R E L A T E D   T O P I C S Jammu & Kashmir Leh Ladakh Travel Himachal Pradesh Travel Uttaranchal Travell Nepal Travel Tibet Travel Sikkim Travel Bhutan Travel Arunachal Pradesh Travel Hill Stations of Himalayas

<< Indian Himalayas << Himalayan Destinations >> << Arunachal Pradesh >>

Arunachal Pradesh

Fast Facts:-

Arunachal Travel

Right at the top of north-eastern India, is Arunachal Pradesh, the `Land of the Dawn-lit-Mountains.' The area is one of the most pristine in India, with a dazzling array of flora and fauna, in a habitat that combines glacial terrain, alpine meadows, and sub-tropical rain forests. More that 90 per cent of the state is densely forested. Arunachal Pradesh stands as a guard on the north easternmost part of India. It borders Myanmar on the east, Bhutan in the west and China in the north and North East. On the south the State shares interstate boundaries with Assam and hills of Nagaland in the south-east. Part of Eastern Himalayan ranges, it covers an area of 83,743 Sq. Kms.

Arunachal Pradesh sits atop Assam, with Bhutan to its' west, and Myanmar on the east. This is the first Indian soil to greet the morning sun. Dawn first illuminates Arunachal's border with China: a long border which stretches all the way from its east, over to its northern boundaries and down to its north-western edge where it merges with Tibet. Most of Arunachal Pradesh has primary jungles, deep gorges and villages in really remote places. The changing colors provide a constant reminder of diversity and cheerful spirits.

Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in the north-east region. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. The principal crop is rice, and other important crops include maize, millets, wheat, pulses, potato, sugarcane and oilseeds.

Geographical Structure Arunachal Pradesh

The state encompasses a horseshoe-shaped territory which is located between latitude 26 Degree 28' and 29 Degree 30'E. The longitudinal location of the state gives it the epithet of the 'land of the rising sun'.

The state is bounded by Bhutan, Tibet, China and Myanmar (Burma) towards the N and NE direction and has an area f 83,743 sq. km, with more than 70,000 sq. km, being mountainous. The main ridges and spurs fan out to the plains in the south in a transverse direction except in some places where they run in E-W direction. The ridges show great variation in height with averages ranging between 1800 and 6400m. The steep ridges have also acted as natural barriers to communication with the outside world and thus enabled various tribes to live in isolation and thus contribute indirectly to the proliferation and sustenance of various dialects.

A common features of the topography is that mountain routes follow river systems except at places where they are blocked by steep flanks. The rugged and difficult terrain ensures that outsiders do not ingress into the area easily. The state probably receives the heaviest rainfall in the country. It experiences an average annual rainfall of 300 cm.  The foothills experience an annual rainfall of more than 450 cm. Variation in altitude ensures a wide range of temperatures, with the warm and humid climate of lower valleys changing to extremely cold weather in the higher reaches of the state.

Climate Arunachal

The Climatic conditions vary from sub-tropical to temperate depending upon the topography and altitude of the area. The hot and humid lower belt of foothills records a maximum temperature of 40 degree Celsius in summer while in the middle belt cooler micro thermal climate is experienced. The high altitude upper belt resembles the alpine climate with large areas experiencing snowfalls during winter. The average rainfall per year is little above 3,000 mm.

Inner Line Restrictions & Permits

Contrary to popular belief Inner Line restrictions were not imposed in the state by the Indian Government due to its status as a sensitive border state. The Inner Line Regulation Act was first introduced by the British in 1873 for the areas inhabited by tribes.  The regulations were reintroduced in 1914 when the areas were recognized as North East Frontier Tract. The inner line regulations were further reinforced by the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who emphasized the protection of tribal culture of the state and discouraged migration of outsiders to tribal areas.

Recently the Indian Government has opened up Tawang district in the W. Kameng Division and the Namdhapa Wildlife Sanctuary in the changing district bordering Burma.  Indian Tourists intending to visit these places can get inner line permits from the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi located in Arunachal Bhavan, Kautilya Marg, Chanakya Puri, or from any one of the liaison officers of Arunachal Pradesh stationed in Kolkata.

Tourist Places Arunachal Pradesh

Kameng District & Tawang

Kameng Division is located in the western-most part of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Bhutan on its west.  The northern-most top of Kameng Division comprises Tawang district inhabited mostly by the Monpa tribe.  It is known as Monyul, the land of Mon (the lower land). During the Indo-China war in 1962 this region was temporarily occupied by the Chinese army. The district is subdivided in the local traditional 'Cho', a group of 3-12 villages.  The Cho is further subdivided into 'Gachungs' which comprises a single large village or a group of small hamlets. Every village has its 'Gaon' Bura'.

Thingbu and Tsachu hot water springs

The warm sulphur-rich water cures many skin ailments.

Malinithan and Bhismaknagar

These are two important archaeological sites.

Parashuram Kund

This is a prominent pilgrimage site.

Namdapha National Park

Area: 180,782 hectares.

Established : 1972 as a national park, 1983 as a tiger reserve.

Location : 62 Kms. from Margherita

Bank of : Brahmaputra River

Season (Namdapha National Park) November-May, the best period being December-March.

Access: Drive to the park from Dibrugarh (140 km , 5 hours) or Gauhati (full day) airports, with flights from Calcutta and Delhi respectively. The nearest railway station is at Ledo, near Margherita (56 km). Situated in the Changlang district, this is home to the rare Hoolock gibbon. It is the only park in the world in which four of the great felines - tiger, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard - are found.

Sessa Orchid Sanctuary and Orchid Research Centre at Tippi

Some beautiful specimens of orchids, both natural and hybrid, and including some endangered species, are on display here. These are at their best in the spring and monsoon seasons.

Hotels in Arunachal pradesh

Click for more... "about Arunachal Pradesh" a

  b Back to Main Index