Agent free permit for Bumla
The day prior, upon checking into the hotel, the first thing that we did was to inquire about the process to get a permit for Bumla. The owner suggested that we try to get it on our own from the DC office that was located closeby. Going through an agent would be our fall back option.
After a sound sleep, we idled in the cozy room making plans for the day over multiple cups of tea. The previous day had been taxing and we needed to take it easy today. The first priority was to apply for the permit and then go for local sightseeing.
We lazed around in the room till 10 am, the usual time when government offices open for business, then headed on foot with the required documents to the DC office a kilometer away. Once there, we asked around and were soon directed to an office room. The polite staff there helped us with the permit application promptly. They kept a copy of the documents and handed us back a copy to be submitted at Brigadier’s office down at the War Memorial.
You can read our detailed blog post on the process and experience here.
The entire process was smooth, and we found ourselves heading to the War Memorial. On maps, the distance was little more than 2 km, so we decided to walk, which proved to be a big mistake later on.
Making our way past the market, the road to the memorial descended quite steeply and we were at the destination in no time. After a swift submission of papers at the Brigadier’s office, it was time to explore the War Memorial.
Tawang War Memorial, a tribute to the brave souls of the Indian Army
The War Memorial is quite interesting. Its design is inspired by the religious architecture of the region and it closely resembles a stupa structure.
There is a fleet of steps leading up to the memorial and climbing it requires some effort. Once at the top, you will find yourself directly at the base of the stupa structure where a rifle is placed vertically, bayonet down and on the butt of it rests a soldier’s helmet. At its base is etched ‘The immortals’. Further below one can find the insignia of the Indian Army with commemoration words declaring the following.
“In memory of the over 2420 Officers, JCOs and Soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kameng sector during the 1962 war.”
The memorial structure is enclosed within walls running on all sides that have the names of the brave souls etched on them.
Weather permitting, it is a perfect place to click a few snaps but do keep in mind that it is bang in the center of Army facilities so please follow rules and click pictures only where allowed. If you happen to arrange permits by yourself or collect the permit for Bumla, the memorial will be hard to miss. Even otherwise, we recommend a visit to this place to pay homage to our brave soldiers who laid down their lives for our nation.
Coming back to our story, the return on foot felt treacherous across the steep mountain side. At certain places even the passing vehicles struggled in their lowest gears. It made us regret our decision of not taking out the bike. Somehow, we reached the main market where we stopped for brunch. A treat of momos and aloo paratha awaited us at ‘Dolma Restaurant’. With our hunger pangs put to rest, we headed back to our hotel to take some rest before heading out again for local sightseeing.
Visit to the iconic Giant Buddha statue and Tawang panorama.
Our cozy room kept us inside longer than the fifteen minutes of planned rest. The weather had turned cloudy accompanied by intermittent drizzle by the time we ventured out again into town . Under a kilometer away from our hotel and near the Circuit House was located the Giant Buddha Statue. It is hard to miss it. Situated at an extension of land from the steep mountain slope, it overlooks the town and can generally be seen from most places in Tawang.
The premises have been developed quite well. A parking lot and a shop selling miscellaneous stuff and food is located behind the statue of Lord Buddha and provides an access to the monument. The base of the statue is decorated beautifully on all sides and walking up the front opens up to a pathway that runs down all the way to the “I Love Tawang” signage. A walk along this path offers fabulous views of Tawang town and the world famous Tawang Monastery.
In recent times, all places have started putting up the “I love “signages, keeping up with the hype. The one here was however placed appropriately. The mesmerizing views of the town and the surrounding mountains will definitely make one fall in love with this place. There are benches to sit on and admire the beauty of the place. Key distances and directions to major cities of the world have been put up on top of poles to satisfy the more curious minds. The Indian Flag atop a high mast measuring 104 feet high adorns the location with its grace.
Before we moved on to our next destination, we spent some time at a model re-creation of Lord Buddha providing sermons to his disciples. The model building is round in shape and all along its circumference on the outside, the key events from the life journey of Lord Buddha are portrayed through beautiful paintings.
Tawang monastery, a key spiritual center of Buddhism with a great history
Synonymous with the town itself, Tawang monastery is a world famous tourist attraction. Dating back to the 17th century, it is the largest buddhist monastery in India. Historically, the monastery has been serving as the spiritual center for the people of the region and continues to hold its importance to the present day. There was no way we would have skipped it. From the Giant Buddha Statue, the road is mostly horizontal along the mountain side all the way to the monastery for 3 km. But around 300 meters before the main entrance, it turns into a steep climb. Our Enfield Classic almost gave up and managed to reach the top on sheer momentum alone. Else it would have been disastrous. With our bike parked outside the main gate, we walked in. Time was 3:30 pm and the entrance courtyard bore a deserted look.
The museum was closed for some reason and there was not a single tourist in sight. We checked with a monk if we could visit the temple and he gave an affirmative answer. So we went inside the main temple, known as “Dukhang” and found it to be completely empty.
We think prayer sessions were in recess that time. On the flipside, it offered us complete silence in which we could check out the intricate paintings on the walls and the imposing statue of Lord Buddha. It was a meditative environment, and we offered our obeisance to the Lord. It is quite possible to climb up to the gallery on the floor above and have a closer look at Lord Buddha, but we did not do so as we were not conversant with the customs and practices of the temple.
Since there was not much else to do at the monastery, we returned to our hotel and parked our bike. We then headed to the main market for some food.
Wrapping up the day
By 5:15 pm we were happily gorging on veg momos and veg chowmein at the “Taste of Tawang ”. This restaurant kind of became our favorite as we could get fresh local cuisine at a reasonable price. The ambience and upkeep is also very good. Over food, we discussed how to approach the following day’s challenge ride to Bumla.
We returned from the market and went to bed early. There was a major challenge ahead of us the following day.
