Gurudwara Sahib Teesri Udasi Near Tawang

Gurudwara Sahib Teesri Udasi, Tawang - Perhaps the second highest Gurdwara in the world at 13000 ft above sea level  after Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand 

We had no clue about the Gurudwara when we started out from Tawang towards Shungetsar Lake but it was not easy to miss. High up in the mountains, even in the mist, it stood out, almost inviting. It had a mystical allure. While it looks almost inaccessible, there is a motorable path up to a certain point, and then it's a long climb up the mountain to the shrine. Perhaps, this is also the only cave gurudwara built by cutting into the mountains away from the madding crowds - quiet and serene. 

Drive from Tawang up to the motorable point takes about an hour. The lake is about 30 minutes from there. Bum La Pass, one of the highest motorable passes in the world on the Indo-China border is about 30 km from here. The Gurudwara is maintained by the Indian Army.

The Udasis of Guru Nanak

Udasi means journey. In the 1500s Guru Nanak went all across the world to explore, learn, and spread his divine knowledge. His journeys are chronicled as the five Udasis or the five divine journeys. 

The first Udasi lasted for about 7 years and he went to various places including Benaras, Kamrup, Sialkot, and Nainital to name a few.

The second Udasi was for 7 years and this time he went south to Srilanka.

The third Udasi which lasted 5 years took him on a journey to Kashmir, Tibet, and Nepal among other places. He went to Tibet twice during those 5 years. On his way back from Tibet, he journeyed across to India through the route of Bum la Pass. It is said he spent many days in the mountains where the Gurudwara Teesri Udasi was built.

The fourth Udasi lasted for 3 years and this time he traveled far to Mecca and the Arabian countries.

The fifth Udasi lasted for 2 years. He spent these two years around Kartarpur and Punjab.

Source of information: link

It's a 200 m trek up to the Gurudwara

Shungetsar Lake

A Journey To The Enchanting Tawang

Sungester Lake (Madhuri Lake) in Tawang

Sungester was a small lakeside village that was destroyed after a strong earthquake in 1971. The lake remained as its only witness. In the 90s Senior Roshan (Cinema director) decided to shoot a song, 'Tanhai Tanhai' for his film Koyla, at this fitting dream location. Mesmerized by the film's gorgeous heroine Madhuri Dixit, the locals rechristened the lake as Madhuri Lake.

Route Map To Tawang From Guwahati Via Tezpur and Bomdila

Tawang is only 35/37 km from Bum La Pass (la in the local language means pass) which is the nearest pass to the Indo-China border. The nearest major Chinese town Tsona Dzong is 45 km from Bum La.( And I thought China was far :P). To reach Tawang one has to cross one of the highest passes in India - The SE LA PASS at 4170 m above sea level.

LOCATION

Country: India
State: Arunachal Pradesh
Region: Tawang District

MAIN CITIES AND TOWNS (one must be acquainted with, them to plan the itinerary)

1. Guwahati/Dispur, Capital of neighboring state Assam
2. Tezpur, Nearest airport/Heli-ped
3. Bhalukpong, border town (love this name :) - it means where the bear comes to drink water)
4. Bomdila, a local holiday destination, and midway stopover

HOW TO REACH

The nearest big city is Guwahati/Dispur Capital of Assam. Most tourists, begin their Arunachal journey from Guwahati. One can fly or take a train/bus/private/rented vehicle from Guwahati. For Indian nationals as well as foreign nationals, an inner line permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh is a must. The permit is checked at the entry ports. The entry port for the Guwahati Tawang Circuit in Bhalukpong. One can get the permits done at Delhi Arunachal Bhavan, Guwahati Arunachal Bhavan, and Tezpur Arunachal Bhavan. The Guwahati Arunachal Bhavan is at Rukmini Gaon, GS Road. The form for Indian nationals is Rs.5 plus Rs.25 for the inner line permit. Two passport-size photographs and a copy of an ID card/passport are a must. There is a weird rule :P women of all age groups married or single - must bring a 'No objection certificate' from their Father or Spouse or any male guardian. In the absence of either, I have no clue who is supposed to give the so-called NOC. My friend and I found it quite annoying that we couldn't be responsible for our travel plans at our age ( way above 18) :P but alas no arguments with them worked, we had to call our respective fathers and have them speak to the officer at the Bhavan. Men, however, have no such requirements. Talk about gender equality in the 21st century :P.  One gets the permit the next working day. It's a simple process and there is no need to pay extra to the travel agents. For foreign nationals, the fee may be higher. I am not sure!

From Guwahati, there are a few options to reach Tawang.

