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.

Traditional Tawang Dance

Besides the monastic dances performed for three days during the Torgya festival, there are many other dances performed on different occasions. Some of them are:

Aji Lhamu Dance -  Also known as ‘ Lhambro’ this is a prominent folk dance portraying the Tibetan version of Ramayana. The dance is generally performed during the Losar festival. There are five characters in this dance each having  a mythological origin. They are the Gyeli, Nyapa, Nyaro and two other female characters, Lhamu Abu and Lhamu Zomu. Lhamu was the fairy from heaven who later became the queen of Gyali.

Aji Lhamu Dance Tawang

The dance also depicts the marriage ceremony of Lhamu with King Chhoegey Norzong presented by Gyali. This dance is performed during the Losar Festival.

Yak Dance-   The Yak dance is one of the most  famous dances of the Monpas. The masked dancers represent the members of the family who are said to have discovered the yak with the help of a magical bird hundreds of years ago. The discovery of the Yak resolved the family’s internal property disputes and provided a permanent source of wealth and property to the entire community.

Yak Dance Tawang

 Lion and Peacock Dance- This is yet another beautiful and popular form of dance where one dancer dresses up in a lion costume and the other in a peacock costume.This dance displays the story of a saint named Tenteling who performed an extremely difficult  fast  meditation at the mythical mountain Gangri- Karpo in the Himalayas for three years. The two snow lions that lived on the ridges of the mountain witnessed this severe and pious life of the saintsaint. They befriended him and gave him their milk and company. Overjoyed by this relationship between man and animals, the people danced and till today this  dance is performed thus signifying the harmony that could exist  between man and animal.

Loin and Peacock Dance Tawang

Festivals of Tawang

Festivals play an important role in building the spirit of community life among the Monpas. Festivals mirror the rich culture of the people. Like the other tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, the festivals of Monpas are mostly associated with Agriculture and Religion.

The main festivals of Monpas are Losar and Torgya. Besides these,there are many other festivals like Saka Dawa, Drukpa Tse-Shi, Lhabab Duechen, Ganden Ngam Choe, and Choekor procession.

Losar: It is the new year festival of the Monpas and is marked with a lot of gaiety and festivity. In this festival, the Monpas go to the houses of their relatives and elders in order to receive new year wishes. Losar is not only the biggest festval but also the happiest one. The date of the Losar festival is determined by the Lunar calendar. On the eve of the festival, people clean their houses as well the village complex to usher in the New Year and discard the old. The dirt of the old year is considered to symbolise ill health.New religious flags are hoisted at the top of homes.. Also during this period, lamps are lit and prayers are offered for peace and harmony. Hot ‘Chang’(local wine) mixed with Khabsay( Losar Snack) is  served.

Losar Festival of Tawang

Saka Dawa: This festival is celebrated in the Fourth Month of the Lunar Calender to mark the birth, attaintment of supreme enlightenment, and the passing away of the Buddha. Hence this month is regarded as the holiest month.

Saka Dawa Festival of Tawang

Dukpa Tse-She: On the fourth day of the seventh month i.e Dukpa Tse-Shi, the Lord Buddha delivered his maiden preaching on the Four Noble Truths at Deer Park in Sarnath. The day is commemorated by visiting religious shrines and offering prayers.

Dukpa Tse-She Festival of Tawang

Choe-Kor: It is an important religious procession organized by the whole village community with an aim to providing supernatural protection to the crops grown and for a bumper harvest and also to chase away the evil spirits which might harm the village community. The Choe-Kor is organized in the seventh month of Lunar Calender when there is least agricultural activity. This procession is led by two Kong-Yoks and behind them is a large crowd following with bulky and voluminous religious holy books.

Choe-Kor Festival of Tawang

Lhabab Duechen: The Twenty Second day of the Ninth month of the Lunar Calender is celebrated as Lhabab Duechen- The day on which Lord Buddha descended from Tushita, the realm of God. The day is devoted to religious activities like circumambulating shrines, lighting lamps and praying.

Lhabab Duechen Festival of Tawang

Gaden Ngamchoe: As per the Lunar Calender, this festival falls in the Twenty Fifth day of the Tenth Month. This day  is observed to perpetuate the death anniversary of Je Tsongapa, the founder of the Gelukpa Sect. As a mark of devotion and to mourn his death, bright butter lamps are placed on the roofs of the houses and Monasteries during the night.

Gaden Ngamchoe Festival of Tawang

Torgya:  It is a Monastic festival celebrated every year in the 28th day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar which generally falls in the month of January every year. This festival is believed to be celebrated to chase out the evil spirits and usher in prosperity and happiness. During the festival ritual monastic masked dances in magnificient traditional attires are performed in douzhe, the courtyard of Tawang Monastery.

Torgya Festival of Tawang

People of Tawang

“Gentle, friendly, courteous, industrious, good to animals and good to children” is how Verrier Elwin describes the Monpas as. Decedents of Mongloid race, the Monpas are Buddhists by religion and Tawang Monastery is the fountainhead of their spiritual lives. The spread of Buddhism in the area started with the arrival of Guru Padmasambhava, the great Indian Saint in the 8th century. The Monpa tribe is predominant of the Gelukpa Sect of the  Mahayana stream of Buddhism. Before embracing Buddhism, they were believers of  ‘Bon’ faith characterized by spirit and nature worship.

