Tawang (རྟ་དབང་), Arunachal Pradesh

Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India


Tawang (Tibetan: རྟ་དབང་, Hindi: तवांग) is a border town on the central western part of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The town of 5,000 people is also claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Formerly the district headquarters of West Kameng District, it became the district headquarters of Tawang District when the district was created.

Due to its proximity to Tibet, the Tibetan language is commonly used here. Other languages spoken include Hindi Assamese and English. In Tawang is the biggest Tibetan Buddhist monastery outside of Lhasa, the Tawang Monastery, which looms over the town.

Visitors to Tawang need to apply for a special Inner line permit to visit Tawang. This can be obtained in Guwahati as well as Tezpur, Kolkata and Delhi.

Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Monastery, in ground-touching position

Planning your trip to Tawang

Look for buses from Guwahati, failing which you may hire a car or share a car for the 16-hour journey from Guwahati. You should plan stops at Dirang and Bomdila to break the journey. The crossing at Sela Pass is 4,176 m (13,700 ft) high, and may be impassable during heavy snowfall.

Places of Interest in Tawang

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