1. Bikers and those traveling in private/rented vehicles, can follow the route NH 52 till Bhalukpong then take NH 229. It takes around 2.5 hrs to 3 hours to reach Tezpur, then another 5 to 8 hours to Bomdila. The road is pretty good till Tenga Valley. It starts getting closer to Bomdila. It is advisable to stop over at Bomdila or Tenga and start early the next day since the road from Bomdila to Tawang is really unpredictable!!!! If lucky the journey can be completed in 9 hrs. If not, it can take 18 hours or more. We started on an unfortunate rainy day in the month of June and met with two big landslides and scary, slippery, muddy roads. It took us exactly 18 hours to reach Tawang! Hard luck that is! :)

One can start really early from Guwahati, say 3 am, and if all goes well, with no long halts, no bad roads, no rains, and no landslides, one can reach Tawang in 18 to 19 hrs. Well! The mountain roads can get crazy. Therefore, it is better to avoid any risks.

My suggestion would be, to stay at Eagle's Nest camp near Bhalukpong for a day or Tenga or Bomdila and then proceed ahead. Between  Bomdila and Tawang there is just one small village Dirang with limited lodging facilities. 

There are amazing waterfalls right on the road in the stretch between Bhalukpong and Bomdila. We went during the monsoons and were lucky to see them at their full flow but again, if not for the gushing waterfalls, that one can almost stand under, monsoons are not the best time to travel to this part of Arunachal!! 

2. One can also take a helicopter ride from Tezpur to Tawang. It's an irregular service and depends on the weather conditions. Guess one way takes anywhere around 3K - 5K.

3. ONe can opt for a bus from Guwahati which takes around Rs. 170 to Tezpur. Be aware there are two routes to Tezpur, a shorter route that takes 3 hours and a longer route that takes 5 hours or more.  The buses leave from Paltan Bazaar Guwahati, Khanapara Guwahati, and ISBT, Guwahati. Other than buses there are small tempo services which take about the same price. The buses and tempos run throughout the day. There is one bus that leaves at 6am from ISBT which goes directly to Bomdila. 

There is also an early morning bus from Tezpur that goes directly to Tawang. At Tezpur, one can find trekkers/jeeps traveling to Bomdila throughout the day. There are trekkers going to Tawang as well but they start very early in the morning. The price ranges from Rs. 500 to 800. We paid Rs. 450 to Bomdilla and Rs. 600 to Tawang but I guess it can be bargained and depends on the number of passengers the trekker is carrying.

Note: If you are there on a rainy day, please ensure that your bags are properly covered with the tarpaulin sheet on the trekker top, otherwise you will end up with a bag full of soaking wet clothes and spend a day drying them in the hotel room using room heaters :P (says the experienced me :P)

WEATHER and WHAT TO WEAR

It gets quite cold once you reach Bomdila. We were there in June/July and It was quite cold in fact freezing cold at the lakes. Woolens are an 'absolute' must. If going in monsoon, an umbrella, and raincoat is essential. It rained 24 hrs every day during our stay. Sneakers and boots are preferred footwear. Again if you are risking a visit during the monsoon, wear galoshes if you can :P. We were stuck in the landslide and had to cross the muddy mountain road on foot. My slippers got stuck in the mud and it was quite a task retrieving them.

Stuck in a landslide

BEST TIME TO VISIT 

I think one can avoid the monsoon in June and July unless you are the adventurous kind and don't mind going beyond your scheduled itinerary. The good thing about June and July is that the waterfalls are in their full flow and way up near the lakes, you get to see beautiful flowers. It's almost like a valley of flowers. In fact, it is a valley of flowers and the mist around the lakes gives an ethereal feel. Oh well! now that I think, the monsoon was a little messy but definitely beautiful.

Peak winter is a bad time too because of snow blocks and unsafe roads but again if you are adventurous enough, the beauty of Tawang and the lakes in winter is as enchanting (as seen in photographs).

The absolute safe time to go there is between September and November (till the onset of snowfall) and between March and June (till the onset of monsoon)

WHERE TO STAY and WHAT TO EAT

There are many hotels and restaurants in Tawang. One can go there and book rooms. One can also bargain. We got a decent hotel for Rs. 1000 but I think one can get better deals if smarter :P. One note of caution all hotels close around 8ish. Better reach there early if you have not booked ahead. We reached midnight and no hotels were open or willing to open.

Also, be very careful about thieves. We heard about a lot of thefts in the town and we got robbed ourselves. The thief entered our room at night and carried our bags, cameras, and phones. He took all the cash and left our bags near the entrance. Not sure why he was that considerate. We suspected the hotel owner but had no proof. We did lodge an FIR at the local police station but not much got done. The best thing is to stay alert. Ensure the doors and windows of your room are locked and you keep all your cash and expensive items under your pillow :P It was a sad experience but I guess there are good and bad people everywhere and well such things can happen anywhere, so one must be alert and careful. There are ATMs, so do not carry too much cash! Here's the detailed story.

