Drinks, Dresses and Ornaments - Tawang

DRINKS:

The chief Monpa beverage is butter-tea. In place of normal tea leaves, they use ‘jari’, crude tea leaves.  Besides the butter tea, the monpas also brew local  alcoholic beverages like Baang- Chang, Sin-Chang, Aarak.

DRESSES:

The Monpas have their own distinctive way of clothing themselves, well adapted to the conditions of their environment. Though they weave most of their essential garments, yet many are imported Kalimpong, Assam, Bhutan. All males throughoutthe district war similar garments with little variation.Two types of trousers are worn by the men. The short  trouser is called kangnam and is worn during summer. It is tied round thewaist by a cloth belt. A thick round woolen pad  called tengtan is suspended at the rear from the waist. The male shirt is called the Toh-thung. In cold days, a thick woolen cloak dyed  red with madder, called Chupa, is worn. It is tied around the waist with a matching sasah called  Khichin. Their traditional shoe is called  Tsem-lham. Both male and female wear the same kind of boots.The soles are usually of yak or cow hide.

Dress

The women wear  a dress called Shingka. It is a sleeveless gown of red colour with white stripes. It is lifted and girdled around the waist  by a red coloured sash called the Khichin. A square loose sheet of black or red coloured woolen cloth called Teng-nga Kyima is then wrapped at the rear of the waist. The silk shirt is known as the Ellen Toh-Thung, over which is worn another shirt called Kyanchen toh-thung.
The head gear is known as Ngama-shom worn by both men and women.. It has no brim but has five tapering points

ORNAMENTS:

 The Monpas have various Ornaments .The names of some ornaments are Son-Dhup (Finger Ring), Nyon-dhup( Bangles), Kaykor (Necklace), Gau ( Silver studded with turquoise), Along ( earring), Grokha( Brooch)

Ornaments

Cuisine Tawang

The traditional Monpa cuisine is known for its tastes and generous use of chilly and fermented cheese. Butter tea is their main beverage. It is smooth and shooting. Alcoholic drinks are popular both amongst men and women. They are mostly non-vegetarians.

Some of the main Monpa delicacies are:

Momo:  Monpas are fond of this delicacy. It is prepared by stuffing mixture of minced meat and onion is dough. These are steamed for about half an hour in a three tired perforated utensil placed about another utensil containing water and hence bones of meat for soup.

Momo

Zan : It is the staple food of the Monpas. It is prepared of millet or other flavoured flour added to boiling water. It is then strived with a flat wooden appliance. It is taken with a cooked vegetable or meat to which is added fermented cheese or soybean as condiment .

Zan

Khura: It is a Monpa pancake made of "Khyab" little chang and require little quantity of water to add to the flour and is stirred till it turns into a thicky paste and is kept near the hearth over night so that the cake becomes soft. On the next day, with little amount of oil in the frying pan the paste is spreaded on it to form a circular shape. It is taken along with tea.

Khura

Gyapa-Khazi: It is a Monpa version of Pulao. It is prepared by mixing rice, fermented cheese, small dried fish, chilly, ginger etc.

Thukpa: It is also one of the most popular and common dish of the people of Tawang. It is an ingredient of noodles with soup, minced meat, chilli etc. This kind of Thukpa is called Dre-Thuk. Thukpa made of maize, meat and bean is called Ashum Thukpa.

Thukpa

Puta: The monpa version of noodles is puta. These are noodles made from buckwheat flour. The making of puta is quite a lengthy and cumbersome process. Puta is made using a special noodle maker called the ‘putatzir-sheng’. The dough is put through the noodle maker and is then pressed. Puta is usually eaten with stew made of vegetables, fermented cheese and chillies.

Bresi: The cooked rice is transferred to a basin and on to it is poured melted butter. It is then seasoned with raisins and sugar. It is usually served during ceremonial occasions.

Other Spectacular Visits

Jaswant Garh: 14 kms away from Sela Pass is the Jaswant garh War memorial raised to pay homage to jaswant Singh, Mahavir Chakra awardee (Posthumous). In the 1962 war with China, this brave soldier showed admirable valour by fighting and holding the invading Chinese for 72 hours  before he met a martyr’s end.

Jaswant Garh

Tawang War Memorial: It is 1 km away from Tawang town. A beautiful Stupa is built in memory of the brave 2410 soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1962 war with China. It is a place to pay homage to the soldiers.The caption ”WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM THAT  WE GAVE OUR LIVES TODAY FOR YOUR BETTER TOMORROW” speaks everything about the place.

Tawang War Memorial

Manjushree Vidyapeeth: This is an orphanage in Tawang District , 3 kms away from tawang town. It was established in the year 1998 by Lama Thupten Phuntsok, Padmashree Awardee.

Manjushree Vidyapeeth

Chu-Me-Gyatsar: It is a highly revered river and the location is named after it. Intriguigingly the river is formed from 108 springs gushing out from the mountain. It is situated at the Indo-China border at a distance of about 8 hours (by vehicle) and 3 hours trekking towards Northeastern side of Tawang township.

Tawang Lake & Springs

Pangkang Teng Tso: ‘Tso’ means lake in Monpa.The Pangkang teng Tso also known as P.T tso is about 17 Kms away to the north. The lake looks straight out of a postcard. To describe it in a lay man’s words, it looks like a blue lapis ‘Lzuli’ on a clear day and it is surrounded by flowers of all colours in October and during the Winter months, it is stark white.