 There are legends that the Monpas immigrated from Bhutan and Tibet at different times but the circumstances under which the migration took place and the time of the first settlers in the present habitat is obscure. The oldest record where in the mention of the region appears is in the Tibetan Epic- ‘ Drowa Sangmo’- which dates back to the 7th Century AD. In the epic, we find the mention of a place called ‘ Tana Mandekhang’ from where King Kala Wangpo ruled.

In the  Monpa family, the man is the head of the household and he is the one who takes all decisions. In his absence, his wife takes over all the responsibilities. However, when a child is born, they have no strict preference for a boy or a girl.

The Monpas are by and large agriculturists. Apart from this, they also tame yak, sheep and other livestocks. 

The Monpas are artistic by nature and usually live in cosy double storied houses, constructed of stone with plank floors, often with carved doors and framed windows. Wood carving works, carpets and bamboo utensils made by them are exquisitely beautiful and they adorn their houses very well. They are well known for their painting on the thanka, a traditional  handicraft.
 The Monpas are also probably the only Indian community to continue the age-old tradition of paper-making. They make paper from the bark of a tree called ‘ Daphne Cannabina’ locally known as shugu-sheng. The paper they  make is exclusively used for religious purposes.

History of Tawang - Tawang Festival

Tawang- The beautiful land of the Monpas is located in Western Arunachal Pradesh on the international borders with China and Bhutan. It is situated at the height of 3500 mtrs from the sea level on the mountainous range of the Northern Himalayas. Its snow capped peaks, pleasant lakes, congenial climate, friendly and hospitable people continue to entice the people who visit.This magical land evokes images of awesome mountain views, remote hamlets, quaint and sleepy villages, magical Gompas, tranquil lakes and mesmerizing mountains. At Tawang, one  has a heavenly tryst with nature  and there is a  heady mixture of ancient history, mishmash religion and glorious legends.

Tawang is believed to have derived its name from the Grandiose Tawang Monastery perched on the edge of the ridge running along the western part of Tawang township.’Ta’ means Horse and ‘Wang’ means Chosen. As the legend goes the site of the present Monastry is believed to have been chosen by a horse owned by Merag Lama Lodre Gyamtso who was on a  search for an appropriate place to establish a  Monastery but was unable to locate any appropriate site. So he finally decided to sit on prayer for guidance of  divine power. As he opened his eyes after prayer, he found his horse missing. So, wearily he went out searching for his horse and found it on the top of hill known as Tana Mandekhang where once stood the palace of King Kala Wangpo. Believing it to be  a good omen, Mera lama Lodre Gyamtso decided to initiate  work for building of the monastery with the help of the people. The Monastery thus was founded by Mera Lama Lodre Gyamtso in late 1681.

However, there is also another belief of derivation on the name ‘Tawang’. The great treasure revealer, Terton Pemalingpa gave initiations such as Tamdin and Ka-gyad and hence the place came to be known as Tawang. ‘Ta’ an abbreviation of Tamdin; ‘Wang’ means Initiation.

Tawang Festival 2013 Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh also known as ‘The Land of Rising Sun’ area-wise, is the largest state of the North East region of India. It forms a complex hill system of Shivalik and the Himalayas and is criss-crossed by numerous rivers and streams. The state shares a total of 1630 kms of international boundary with neighboring countries; 1030 kms with China, 160 kms with Bhutan and 440 kms with Myammar. The McMohan line defines the international boundary between India and China. And within India, the state borders Nagaland and Assam. Administratively, the State is divided into seventeen districts. Capital of the State is Itanagar in Papum Pare district. Itanagar is named after Ita Fort meaning fort of bricks, built in 14th century AD.

The Tawang Festival named after its host District Tawang is a five day Mega event to be held from the 20th- 22th October 2013. Tawang Festival is a tourism event organized by Arunachal Tourism (Department of Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh). Previously the  mega festival  “ Buddha Mohotsava” was celebrated in the district in the years 2003, 2006 and 2008.The “Tawang Festival” now aims to project Tawang in a new avatar, thus making it a tourist destination not only in India but globally as well. The Tawang festival shows that with its stunning natural beauty and great cultural traditions, Tawang can offer a rich fare to tourists. Often referred to as “ The Hidden Paradise”, Tawang represents unimaginable beauty moulded perfectly for a breathtaking experience. Tawang, often reminds a visitor of James Hilton’s Shangri-la. It represents as if of being that last link with civilization – what with its modern sloped houses, mystical market wares, and towering snow clad cliffs in the background.

This  five day extravaganza  will showcase the vivid and varied  cultures of  Arunachal Pradesh and North East India  and Tawang in particular. Various events such as traditional dance & sports, exhibition of handicrafts & herbal medicine, food, cultural shows, adventure sports such as para- gliding, mountain biking, trekking etc  and showcasing of various tourist and religious places of the district will be a part of the celebrations. In the evenings, a program of music concerts, catering to all tastes will ensure that the festive spirit continues through the night as well.

Many important dignitaries of the state and country will participate in the festival. Large number of Indian and foreign tourists are expected to visit and enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Tawang. Besides promoting tourism of this beautiful part of India, the festival will also show case the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the tribe i.e the Monpas living in this state. The Monpas are known for their kind nature and hospitablity and despite the advances of modernity and westernisation creeping in, the age old values of love and compassion are very much intact. The Festival both exposes the culture and tradition of the people and reinforces Tawang’s identity as a unique district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang, promises a heavenly tryst with nature and the people are geared up to make the festival a grand success. Thus, the festival would indeed help ‘Spread Serenity’ among one and all.