ACTIVITIES

Trekking, Site visits, Scenic drives

PLACES TO VISIT  

1. Tawang Gompa - One of the  largest monasteries in South Asia

2. The Gurudwara SahibTeesri Udasi, is quite a trek up the mountain

3. The lakes and the valley of flowers. There are a number of lakes in Tawang. Ptso, Kyo Tso, Sungester, and many other small ones, Sungester or Madhuri Lake as it is locally called after an Indian Actress Madhuri Dixit who filmed a dance sequence here is the main attraction and an absolute must-visit.

From Right Under Our Nose!!

Valley of Flowers in Tawang

Location: A hotel in Tawang.

Early morning at 5:00 a.m., someone knocked at our door. The knock got louder and louder to finally knock me out of my deep slumber. Assuming it was the tour driver for a wake-up call,  I dragged my sheepy 'zzzzzzz' legs to the door hardly noticing it wasn't bolted. Much too drowsy to even realize the 'unusual', I opened the door to find two quizzical faces staring at me. One of them I recognized as the hotel owner and the other a complete stranger.

"Yes?"I asked, trying hard to open my eyes.

"Is that your bag?" said the guy pointing at a few things near the staircase.

I glanced in the said direction. There was my bag, my camera, my friend's bag, my friend's camera, and her phone. Hmm! Where is my phone? I wondered!! Oh! yes! it's safe under my pillow - answers why, it didn't quite make its way up there.

"Yes, those are our things, but why are they outside our room?" I asked the obviously silly question, still trying to figure out if it was real or some weird dream. Flummoxed, I pinched myself - Ouch!!! It's definitely happening. Reality had started to dawn, gradually!!

SHOCK eventually replaced SLEEP!! Seriously? Did this actually happen!! I vividly remembered, switching off the idiot box around 3ish, and checking the door bolt before hitting the sack. How and when did someone enter our room! ?? This was unbelievably absurd!!

The commotion had woken my friend as well. Confused and shaken, she scanned through the stuff frantically!! "Kay all the money is gone!!!" I keep money in parts, in all possible pockets of my bags including the camera pouch when traveling. The thief had ransacked our bags thoroughly to not leave a single penny! He was clever enough to not take the mobile phones and our cameras. My camera is pretty outdated and antique for anyone's taste but my friend's was a pricey brand new slr !!! Some nerve he had to escape that temptation!!!. Hmmm!! An educated thief knows where to draw the line!! He was probably, somewhere very close, hence, chose to loot only the cash, intelligently ignoring anything that could get him caught easily.

The scary part was, the thief had opened our door, entered our room somewhere around 4am and taken all our stuff out and we heard nothing!!!! Instincts suggested it had to be a hotel staff. Most likely, our dinner was drugged which had us sleeping so soundly. Most disconcerting was the thought that worse could have actually happened!!!

We lodged an FIR at a local police station but to no great benefit. The officer in charge and his aide did a routine investigation quite nonchalantly and left us a note that if they come across any clues, we will be informed. Of course, that never quite transpired.

Disheartened, we decided to leave Tawang the next day. As the day moved on and the sun suddenly showed up all bright and warm after two days of non-stop cold rains, we reluctantly changed our minds. We had made it this far after a very rough journey, bad roads, two big landslides, an annoying travel mate, and 18 hours of continuous downpour.  Going back without exploring the place would be such a shame. Bad experiences happen but that shouldn't make us change our course. With that thought, we urged ourselves to the lakes early next morning. It was a decision well made! The enchanting beauty of the valley of flowers totally wooed us.

Shungetsar Lake

Arunachal is definitely a not-to-miss destination but it's wise to be cautious. Locals mentioned such things were not very uncommon. Hmmm!!

Disclaimer: We do not want to discourage anyone from visiting Arunachal. Just a forewarning for fellow travelers to be aware and alert!  We were robbed in Miami and Rome as well :P Happens everywhere !!!

Thank You Mr. Bell!

Our Arunachal trip was a usual last-minute unplanned 'let's go anywhere. My friend had just returned from Canada after a rigorous MBA torture and wanted a break, while I was visiting Assam, the neighboring state.

I announced the exciting plan to my (presumably) not-going-to-be-very-excited father, 'Baba, we are off to Arunachal tomorrow!' Nonplussed, he questioned, 'Who goes to Arunachal in peak monsoons?'

