Tawang is an important centre of Buddhist learning and is particularly famous
for its 400 year old gompa(Monastery), one of the best known in India. The Tawang Gompa is perched on a 2760 m high ridge with a view of the splendid valleys beyond.The Tawang Gompa houses a beautifully gilded 8 metre high statue of the Buddha and a large number of idols, thangkas and murals.
The best way to get to Tawang is to hire a rugged vehicle from Tezpur in Assam. This is a bout 480 Km(16 -20 hours) of drive through rough mountain territory.
It is a spectacular drive through breathtakingly beautiful mountain country, awesome views, remote hamlets, lovely villages, tranquil lakes and gompas throughout.We drove through the Sela Pass situated at a height of 13,921 feet. This is the second highest motorable pass in the world - the highest being in Ladakh. The roads were rather treacherous,but once we reached Tawang, the panorama of mountains, deep valleys, waterfalls and almost a hundred lakes was indeed rewarding.Tawang is a beautiful city situated in the mountain ranges of Himalayas 3500 metres above sea level.To the south of the town, the Tawanchu River carves a deep gorge as it rages by, while jagged cliffs rise steeply towards the north and snow capped peaks frame the east.
Tawang is connected to Tibet in the north by the Bum La pass.
Bum la, situated 16500 feet above sea level is about 3 hours drive from Tawang. There are reminders of the 1962 Indo-China war all along, in the form of monuments of the brave soldiers, burnt trees and the Bunkers used by the Indian soldiers.
Visiting Tawang was a beautiful religious experience, but Bum La was the most unique of all pilgrimages.
