Changlang

Changlang, a place of picturesque hills and rivers in Arunachal Pradesh occupies a prominent place the country’s tourism map. The beautiful district in the land of rising sun along the Indo-Myanmar border turns into a dreamscape for the tourists when the rising sunshine kisses the eastern mountain ranges. Literally, the word “Changlang” came from “Changlangkan”, a hilltop known for the herb used to poison the river fish. Hemmed in by Lohit district in the north, the place of exotic natural beauty has Tirap district in the west. Myanmar is situated in the South East side bounded by the Patkai Bum hills.

Changland is also called a river district in the frontier state where Noa-Dehing, Namchik, Tirap, Namphuk, Dapha, Namphai, Tissu, Tarit, Tara, Tikeng and Tiging merge with the river Buri-Dihing. The entire district is proud of its rich flora and fauna as the huge area is covered with semi-evergreen forests apart from Himalayan broadleaf forests. The beauty is further accentuated by the mountain slopes with alpine not to speak of the thickening rhododendron, oak, pine, maple, fir, juniper et al.

The entire district of 4,662 square km is populated by 1,48,226 persons and the inhabitants here, mostly, are Tutsa, Tangsa, Nocte, Singpho and the Lisu tribes. They are apart from some other tribes which include Deoris, Tibetans and Chakma and Hajong refugees. The Tangsas founded their safe abode in the south-eastern Patkai Bum hills along the international border. But the Singphos reside on the plains while the Tutsas are available in the western part. These tribal people can fluently speak Tangsa, Assamese, Hindi and English.

One of the must see spots in Changlang is the World War cemetery. Foreign tourists often find it very interesting to visit the place to revive the memory of the wars where hundreds of dead soldiers are still living in the hearts of millions of the people. Most of these soldiers are believed to have come from China, UK, US.

A lake in the Changlang district often leaves many tourists in utter mystery. Popularly known as the Lake of No Returns, it is nothing but a water body of a stunning view.

The main festivals here include Moh-Mol, Pongtu Kuh and Shapawng Yang Manu Poi. These are usually celebrated by the Tangsa, Tutsa and Singpho tribes where the tourists make it an occasion to enjoy the tradition, art and culture of these colourful tribal people. The best time to visit Changlang is November to February where the roads from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Margherita and Miao remain fine and wonderful. The tourists who come by air need to land in Dibrugarh airport while those who come by train and bus must land in Tinsukia en route to this enchanting tourist spot in Arunachal Pradesh.