Known for its scenic beauty, Buddhist culture and heritage, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, offers a perfect experience with its inimitable culture and friendly locals. Itanagar, also known as the land of dawn-lit mountains, is a venue for a number of cultural extravaganzas including the fun-filled outdoor festival of Ziro that witnesses talent from the northeastern region, coming together on one platform. Each of the other festivals like Mopin, Reh and Losar represents an ethnic tribe of the state and are celebrated with dance and music. A wide variety of fauna including tigers, barking deer, sambars and panthers and the not-to-be-missed state bird, hornbill, are also found here in large numbers. The city is home to a large population of Nyishi tribe, the largest ethnic group in the state who follow Buddhism and celebrate one of the most famous festivals of the state, Nyokum. The other tribes including Moplas and Monpas celebrate the festival of Losar. Legend has it that the city was mentioned in Kalika Purana as well as in the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. It was called Mayapur during the period when Jiti dynasty ruled here in the 11th century. Ita Fort Built in the 14th and 15th centuries, Ita Fort, which literally means fort of bricks, is an important heritage site in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is in an irregular shape and is made from bricks from the same era. The fort has guarded the kingdom from enemies for years with its high walls and its relevance is such that the name of the city of Itanagar comes from it. Ita Fort is enclosed by brick ramparts and natural ridges. It is believed that around 80 lakh bricks were used to construct the fort in those days with the volume taken by it totalling 16,200 cubic m. Another interesting fact about the construction of the fort is that it took around 45,000 man days for its construction. There are three different entrances – eastern, western and southern – to the fort. While the eastern rampart of the fort is more than half-a-kilometre long and has one gate, the western rampart is over 1.4 km long with two gates. The original height of the rampart was around 5 m and the average wall width around 1.5 m. Irregular steep ridges of over a kilometre long in each of the northern and southern directions provided natural defence. Built of stone masonry, the eastern gate overlooks Doimukh in Dikrang Valley whereas the southern gate was constructed with brick along with the use of stone and stone-slabs. Floral and animated designs were used to beautify the doorways which are nowhere to be found now. These doors acted as a checkpoint for enemies approaching the fort from Gohpur and Ramghat in the south. Probably the main entrance was the one in the west which faced River Senkhi. While scholars attribute Ita Fort to Jitari dynasty’s King Ramachandra who apparently constructed it between 1350 and 1450 AD, another more recent view is of the opinion that it was built in 1688 AD by Ahom king Chakradhvaj Simha. Trekking One of the best states in the country to experience trekking routes, especially in the Bomdila-Tawang region, is Arunachal Pradesh. A famous trek called Tawang Chu can also be explored. Starting from Jong, the trek reaches Mago through dense jungle and waterfalls. Other routes that can be considered for trekking include Pasighat-Mariang, Daporijo-Along, Bomdila-Daimara via Chakku and Ramlingam, Along-Mechuka and Daporijo-Taksing Jawaharlal Nehru Museum Jawaharlal Nehru museum is one of the oldest museums in the Northeast of India. For 46 years, Arunachal Pradesh was the only state in the Northeast to have a museum apart from the Assam State Museum. Jawaharlal Nehru museum stands as one of the most cherished ethnographic museums in the country. The museum has a vast and rich collection of household articles, musical instruments, cane products, religious objects, handicrafts, textiles, weaponry that reflects the tribal heritage and culture of the state. A workshop on how to make traditional cane products runs at the museum and a shop in the premises sells tribal handicraft items. The first person from the state to have successfully climbed Mt Everest, Tapi Mra, donated his entire expedition gear to the Jawaharlal Nehru Museum. While the ground floor of the museum displays traditional art, handicraft items, religious objects and musical instruments, the first floor comprises historical findings from Malinithan, Noksparbat and Ita Fort. Its establishment was sponsored by the State Implementation committee under the chairmanship of the then governor RD Pradhan and vice chairmanship of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang. Shopping Itanagar is one of the best places to shop for utility products made from bamboo and cane as well as local artefacts like traditional costumes made from herbal dye yarns and natural vegetables. Some of the best buys include ornaments that are mostly designed by the native tribes, they are made using various natural sources and products. Some of the materials used to make this jewellery that can be worn by both genders are bamboo feathers, wild seeds, glass beads, beetle wings etc. Though many metals are used, silver and brass remain the most popular choice. The interesting feature of the jewellery here is its diversity. Though all the tribes use similar materials yet their ornaments vary in design and patterns and skill that are unique to each and every tribe. If you are visiting here don't forget to but the bamboo bangles and ear ornaments decorated with pocker work designs that are made by the Akas tribe. Tourists can also shop for bamboo and cane products like baskets, bags, containers etc. One can also find a variety of rice plates, bows and arrows, headgear, mats, shoulder bags, and ornaments and necklaces made of fine strips of bamboo and grass. Wood carvings are a speciality of the state and are created by tribal communities. While Wancho woodcarvers have a good sense of proportion, their Monpa counterparts make beautiful cups, dishes, fruit bowls along with magnificent masks that are used for ceremonial dances and pantomimes. The Monpa, Sherdukpen, Khampa tribes make masks of various styles. Some of them look like real faces while others represent birds, animals and apes with twisted mouths. The masks are carved out of a single block of wood that is hollowed from the inside. Holes are made for eyes and mouths and then the masks are painted. Angling And Fishing Angling and fishing? for fishing and angling lovers, there are a number of opportunities in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, especially if you are planning to catch a trout or a mahseer, which is considered to be a tough one to get on the hook. Most of the bountiful catch can be found in rivers Siang and Subansiri. Geykar Sinyik Geykar Sinyik is one of the most popular and beautiful lakes of Itanagar. Known for its lush surroundings, sparkling water and quaint aura, the lake is a major draw for tourists from across the globe. It is locally known as Geykar Sinyi, which literally means confined water. It is also recognised as Ganga lake and lies at a distance of around 6 km from the city of Itanagar. Visitors who are looking to spend some time in the lap of nature are mostly drawn to this lake, which also makes for a great picnic and recreation spot. Tourists can indulge in boating and swimming in the pristine waters of the lake. Ganga lake is surrounded by tall trees and a rough landmass. Rafting For adventure-seekers, the state offers ample opportunities for rafting in Rivers Lohit, Subansari, Siang and the famed Brahmaputra. On either side of this mighty river, one can see thick jungles, beautiful landscapes, tribal habitation and pristine white waters. With difficulty level of more than grade 4, river rafting in the state is a popular attraction. The best time to try this when the monsoons are over, ideally from November to March. Namdapha National Park Located at a varying altitude of 200 to 4,500 m, this park is a haven of biodiversity. Some of the common wildlife species you can spot here are snow leopards, tigers, clouded leopards, etc. This park lies in the lower Eastern Himalayas and offers breathtaking views of various high peaks. Birdwatchers can spot several endemic and migratory species here.
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