Dirang Valley: A Remote Paradise
The road snakes across the mountain terrain; a ribbon or tarmac that seems to flutter down slopes carpeted with a riot of vegetation. The first patch of snow by the roadside is your cue to slow down, shift to a lower gear and stay focussed on the narrow strip of asphalt, looking out for glassy sheets of ice across the road that could cause a skid and send you plunging into an abyss. Now you must will yourself not to be distracted by the compelling landscape: blue skies painted with dabs of clouds, snow-tipped peaks that trace a jagged horizon, terraced farmlands draped across the valley like patchwork quilts, rustic little hamlets comprising a cluster of stone houses, the turquoise-blue river carving its way through the deep valley below…
So it is with a sense of relief when you pull into Hotel Pemaling, overlooking Dirang valley in the north west reaches of Arunachal Pradesh, knowing that you can now relax and enjoy the scenery without the nagging fear of careening off the road. There is nothing elaborate about the hotel apart from the fact that it was cosy and utterly romantic. Its main asset is its location: perched on the slopes of the eastern Himalayas. From the hotel the little rural settlement on the banks of the river resembled a toy town; coils of smoke emanating from the thatched-roofed houses betray the fact that it was not a child’s fantasy. Occasionally, vehicular traffic moves across the bridge that straddled the river. The river seems to take a respite here spreading itself out across this small patch of level terrain before hurtling down deep mountain gorges once more.
As dusk casts its veil over the valley, a cold shiver of mountain air sends you scurrying indoors for warmth. The chances are that you will pull into Dirang way behind schedule the temptation is great to make unplanned stops along the way and admire and take photographs of snow-crusted mountain peaks, waterfalls, suspension bridges swaying over fast running rivers, the blush of a cherry blossom in a sea of green vegetation… Yes, in these far reaches at the edge of nowhere itineraries mean nothing; and it is ultimately the journey that is the destination.
Early next morning you set off for Tawang near the Chinese/Tibetan border. But first you must drive down to the little settlement of Dirang nestled on a riverbank. Cheery, ruddy-cheeked kids with running noses wave as their mothers look on with a hint of suspicion – for you are essentially a stranger from civilization who had dropped in on them – from the doorways of traditional stone houses built without any form of cement or plaster. Elderly men and women wearing traditional robes and yak hair wigs that frame their weather-beaten faces in five points crack broken-toothed smiles as they pose for your cameras.
Further down the road, outside the little village, is a hot spring that fumes and grumbles as it tumbles down a cliff and into a river. Soon the road started to snake up the mountains once more towards Sela Pass which at 14,000 ft above sea level is one of the highest motorable passes in the world. The rugged terrain here is painted with icicles and frozen waterfalls.
Standing at the head of the pass is a lonely temple and a frozen lake beyond which stands a memorial to Rifleman Jaswant Singh who single-handedly held off the advancing Chinese army and killed over 200 enemy soldiers before falling to an enemy bullet. The lonely bunker in which the brave jawan made his last valiant stand has been converted into a shrine.
The road meandered across a stark yet compellingly beautiful landscape dusted with snow and streaked with waterfalls. Occasionally you drive past a herd of furry coat yaks. Here nature seems to hold its breath, as though amazed by its own creative brilliance. By noon you roll into Tawang where a gold pagoda-roof monastery, the largest in India, stands on a hill overlooking the sleepy little town.
Returning to Dirang the following day is like a home coming. In this isolated retreat, tucked away in the backyard of beyond, you can spend quality time perfecting the art of doing absolutely nothing.
Fact File
The closest airport to Arunachal Pradesh is at Jorhat in Assam. One may also fly to Guwahati in Assam. By way of accommodation there is The Retreat at Elephant Hills near the Assam border, Hotel Pemaling in Dirang Valley and the circuit house in Tawang.