The Hindu : Arunachal beckons tourists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 04, 2003

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Other States - Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal beckons tourists

By Barun Das Gupta

Army troops warm up as the temperature has gone down to minus four degrees celsius due to heavy snowfall on the India-China border, 35 km from Tawang, in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday. - Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

TAWANG (Arunachal Pradesh) NOV. 3. The Arunachal Pradesh Government is trying its best to boost tourism in this easternmost State bordering Tibet. Here, Nature has been bountiful. From snow-clad mountains to breathtaking waterfalls, natural lakes, hot springs and Buddhist monasteries, it is a feast for the eyes.

Situated at a height of about 10,000 feet, Tawang has the second largest Buddhist monastery in the world, founded by the sixth Dalai Lama 400 years ago.

As the tourist season starts in October and continues up to March, the Government has been holding an annual "Buddha Mahotsav Festival" at Tawang in West Kameng district in the last week of October for the last three years. This year it was held from October 29 to 31.

The budget for the festival was Rs. 30 lakhs. According to G.N. Sinha, Secretary, Tourism, about 500 tourists, including seven or eight foreigners, came for the festival. The Tourism Department offered them a mixed fare.

Apart from monastic and folk dances and traditional games and sports, there were cultural "nites" by artists from Guwahati and Mumbai which had nothing in common with the local culture. However, both locals and "outsiders" were apparently more entertained by the "nites".

Mr. Sinha said that in 2000, the State Government had submitted a Rs.12-crore scheme to the Centre for tourism development, with emphasis on eco-tourism and adventure tourism. It is expected to be cleared by the year-end.

The North-Eastern Council has also just set up a Regional Tourism Board which will hold its first meeting at Shillong tomorrow.

The Union Home Secretary, N. Gopalaswami, who visited the State during the festival, announced that the Centre was contemplating further simplifying procedures for foreign tourists intending to visit Arunachal. The period of their stay is likely to be extended to one month and the number of tourists in a group may be less than four. A couple may also be given permission.

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Arunachal beckons tourists