Tawang Town
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| Tawang | |
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| Country |  India |
| State | Arunachal Pradesh |
| District(s) | Tawang |
| Population | 4,456 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 2,669 m (8,757 ft) |
Coordinates: 27°35′N 91°52′E / 27.58°N 91.87°E Tawang (Tibetan: རྟ་དབང་; Wylie: Rta-dbang) is a small town situated at an elevation of approximately 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh. The town once served as the district headquarters of West Kameng district, and became the district headquarters of Tawang district when it was formed from West Kameng.
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[edit] Geography
Tawang town is located approximately 555 kilometers (344.86 miles) from Guwahati. Tawang is located at 27°35′N 91°52′E / 27.58°N 91.87°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 2,669 meters (8,756 feet).
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2001 India census,[2] Tawang had a population of 38924. Males constitute 54% of the population and females constitute 46% of the population. Tawang has an average literacy rate of 63%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is at 55%. In Tawang, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Tourism
The Tawang Monastery of the Gelugpa sect in Tawang town was built by the Mera Lama in 1681. This monastery is one of the largest in the country and is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the world. It is a major holy site for Tibetan Buddhists. China claims Tawang and briefly occupied it during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
Visitors to Tawang require special Inner line permits from the government which are available in Kolkata, Guwahati, Tezpur, and New Delhi. Most of the travel from the plains is on a steep hill road journey and one needs to cross Sela Pass (13,700 feet) to get there. In June 2008, a helicopter service from Guwahati was started by the Arunachal Pradesh government.
Tipi Orchid sanctuary in Tawang houses thousands of varieties of orchids.
Tourists can travel there from Tezpur, Assam, which is 12 hours by road. Tezpur has direct flights from Kolkata.
Guwahati, Assam, is 16 hours by road. A daily helicopter service between Tawang and Guwahati was inaugurated by Arunachal Pradesh's Governor J.J. Singh in June 2008.
Road travel to Tawang from Tezpur, Assam, is by buses, private taxis and shared taxis. It is an arduous journey: most of the road is loose tarmac and gravel giving way to mud in many places. However, it is a scenic journey of nearly 12 hours, crossing Bomdila Pass (8,000 feet), peaking at Sela Pass (13,700 feet), Jaswant Garh and, finally, Tawang. Government buses often break down (usually on the way up) and passengers end up hitchhiking in private cars and taxis. En route, one can sample local food especially meat & vegetarian momos and cream buns. Hilarious road safety signs posted by the Border Roads Organization keep one entertained throughout the journey.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Tawang
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.
[edit] External links
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