Till 60 years

This is how I am going to describe Mechuka/Mechukha/Menchukha, a small township valley in Shi- Yomi District of Arunachal Pradesh. Falling in love with Arunachal is easy, and the same love becomes intense as you travel to this beautiful valley, via Pasighat – Aalo road, leaving behind the mists and clouds in the curves of the Himalaya, and stop by an orange garden to steal few.

A beautiful village in Mechuka

Spiral road

A two days long drive, wheeling your car from left to right and right to left along the spiral road and stop by somewhere to click the moments with the land of tribes. Noway you can reach Menchukha before dusk, so better fix your host days ahead. 

On the 2nd day drive you will meet with the Siko Dido waterwall on your way, it is majestic, gorgeous and proudy indeed. Tea is awesome in the nearby stall. It is hard to get detach from this waterfall after spending few times, as it gives that coolness, you experience flowing though your all senses.

Siko Dido waterfall

It is cold in Menchukha; mercury at night sometimes falls to -ve degree Celsius. A glass of local drink like Aara or Chang around the fire will definitely warm your evening. And sleeping in a room, walled and furnished with fully pine wood is the only way to regain the energy for the next day view of the beautiful valley.

All around the tiny plain land are the hills with little or no trees, the cold leaves them almost barren and brown, and witnessing the clouds moving along the curves of hills is something soothing.

Where the clouds follow a line

Snow covered Pine tress

And next to these barren hills, the other layers of hills are gorgeous with pine vegetation covered with snow. Both the layers of hills made me feel like a lotus flower of brown and snowy petals with the township in the middle. 

The Siyom river, also called as Yargyap Chu by the locals, flows through the valley, adding another color of crystal blue to it. The meditative sound of water coming down from the hills; walking along the Siyom river will take you to that state of mind, where gratefulness only pours.

The Siyom and Life

The houses are beautiful, lovely and cute; made up of pine woods and painted with different colors. The surroundings are clean, limited, and appeal the tourists to come inside and feel the texture.

Township Mechukha

Hamlet

The Home

Stopping by Woods on a Snowing Morning….   

    

A half an hour drive towards the uphill, by the pine woods on both sides of the narrow road there are a lot to experience the beauty of the Nature. The pines are covered with snow balls and seems like diamonds are hanging on the pines, the road is slippery and the wind becomes more piercing. There is a mark beyond which the tourists cannot move ahead, and from there it is the restricted area under the Indian Military/Paramilitary Forces as the International McMohan line separating India with China (Tibet Autonomous Region) lies a few kilometers away.

What other things

Menchukha is the place filled with resources to experience the adventure both in Mind and Physic. Nature has blessed this place with so many things that everyone will go back home with lots of memories and experiences. Trekkings, Hikings, Rafting, River crossing, Island camping etc. and can be planned from 2 days to 7 days.

Buddhism is the way of life style for the people living here and they are mainly Memba,  Ramo, Bokar and Libo tribes.  The Samten Yongcha Monastery is 400 years old and situated on a hillock on the western edge of the village. 

Gebu’s father, who chants almost all the day

Another 400 years old pilgrimage place is the holy Neh Pemshubu (Gurudwara), the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army discovered this spot in 1989.

Neh Pemshubu

There is a story behind the discover of the Gurudwara….

“One night during 1986-87, Col. (Retd) Dalvinder Sing Grewal was woken up by constant knocking at the door in his army outpost in the village of Segang-Menchukha. When he opened the door he found the Head of the village standing in front of his door with much distress and tensed. The head explained to Col. Grewal that his son was suffering from severe pain in the stomach and begged him for help. Col. decided to attend the boy himself, taking few pain killers and medicine with him. On reaching the house of the village head he found the boy in much pain and a Lama nearby him, who immediately asked Col. not to administer medicine. The Lama then kept an idol, lightened the incense sticks and repeated mantras calling ‘Nanak, Nanak…’. As the Lama finished his mantras he asked Col Grewal to administer the medicine to the boy. Out of curiosity  Col. asked the Lama who the idol was? The Lama said, ‘he is Nanak Lama, who is also called Nanak Lama from Amritsar.’ He also said that they believed Nanak Lama as one of their Guru Rimpoches and they worshiped him in their Gompha at Dorgilling Hill. It was believed by them that Guru Nank visited this place nearly in 1516-1517 and meditated at Pemoshubu (known as Taposthan) . It was mere surprising for Col. Grewal to know that centuries back, nearly 2000 km away Guru Nanak visited that far remote area.”

How do I say it

At distance far
High above the Hills
There are the Pines, covered with snow balls..

And Little down
Where the hills are barren and brown,
Clouds are white, shaped in lines..

Below..
There is the river clean and blue, and gentle..
Houses are painted with Love and spray..
And together with them all..
You will find a land..filled with colors

Where the clouds also follow a route
High across the barren hills.

And they named it Menchukha!!

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Regards
Dipmoina Dowarah