2.9 The Majestic Sela Pass

10/3/24 Sunday

Today was the most scenic drive of our trip till now. It also ignited a feeling of patriotism when we learned some interesting historical facts about Tawang, the Indian army and a war memorial.

Tawang, a natural watershed and shortest route to Tibet remains significant to India due to its strategic and military salience. It is also the key to the defence of the entire sector: from Tawang to Tezpur in the Assam Plains, through Se La, Bomdila, and Tenga. It also secures the Eastern flank of Bhutan, where China stakes claim over areas of Sakteng Sanctuary, in Trashigang Dzongkhag (District) of Bhutan.

In 1962, when China attacked India, their troops had captured the Bumla Pass, Bomdilla (we passed this town yesterday) and had come as far as the Tenga valley (the place where we had lunch yesterday). It was the Assam Regiment Rifles who gave a gallant fight to push back the Chinese and regain the territories.

As we are climbing towards the Sela pass, the temperature keeps falling and finally reaches 0° The Sela pass stands at 13700 meters and connects Tawang to Dirang and the rest of Assam. The pass is a sacred site in Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhists believe that there are about 101 sacred lakes in and around the pass. We stayed here in the biting cold for a few minutes and took many pictures. 

Next we reached the Jaswantgarh War Memorial and had lunch in the Army canteen. This is the story about Jaswant Singh, the man who saved Arunachal Pradesh from the Chinese. In a battle that started on 17th November 1962 and continued for the next 72 hours, Jaswant Singh alone held the post, firing from different bunkers, constantly on the lookout for the Chinese. By the time he was done, more than 300 Chinese soldiers had been killed. Even though Jaswant Singh was decorated (posthumously) with a Mahavir Chakra, the Indian Army continues to treat him with the fanfare of a serving officer.

The Jang falls is a 100 meter high waterfall that is formed by the Nuranang river which originates near the Sela pass and finally merges into the Tawang river. We walked to the bottom of the falls and felt refreshed in the fresh spray of the water. 

Before checking into the Timilo Boutique hotel, we prayed at the Tawang Monastery, the largest in India and the second largest in Asia. A very serene, peaceful place, the monastery is 3 stories high and is enclosed by a high wall. There are 65 residential buildings within the complex. 

All in all a very interesting day.

The figures:

8.30 am Dirang 43180

10.00 am Baishakhi - 45 kms 43225

11.00 am Sela pass - 18 kms 43243 13700 feet

12.00 pm Lunch at Jaswantgarh War memorial - 19 kms 43262

2.15 pm Jang falls - 25 kms 43287

4.30 pm Tawang monastery - 33 kms 43320

6.00 pm Hotel Timilo Boutique - 2 kms

Traveled today : 142 kms kms

Total distance covered : 3953 kms