I sheepishly grinned back at him making the "I" very evident! My travel partner joined in to convey a stronger "we"!!

There was a silent, yet very obvious 'you kidding me?' SIGH! Having known me all my life, Baba decided not to waste a second or a syllable putting sense into my obstinate head. He gave a  hesitant affirmative nod and dived back into his morning newspaper ritual. 

We headed out to get the inner line permit from Arunachal Bhavan soon after breakfast. And there took place our little episode!!

Yup!! little did we realize the 5-minute task would cost us an entire day and a bit of our feminine dignity (Now don't imagine the worst, it was less than too serious). When we handed in the application form, the registrar at the desk, scanned us thoroughly from head to toe to my utter discomfort. "Hmmm! Who else is going with you?" he said turning his glance back to the application forms on his desk.

"Oh! I am going with her and she is coming with me :)" I said, closing the eager reply with a big smile recalling some wise words of a wise soul that 'smiles especially with dimples often induce speedy service.'

"Hmm!! So you are going alone!!" :/ he replied sounding much too disinterested.

"Absolutely NOT Sir!! I think you heard me wrong! We both are going together!" (Big Smile again)

"Yes! That's what I said, you both are going alone!" he was still perusing the measly one-page form as if it contained years of historical research that needed meticulous examination.

"Well NOT really Sir, I think there is a slight confusion. SHE and ME are going together. TWO is not equal to alone :)!!!" (Barely holding on to the Big smile! - my cheeks had started to hurt!!)

Piqued, he replied, "Exactly, two young girls should not be traveling alone. Do you have no objection letters from your parents?" he looked up just when I gave my cheeks their much-needed rest.

Surprise took over the smile! We looked askance at him. 'Why do we need No Objection letters? (Having traveled all across the globe in the last two decades, this is the first time we were asked for any such thing as a NOC).  'We are above 18, well above 30 if that helps. Here are our passports in case you have any doubts, I retorted still trying to smile.

Mr. Baruah was obviously oblivious to the hint given. 'WE are INDEPENDENT women'. He simply scanned us again with greater scrutiny this time, almost making me sound like a habitual liar, " Hmm! Guess passports can't be wrong!! So, do you have No Objection letters from your respective spouses?"

AArgh !!! Even the fact that he still doubted our age in the passport (which on any other given day would have been a reason to celebrate) couldn't stop the desperate scream almost forcing its way out of my larynx. Thankfully I managed to swallow it back (together with the hurt pride) on time!! Holding my calm, I said, "Sir, We are not married!!"

Bam!!! His eyes grew big, round, and curious. I was on guard. Yes!! we have met that expression a million times before from strangers and non-strangers, especially from sexagenarians. I could clearly read the myriad thoughts that ran through his inquisitive brain. Past experience instinctively prompted us to revert his focus to the main context before he digressed into the next obvious track. I was not willing to welcome unsolicited advice regarding the sanctity of social precepts...blah blah blah

"Don't you think girls.... by 30 you should be...."

I hastily interrupted what sounded like the opening of a very familiar speech, "Sir, I have come from Delhi and she from Bombay. It's impossible for us to get NOCs from our parents right now. We have only 7 days' leave and we would like to start our trip tomorrow. We shall be greatly obliged if you can kindly ...." Suddenly I found myself weak in genteel vocabulary.

"Rules are rules ladies! I can't do much. Girls get into all kinds of weird mess and then we are unnecessarily harassed by parents." He popped a 'pan' into his already rufous mouth and added. " Please go and meet the Director. If he approves this, you are good to go."

I was all agog to know 'What' weird mess (particularly) girls get into? Ever so frustrated, this time I was on the verge of a verbal explosion when the Dalai lama photo hanging on the wall behind Mr. Baruah whispered, "Peace on earth!!!! Focus on your agenda  - the permit."   We nodded, controlled that pugnacious urge, and headed for our next destination - The Director's office.

The same round of questions followed at the Directors! Sigh!!! And all we really sought was a permit for a week's travel in Arunachal Pradesh  Why was it so difficult?

The WHY actually has a simple answer 'We are women'. If something unpleasant happens, we, apparently, have a lot more to lose! Second thoughts, are men really safer than women? Don't we have the right to be responsible for ourselves? I wondered?! "Do you require parents or spouse letters in case of men traveling 'alone' in twos!! I think that's more important? The weird things are because of them!! and sometimes the weird things may happen to them as well" (Not quite the feminist nazi but this seemed honestly unfair)

The director flashed a guilty grin and said, "No only under 18s!!" I looked around for another 'Dalai Lama' photograph. Dear Lord, do we waste time arguing about fair and unfair, or just beg, plead or even threaten at gunpoint - "Give us the blessed permit"!!! We voted for begging and pleading. Humiliating as it may sound that was the ONLY closest thing possible to get us moving towards our destination the next day. Maybe we can sit on a 'dharna' (agitation) in front of Arunachal Bhavan on our way back looking at the new trend in our country.