Pangkang Teng Tso

Jhongotser lake: 42 kms away from  Tawang town, the lake was formed during the earthquake of 1950. It has bare trees in the middle of the lake thus giving a ‘guards on vigil’ kind of impression. A reflection of the blue sky makes the lake look beautiful like a samaritan’s soul and captivating like the eye of a gypsy.
Baggajang : Though 101 kms away from Tawang town, the beauty and serenity of Banggachang makes it a visit worth making. The untouched beauty, the blue lakes, the wild flowers, the story of mythical sights of butter lamps burning, apparitions of Gompas makes this place all the more alluring and gives oneself a feeling of peace.

SPRINGS:

Tsechu Hot Spring:  It is about 230 Kms from Tawang town.The hot water spring not only provides warm, sulphur rich water but also cures many ailments. Apart from hot spring, this site is also suitable for hard trekking. The route has very attractive landscapes and beautiful valleys.

Tsechu Hot Spring

Thingbu Hot spring: It is about 70 kms from tawang town. It can also be approached on foot.

Grenkhar Hot Springs: It is about 40 kms away from tawang town.This hot water spring and ‘ Manchu’ provides warm, sulphur rich water and cures many ailments.

Tawang Pilgrimage

Tawang Monastery:  Tawang Monastery is one of the largest monasteries of Mahayana sect in Asia. The monastery is also known as Galden Namgey Lhatse  which translates to 'celestial paradise in a clear night.  It was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680-1681[1] in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. The monastery is at an elevation of about 3,300 metres (10,000 ft) in the district capital, Tawang Town. It has a capacity of about 700 monks and presently is home to more than 450 lamas

Tawang Monastery

Urgelling Monastery: About 5kms from the heart of the town is the Urgelling Monasatery established by Lama Urgen Sangpo . Dating more than 460 years ago, the monastery is the birthplace of His Holiness the 6th Dalai Lama. Apart from beinga treasure trove of many ancient relics, the monastery has footprints and fingerprints of the Dalai Lama.

Urgelling Monastery

Taksang Monastery: Meaning ‘ Tiger’s Den’, it is nestled amidst breath- taking surroundings of coniferos forest and lofty mountains with their crowns covered by snow. The place is believed to have been visited by Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century.

Taksang Monastery

Brama Dung Chung Ani Gompa: The oldest of the Ani Gompa, it was commissioned by Lama Karchen Yeshi gelek in 1595. It houses 45-50 nuns and is 12 kms away from the town. It is situated at the top of the mountain laced with natural scenery and is a historical place where the Merak lama Lodre Gyamtso, prayed for divine light in a cve.

Brama Dung Chung Ani Gompa

Gyangong Ani Gomapa: This Gompa was the place of Merag lama Lodre Gyamtso’s meditation and was subsequently offered to him by his sister for offering pujas.

Singsur Ani Gompa: Situated 28 Kms away , built by His Eminence the 13th Tsona Gontse Rinpoche, this  nunnery is home to around 45-50 nuns.

Singsur Ani Gompa

Gorsam Chorten: It is one of the biggest stupas of the area and situated around  92 kms at Zimithang away from Tawang town. It was constructed in the 12th century.

Gorsam Chorten

Chaksam: It is one of the biggest and famous iron suspension bridge in Tawang area.It was constructed by Lama Chak- Sam Wangpo, a monk who came to this are from Tibet. History says he was an associate fellow disciple of the first dalai Lama and one of the popular saints. During his journey from Tibet to this place, he built one hundred and eight magical iron chain suspension bridge and some of these bridges still survive.

Places of Tourist Interest - Tawang

PASSES AND PEAKS

Sela Pass:  The Sela Pass is in the literal sense the gateway to Tawang as this is the demarcating line between Tawang and West Kameng. The pass is at a height of 14000 ft and it is 92 kms away from the heart of Tawang town.

Sela Pass

Gorichen Peak: The highest in the region with a height of 22,500 fts, the Gorichen peak has fascinated the minds of many mountaineers to scale it.

Gorichen Peak

Geshila Peak: Though not very high, the peak is more  approachable as it is only 25 Kms away from Tawang.

Geshila Peak

WATERFALLS:

PHONG-PHONGMA Waterfalls: One can see the beauty and majesty of the Nuranag fall near Tawangchu at jang. To say the least, it is thunderous and enthralling like an oration.

BAOTENG KANG(BTK)Waterfall: They say,” Watch it’s beauty for even the sun lingers wistfully here” and true to the saying, the waterfall is beauty personified in itself with the sound of the water like a perfect melody thus creating a perfect symphony.

Tawang Games and Sports

The Monpas are fond of games and sports. The main games and sports of the  Monpas are Archery, Shotput, Tug of War, Thipei, Lemgor, Laei and Horse Riding.

Archery: This is a much loved game. The game is mostly played during Losar. The bows and arrows are made of bamboo and the targets each measuring about  fifteen inches by thirty inches are kept at the end of the range which is usually 100 metres in length during the break.

Archery Tawang

Pong-Gor(Shot-Put): This game is another favourite among the Monpas. Here individual players try out their strength by throwing a 10-12 pound stone at a maximum distance

Lem-Gor: The Lem-Gor meaning ‘Flat Stone’ resembles Discuss throw. The competitors throw Lem-Gor within a circle.

Lem-Gor Tawang

Thipei: This is a woman’s game in which feathers are fixed on a flat metal and then tossed with the feet into the air. Players tossing it the maximum number of times wins the game.

Majong:  This is a Chinese game played by four persons with small titles in which players pick up and discard the small titles until one of them has the winning combination.

Sho: This is a very popular game among the Monpa men. It is played by using two dices, which are shaken in a  wooden bowl, which is then upturmed on a leather strap making loud thumping noises.