Dirang
Dirang is a town in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, lying on the floor of a low valley between the higher mountain towns Bomdila and Tawang. The town is best known for the nearby Dirang Dzong historic fortress, as well as its pleasant scenery, surrounded by wooded slopes with a rushing mountain river running right by the town.
Get in
editSumos from Bomdila run every day around 11am-midnight and cost Rs.250 (Apr 2023). There are also sumos from Tawang and even direct from Guwahati and Tezpur, but if you're a foreign traveler coming from Assam make sure to state that clearly, as some may not want to spend time submitting your papers at the border of Arunachal Pradesh.
Get around
editThe town itself is easily small enough to walk around, though Dirang Dzong and some of the hotels and homestays are a bit farther out. Most tourists come here on a tour or with their own car, but it may be possible to hire a taxi locally.
See
edit- Dirang Dzong. A hilltop fortress village constructed in 1831 and said to be the site of a much older defensive fort. The entry gate and various stone houses are intact, but most of the wall is gone, and there is zero tourist infrastructure - you will be walking around a very intimate still-occupied neighborhood, so be respectful. Located about 5 km east of the Dirang town center, along the main highway in what's sometimes called "Dirang Village". The hilltop is accessible only by stairs, and the entrance is hidden between two multi-story modern buildings.
- Hot water spring 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Dirang Bazar
- Kalachakra Monastery. A 500-year-old monastery in the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. Located above the village.
- Palyul Changchub Dargyeling Monastery, ☏ +91 3780 242-162. A modern monastery in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Mandala Top (108 Manes) (27 kilometers up the Mandala road from Dirang Dzong). A modern Buddhist monument made up of 108 stupas arranged in a circle on a mountaintop. The surrounding areas popular with birdwatchers.