Back to agenda - How do we produce a No objection letter?!?? Go back home, get a letter from Baba, ask uncle to send my friends and waste another day, or (simply Write one ourselves right now). Damn! the idealist me!! can't lie!! Can't fight a wrong with another wrong!

The closing time was just a few minutes away and we were about to go back home disappointed when the phone buzzed - Mr. Bell at our rescue:)

 "Sir, would you like to talk to our parents or even video conference?"  He reluctantly agreed. We got our permits. (Very Big Smile :)

..............

Dedicated to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and Mr. Martin Cooper who made our trip possible.

Closing On the lines of Satyamev Jayate: Should Arunachal Bhavan rethink the No Objection letters for women above 18? Vote for Change!!:)

PS: 1. Monsoon was indeed the wrong time to travel.
2.  There were definite safety concerns in Arunachal.

Arunachal Pradesh, The Land Of The Dawn Lit Mountains

Tourist destinations in Arunachal Pradesh

LOCATION

Country: India

State: Arunachal Pradesh

Arun in Sanskrit means the 'first rays of the sun' or 'dawn' or the reddish hue of the dawn. Achal means 'mountains'.

MAIN CITIES AND TOWNS (of tourist interest)

1. Itanagar, the administrative capital of this state
2. Bomdila
3. Tawang
4. Ziro
5. Roing
6. Guwahati/Dispur, the capital of Assam is the main entry port of Arunachal.

HOW TO REACH 

One needs inner line permits to enter Arunachal Pradesh. The Inner line permits can be obtained from Arunachal Bhavan in Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong, Guwahati, Tezpur, Dibrugarh, and Lilabari. For Indian nationals the form + inner line permit fee is Rs. 5+ Rs.25. The application requires two passport-size photographs and a copy of Identity proof. All females married and single are required to provide a permission/no objection letter from their Father/Spouse/Local Guardian.

Address:

1. Resident Commissioner, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, New Delhi, Arunachal Bhawan, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

2. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkatta, CE-109, Sector-1, Salt Lake City, Kolkatta.

3. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Guwahati, Rukmini Gaon,  R.G. Baruah Road, Guwahati-781021.

4. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt Arunachal Pradesh, Shillong, Pin-793001, Meghalaya.

5. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur, Assam.

6. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Mohanbari, Dibrugarh, Assam.

7. Deputy Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Lilabari, North Lakhimpur, Assam.

By Air

The nearest airports to Arunachal Pradesh are:

1. Lilabari, Assam. Itanagar is about 2 hours from here.
2. Tezpur, Assam. Helicopter services to Tawang are available from here as well.
3. Guwahati, Assam
4. Shillong, Meghalaya

By rail 

Harmuty is the nearest railway station to Itanagar.
Other railheads close to the Arunachal border are Dibrugarh, Tezpur, North Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia, and Guwahati.

By road

The final entry into Arunachal is by road. Either by buses or private/rented vehicles. Assam and Meghalaya is well connected to Arunachal through Bus services and Trekker services.

WEATHER and WHAT TO WEAR

Arunachal weather ranges from very cold tundra climate to tropical climate depending on the area being traveled to. The highest at the foothills in peak summer could go up to 40 C and the lowest at the foothills could go up to 15 C. At higher altitudes, it gets pretty cold even in summer. Monsoons are pretty much wet all across the state.

It is advisable to carry a mix of woolen and cotton when planning a statewide trip.

WHERE TO STAY and WHAT TO EAT

Most places in Arunachal have decent hotels and restaurants. In smaller villages the choices are limited. There are homestays and food mainly consists of rice, vegetable, meat, and fish.

ACTIVITIES 

Trekking, Site seeing, Scenic drives, boating, river rafting

PLACES TO VISIT

There are about 10 tourist circuits in Arunachal

1. Tenga, Bomdila, Tawang Ciruit via Guwahati and Tezpur 
2. Itanagar, Ziro, Daporijo, Aalo, Pasighat
3. Roing, Anini
4. Namdapha National Park via Margharita
5. Aalo to Mechuka
6. Ziro to Koloriang
7. Pasighat to Tuting
8. Seijosa, Itanagar, Doimukh, Segalee. Seppa
9. Daporijo to Siyum
10. Tezu to Hayuliang via Tinsukhia

STORIES

1. Mr. Bell