).
10. Myokoh- Apatani Festival ( March ).

National Parks And Wild Life Sanctuaries :

Arunachal is definitely a “Biodiversity Hot Spot “. An excellent destination for wildlife lovers. The destination has 8 Wildlife sanctuaries and 2 National Parks. It hosts more than 500 species of Fauna, so this wildlife paradise is the ultimate wildlife tourism.

A wide range of animals like hoolock gibbon, Assamese macaque, pig-tailed macaque and endangered species like the red panda, the hispid hare can be found within the beautiful landscape of this region.

This is the only destination to have four major cats – tigers, leopards, clouded leopards, and snow leopards.

For birdwatchers, there is an Eagle Nest Bird Sanctuary. It is a heaven of birds. You can spend hours and hours watching birds.

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries:

1. Namdapha National Park in Itanagar.
2. Mouling National Park in Yingkiong
3. Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary in Pasighat.
4. Mehar Wildlife Sanctuary in Roing.
5. Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhalukpong.
6. Kane Wildlife Sanctuary in West Siang District.
7. Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhalukpong.
8. Dang Dibang Biosphere Reserve.
9. Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary in Dirang.
10. Tale Valley wildlife Sanctuary.

Waterfalls And Hotsprings :

Arunachal is a hub of stunning waterfalls and hot springs. Waterfalls add extra elegance to its picturesque landscape. View of dribbling silvery waterfall is marvelous. There are various waterfalls huge and small which you would be delighted to watch on the way to your destination.

Every 10 km you will be welcomed by ruffling waterfalls. It’s so refreshing. Stopover and click Insta-worthy picture. Swim and dive. Arunachal is a fun place to be in. It makes your journey so enjoyable.

Top Five Waterfalls :

1. Lumum Waterfall in Bhalukpong.
2. Jung falls.
3. Nuranang Waterfall is also known Bong Bong Waterfall in Yumkhang.
4. Bap- Teng Waterfall in Tawang.
5. Siri Waterfall in Pasighat.

Hot springs are popular for their medicinal values. There are few hot springs in Arunachal. They are considered very pious. They have very high sulphur content, a dip in the hot spring may cure your illness especially skin related. A dive in hot spring is a very rejuvenating experience.

Top 2 Popular Hot Spring:

• Thingbu Hot Spring.
• Tsachu Hot Spring ( Both in Tawang ).

Magnificent Monasteries :

If you want to explore and know about Buddhist Monasteries then Arunachal Pradesh is the right place for you to start with.

Arunachal Pradesh is a hearth of some really magnificent Monasteries. You are welcomed by the fluttering vibrant Buddhist flags at every twists and turn of the highway in Arunachal Pradesh, and it is incredible to see.

Arunachal Pradesh doesn’t only have flabbergasting topography and the views but a place of worship and pilgrimages. Monasteries for Buddhists and the place of pilgrimage like Parsuramkund for Hindus.

The grand colorful structure greatly influenced by Tibetan traditional architecture and design. The paintings, statues and ancient Buddhist scriptures, humming of monks, the rustling of Buddhist flags, calm and placid environment make it more intriguing.

Top 10 Monasteries:

• Samten Yongcha Monastery in Mechuka, the oldest monastery in Arunachal.
• Tawang Monastery is 400 years old gigantic Asia’s second-largest monastery.
• Thupsung Dhargye Monastery in Dirang.
• Urgelling Monastery in Tawang.
• That Sang-nengageChoekhorling Monastery in Tawang.
• Bomdila Monastery.
• Thupten Gatsal Ling Monastery in Itanagar
• Golden Pagoda in Namsai.
• Chilipam Monastery in Rupa

Exotic And Rare Orchids :

Arunachal can justly be called ” Orchid’s Heaven“. In India, there are around 12000 orchids out of which 610 are found in Arunachal Pradesh. It takes pride in having the only orchid sanctuary in the country that is ” Sessa Orchid Sanctuary” in West Kameng District.

Sessa orchids Sanctuary stretches from Bhalukpong to Sessa and houses rare, endangered and highly ornamental with long-lasting flowering qualities. There are varieties of exotic orchids like Cymbidium spp, Dendrobium spp, Erica spp, Aracus Spp, etc. The Cymbidium Spp is the most expensive and has tremendous value in the International Market.

Sessa Orchid Sanctuary is a must-visit attraction for tourists as well as for those who are interested in learning more about orchids.

List of Orchid Centers:

• Tippi Orchidarium in Bhalukpong – Asia’s second-largest orchid center.
• Itanagar Orchid Centre.
• Sessa Orchid Sanctuary.
• Dirang Orchid Center.
• Jegging Orchid Center.
• Roing Orchid Center.

Activities For Adventure Fanatics:

If you’re here you can’t afford to be lazy or a potato couch. You can smell adventures in the air. It feels like nature – tall standing mountains, alpine trees, dense green forest, roaring rivers yelling at you for adventure. This is the ultimate spot for adventure fanatics.

If adventure is what triggers you most, then activities like fishing and angling, trekking, hiking, white river rafting and motorbiking are the options.

You can take any adventure activity according to your taste moreover, depends on how daring you are.

If you are a chicken heart like me, then you can pick fishing, angling,g, and boating. You can enjoy the peaceful environment at the bank of the river. If you are lucky enough, you may have a good catch for dinner.

If you are daring then you can choose trekking and hike along unwinding terrain.

Trekking is easy and sometimes it can be tiring but is worth taking as you pass by some of the best trails with gorgeous views of the snow-covered mountains, river valleys, rainforests, and smattering villages here and there. It’s like a jillion dollars experience.

Some Of The Best Trails :

• Mechuka Trail.
• Daporijo – TTakingTrek.
• Bomdila – Seppa Trek.
• Bailey Trail.
• Ziro Trek.
• Talley Valley Trek.
• Gorichen Base Camp Trek in Tawang.

Another option is white river rafting in mighty rivers like the Brahmaputra, Siang, Subansiri, and Kameng rivers. It gives you an adrenaline rush to another level. Rafting in such a huge river is an exciting experience.

If rafting won’t excite you, then motorbiking in this hilly uneven terrain is the right choice for you. It not only gives you the desired adrenaline rush but also it would test your endurance.

Lots Of Fresh Air, Peace, And Serenity :

Arunachal takes pride in being one of the top three greenest states in our country. It has the greenest grass, tallest tropical forest, AAlpinetrees, and freshest air. Lots and lots of oxygen. People here lead an eco-friendly lifestyle and it is less populous. So the region is pollution-free.

It is very pristine, hardly any rubbish. LeFewereople, fewer automobiles and less honking of cars. Arunachal is as serene as the still water in the pond. Sometimes you hear nothing.

So you can relish in the space and the room to just relieve tension and breathe. In silence, you can enjoy some of the most jaw-dropping views getting lost in nature and serenity. It feels so meditative.

What are you waiting for? Stop thinking and start traveling to an unknown destination.

“AWESOME ARUNACHAL” is waiting for you.

Thank you so much for stopping by and going through the post. I hope you have enjoyed the post.

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