Sela Pass – The Charming White Knight’s Dream!

Nature’s biasedness in terms of lavish allowances to some parts of the world are beyond human description. While even the most exotic places on earth may not equal the cozy comforts of your ‘sweet home’, yet certain places command your attention born out of their endless beauty – so much that you yourself may be unwilling to get out of their hold. One such un-aldulterated, unblemished and relatively un-explored beauty that takes you in its grasp is Sela Pass in ‘Tawang’ – ‘The kaleidoscope of North-East India.

We left the Tawang Gates for a more surreal dream. . .Enroute Sela Pass!

We left Tawang and enroute Sela Pass for a more ‘surreal dream’. The change of scenery was enticing but the roads were bumpy and curvy. Hence our suggestion would be to go for a big vehicle – the likes of Bolero/Scorpio would fit the bill perfectly for a comfortable journey.

Road Trip to Sela Pass

We drove along many serpentine bends of paved roads, often riddled with shooting stones here and there. But they are not a cause for concern unless you are attempting the journey during the ‘avalanche winter months’ or during the ‘landslide monsoon seasons’. Throughout the length of the journey, we were witness to flags hued with bright yellow, red and blue fluttering in the wind. This is indicative of the pre-dominant Buddhist influence in the region.

Road Tripping through the Gorgeous Snowy White Mountains!

The very quick photography ‘here’ n ‘there’ that we were talking about. . . .

We briefly stopped for breakfast at Jang, and drove the rest of the journey without much breaks, except for some very quick photography here and there.

Snow-White Sela – The Charming White Knight’s Dream

72 kilometres and two hours later, we reached our most awaited destination. There stood the majestic Sela Pass at 13,200 feet, flaunting the air of an absolute untamable. We were left short of words; it was just vast stretches of fresh white snow all around.

We crossed this little white bridge and walked through soft, fresh n white snow!

We were just two kids who had the entire ‘Winter Wonderland’ to themselves!

The ‘Snow-white Sela’ is indeed a charming White Knight’s Dream. We were just two kids who had the entire winter wonderland to themselves. We jumped on, played with, laid on the snow. . .

The Bedazzling Sela Lake

A little forward, the Sela Lake unfolded in front of our eyes. ‘Surreal’ is too less of a word to describe the beauty and adornments of the enchanting lake that presented itself before us. The once bedazzling blue water had now turned into ice. Its chic body holding on to the last sheen of bluish tint, before giving up to the world of white snow.

The once Bedazzling Crystal Blue Waters had now turned into ice holding on to the last sheen of bluish tint!

The gorgeous lake beside us and white mushy snow around us! Dreamy. . .

The ‘Bedazzling Sela Lake’!

‘’Take it from us, no amount of consuming travel photo blogs will prepare you for this surreal realm of ice throne.’’

Can Never Get Enough of it! Like Ever. . .

After a good deal of exploring, photographing and playing in the snow to our heart’s content, we drove to our next destination.

Jaswant Garh – The War Memorial of the Brave heart, Jaswant Singh Rawat

The erection of the prestigious War Memorial in Arunachal Pradesh emerges from an event in recent history – The Indo Chinese Aggression.

The Jaswant Garh War Memorial – A Tribute to the Braveheart!

History narrates that the Chinese had already started surging into Indian territory in 1962. They were inching forward with each passing day. This point in Arunachal Pradesh was a soft spot, conquering which they could easily establish their dominion over the whole of the North-East India in the matter of a few days.

The Highest Point in Jaswant Garh, a Soldier proudly sports our National Flag! Jai Hind!!!

Exploring the Bunkers. . .

So protecting the border was India’s definitive stand – the final ray of hope, in what had otherwise been a disappointing war so far. The stand, that propelled ‘Jaswant Singh Rawat’ from a ‘mere mortal’ to an ‘iconic legend’. The soldier aided by two of his allies fought singlehandedly with a troupe of 300 Chinese soldiers with unmatchable courage and aplomb.

Although much later, they fell to the bullets of the Chinese – but they had managed to delay the intrusion long enough for the arrival of the back-up Indian troupe. The Chinese were forced to retreat, North-East India was thus saved from becoming another Chinese colony.

Interesting Facts about Jaswant Garh

Even though Jaswant Singh Rawat was decorated posthumously with the Mahavir Chakra, the Indian Army continues to treat him with the fanfare of a serving officer. Bed made, shoes polished and letters from well-wishers delivered.

We visited a museum where his bullets, rifles and other adornments were most respectfully preserved. We paid our respects to the greatest patriot of all times – ‘the son of the soil’ and then continued with our return journey to Tawang.

Nuranang Falls – The Exotic Rainbow Waterfalls

On our way back to Tawang, we encountered this beautiful waterfall – a classic masterpiece of nature’s elegance. The spectacular gigantic waterfall is guaranteed to wow you with it’s beauty and take your breath away. More so when you visit it just an hour prior sunset.

The Gushing Nuranang Falls! Heavenly. . .

The falls originate from the Nuranang River, over the slopes of the mighty Sela Pass. We sat near the gushing waterfalls to feels the sprinkles on our face. Man it was heavenly! This roaring tigress of a waterfall, slows down to rhythm of a languorous cow as she enters the valley and merges into this gorgeous stream! She caresses the heavenly land of Jung, meandering her way into the immense Tawang River.

This secret spot tucked away in a corner in Arunachal Pradesh, away from the glares of mainstream tourism has however featured in the likes of Bollywood. Any guesses?

Spot the pretty rainbow behind us. . .Can you get over such a beauty???

What awed us the most was however the formation of the pretty rainbow over the falls. Can you ever get over such a beauty?

That was the last of our spots. It was already past sunset when we had reached our accommodation.

Parting Thoughts

Nothing could have primed us for the sheer spectacle of what certainly was paradise. The place was, without an iota of doubt, ‘the land of pure life’. A local had told us that the route to Bumla Pass, adorned with hundreds of beautiful lakes and capped snow white mountains were twice as beautiful. Only one thought ran our minds, ‘What could be more beautiful than heaven, haven’t we just experienced paradise’?

Luckily, Bumla opened its gates to us the next day. To know what we experienced, stay tuned for the next blog coming up pretty soon!!!

If you are planning a trip to Tawang, be sure to read our article on 7 thing to know before you plan a trip to Tawang

7 Things to Know Before Planning a Trip to Tawang