Located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang is one of the very beautiful cities to visit and is resplendent with breathtaking sceneries and serene spots. The city is abode to the. Located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang is one of the very beautiful cities to visit and is resplendent with breathtaking sceneries and serene spots. The city is abode to the Monpa tribe and shares its border with Sela range in the east, Tibet in north and Bhutan in the south-west.Tourists flock the region in pursuit of peace and tranquillity. Tawang travel guide is full of references to the exciting sceneries and tranquil spots in and around the area. Gorsam Chorten, Tawang War Memorial, Sela Pass, Nuranang Falls, Tawang Monastery and Jaswant Garh are the jewels of the city. It is widely believed that the city has got its name from one of the most ancient and the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the country, Tawang Monastery and the name ‘Twang’ is a combination of ‘Ta' meaning Horse and 'Wang' meaning Chosen. HISTORY OF TAWANG: Tawang is inhabited by the Monpa people. From 500 BC to 600 AD a kingdom known as Lhomon or Monyul ruled the area. The Monyul kingdom was later absorbed into the control of neighbouring Bhutan and Tibet. Tawang Monastery was founded by the Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1681 in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, and has an interesting legend surrounding its name, which means "Chosen by Horse". The sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in Tawang. Tawang was historically part of Tibet. The 1914 Simla Accord defined the McMahon Line as the new boundary between British India and Tibet. By this treaty, Tibet relinquished several hundred square miles of its territory, including Tawang, to the British, but it was not recognised by China. When Tibet was not governed by mainland China, Tawang was easily accessible to Tibetans. The main language spoken in these has evolved from Sanskrit. This drew the attention of the British, who reexamined the Indo-Tibetan history and discovered new connections. In 1938, the British made a cautious move to assert sovereignty over Tawang by sending a small military column under Capt. G.S. Lightfoot to Tawang. After the outbreak of the war with Japan in 1941, the government of Assam undertook a number of 'forward policy' measures to tighten their hold on the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) area, which later became Arunachal Pradesh. In 1944, administrative control was extended over the area of the Tawang tract lying South of the Sela Pass when J.P. Mills set up an Assam Rifles post at Dirang Dzong. However, no steps were taken to evict the Tibetan from the area North of the pass which contained Tawang town. Tibet lost its independence in 1950's and was incorporated into the newly established People's Republic of China. Tibet also lost its independent diplomatic freedom and Tawang was now a stress point between India and China. During the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Tawang fell briefly under Chinese control, but China withdrew its troops at the end of the war. Tawang again came under Indian administration. Tawang district was formed in 1989, when it was split from West Kameng district. When the current Dalai Lama (14th Dalai Lama) fled from Tibet in 1959 to escape from the Chinese army, he crossed into India on 30 March 1959 and spent some days resting at Tawang Monastery before reaching Tezpur in Assam on 18 April. As recently as 2003, the Dalai Lama said that Tawang was "actually part of Tibet". He reversed his position in 2008, acknowledging the legitimacy of the McMahon Line and the Indian claim to the region. The Dalai Lama visited Tawang district on 8 November 2009. About 30,000 persons, including those from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan, attended his religious discourse.
BY AIR :
The nearest Domestic Airport is Salonibari Airport, Tezpur, roughly six hour drive from Tawang. It is well connected to Kolkata and Guwahati through Air India flight. The nearest International Airport from Tawang is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, roughly 480 Kms from Tawang. It is connected with the major cities like Delhi, Imphal, Kolkata, Agartala, Aizawl, Dibrugarh, Lilabari, Silchar, Dimapur, Jorhat and Mumbai.
BY RAIL :
The nearest Railway Station is Tezpur Railway Station which is connected to the all major cities of Arunachal Pradesh via Guwahati Express, Porvotr S Krnti, Ghy Rajdhani and Sc Ghy Express etc.
BY ROAD :
Tawang is 262 Kms from Bhalukpong, 319 Kms from Tezpur, 320 Kms from Missamari, 383 Kms from Nagaon, 381 Kms from East Kameng, 390 Kms from Udalguri, 402 Kms from Dhula, 408 Kms from Paneri, 440 Kms from Itanagar and 502 Kms from Sagali and is very well connected via Arunachal Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and some private travel services.