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Arunachal Pradesh, a serene land tucked into the north eastern tip of India, invites one to relax in its picturesque hills and dales enjoy its salubrious climate and meet its simple and hospitable people, with their glorious heritage of arts and crafts and colourful festivals that reflect their ancient faith in the inexorable power of nature.
PRIME
ATTRACTIONS
The
visitor has a wide variety of options to pick from. There are places of
worship and pilgrimage such as
Parashuramkund (also
spelt as Parasuramkund) and the 400 years old
Tawang
monastery or the sites of archeological excavations like Malinithan
and Itanagar, the serene beauty of lakes such as the Ganga Lake or Sela
Lake or the numerous variations of scenic beauty of the snow clad silver
mountain peaks and lush green meadows where thousands of species of flora
and fauna prosper.
In addition, the state provides abundant scope for angling, boating,
rafting, trekking and hiking. Besides, there are a number of wild life
sanctuaries and national parks where rare animals, birds and plants will
fascinate the visitor.
Geographical Divides
Arunachal Pradesh, is surrounded on three sides by Bhutan, China and
Myanmar. It stretches from snow-capped mountains in the north to the
plains of the Brahmaputra valley in the south. Arunachal is the largest
state area-wise in the northeast region, even larger than Assam, which is
the most populous.
It is a land of lush green forests, deep river valleys and beautiful
plateaus. The land is mostly mountainous with the Himalayan ranges running
north south. These divide the state into five river valleys: the Kameng,
the Subansiri, the Siang, the Lohit and the Tirap. All these are fed by
snow from the Himalayas and countless rivers and rivulets. The mightiest
of these rivers is Siang, called the Tsangpa in Tibet, which becomes the
Brahmaputra
after it is joined by the Dibang and the Lohit in the plains of
Assam .
Nature has provided the people with a deep sense of beauty, which finds
delightful expression in their songs, dances and crafts. The climate
varies from hot and humid to heavy rainfall in the Shivalik (also spelt as
Sivalik) range. It becomes progressively cold as one moves northwards to
higher altitudes. Trees of great size, plentiful climbers and abundance of
cane and bamboo make Arunachal evergreen.
more...
People & Culture 
Arunachal
is home to 26 major and numerous minor tribes with rich cultural
traditions.
There are three kinds of religions practised here.
Monpas and Sherdak
Pens in Kameng and Tawang
district, who came in contact with Tibetan in the north, adopted Lamaism
of the Buddhist faith, while the Khamptis in Lohit district practice
Mahayana Buddhism.
The second group, Noctes and Wanchos in Tirap district, whose long
association with the Assamese in the south, converted them to Hinduism.
The third group comprises of Adi, Abas, Apatanis, Nyishi, etc - a large
majority of the total population, who maintain their ancient belief and
indigenous concepts of nature and worship the "Danyipolo" (The
Sun & Moon).
The people of Arunachal Pradesh have a tradition of artistic
craftsmanship and sense of aesthetics manifested through a variety of
crafts such as weaving, painting, pottery, smithy work, basket making,
wood carving, etc.
FESTIVALS
Festivals
are an essential part of the socio-cultural life of the people. The
festivals are connected with agriculture and celebrated with ritualistic
gaiety either to thank God for his providence or to pray for a bumper
harvest. The large fairs and festivals are linked with the people and
religions. The festivals celebrated by the Arunachalees mirror the people,
culture, their artistic genius and skill in music and dance, which is a
vital element in the life of every tribe.
In one sentence - Arunachal Pradesh is a must visit destination for the
cultural tourist. more...
CLIMATEDue to the great variety in topography, climatic conditions change within short distances. The southern part of the state has hot and humid sub-tropical climate. In the central areas, the climate is cooler, and in the inner or higher reaches, the climate is alpine. The rainfall too, though an almost year-round feature, is uneven. The best time to visit this state is October to April.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES State Resident Commissioner, Arunachal Bhavan, Kautilya
Marg, Chanakyapuri New Delhi.
Govt. of India Tourist Office, Sector - C, Naharlagun Director of
Information
Liason Officer, Arunachal Pradesh, Roxy Cinema, Chowringhee Road,
Calcutta
GENERAL INFORMATION| Area | 83,743-sq-kms |
| Population | 8,64,558 (1991 Census) |
| Location | 26.28 W and 29.30 N latitude |
| 91.20 E and 97.30 E longitude | |
| Climate | Highly hot and humid in the lower altitude, |
| very cold in the higher altitude | |
| Rainfall | 3,300 cms average |
| Clothing | Summer - Cotton; Winter – Woolen |
| Season | October to April |
| Language Spoken | English, Hindi, Assamese |
| Travel / Trekking | a) Tezpur – Tipi – Bomdila- Tawang |
| b) Tinsukia – Tezu- Parasuramkund | |
| c) Margherita – Miao- Namdopha | |
| d) Itanagar – Ziro- Daporijo – Along – | |
| Pasighat |