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| Golden Pagoda |
So it was
three years back when I was in Doomdoma, district Tinsukia in Assam, I had just
learned how to drive and was planing where to go for my solo drive.
At first I
thought I would just go for a drive around the town, but as I drove through the beautiful
tea estates along the road I couldn’t resist going further.
I started my
drive from Doomdoma, Assam and ended up driving to Golden Pagoda, in district
Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh. It is a 64 km drive which took around 2 hrs and
the route is via NH 15.
Travelers
can take a bus or a taxi from Tinsukia to Namsai.
Tinsukia is
an industrial district of Assam. It has the oldest oil refinery in India in
Digboi and is famous for open cast coal mining in areas like Margherita and
Ledo.
It also has a cosmetic plant of Hindustan
Unilever (HUL). The district produces tea, oranges, ginger, other citrus fruits
and paddy (rice).
Tinsukia is
well connected by road, railway and airway. The nearest airport is in Dibrugarh
which is at a distance of around 40 km. The nearest railway station is the New
Tinsukia railway station. The city is at a distance of around 488 km from
Guwahati and 532 km from Dispur.
The road from
Doomdoma to Namsai is perfect. The road is wide, clean without any potholes and
has a great view of the beautiful tea gardens, paddy fields and the forest.
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| Way to Namsai |
I had a
great time driving, soaking in the mesmerizing views and listening to 90’s rock
music. My first solo drive couldn’t be much better.
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| Paddy Fields |
On the way I
had to stop at the border to fill in the details before entering Arunachal
Pradesh. I had to provide my photo identity card (voter id), driving license
and the car registration details and there was also a small fee to be paid. I
received a receipt that I had to provide while coming back at the check post.
It’s like filling the entry and exit details, they even ask for how many days
you are visiting and the reason for the visit.
Namsai is the land of enchanting Pagodas and serenity, situated near the Nao Dhing River. The nearest airport is in Dibrugarh at a distance of around 123 km and the nearest railway station is the New Tinsukia Junction which is at a distance of around 79 km. There are also bus and taxi services available to Tinsukia, Guwahati, Siliguri and Itanagar.
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| River near Golden Pagoda |
Namsai is developing into a tourist destination and the places to visit here are Namsai Monastery, Golden Pagoda, World Peace Pagoda (River Island), Lathao International Bana Meditation Centre, Empong Monastery, Phaneng Monastery, Parsuram Kund and the Glow Lake.
It is a place where one can come to wind down from one’s monotonous hectic routine. You can experience here various tribe cultures and enjoy the delicious local food.
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| Golden Pagoda
When I
reached Golden Pagoda there was a beautiful ceremony going on. There were many
local people and priests in the ceremony who conducted prayers and then had a
community gathering at a large hall.
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Golden Pagoda is not just a place where people come to pray but is also an architectural delight. It is a Burmese style Buddhist Temple which is located on a 20 hectare complex. The World Tripitaka Foundation is developing it as the first International Tripitaka center in India.
The Kathina is the largest festival celebrated in the temple. It is usually celebrated during October or November.
The complex
houses a center for cultural research of the Tai Khamti-Singpho tribe, a
library and a monastery. There is also a tourist resort providing accommodation
in the form of dormitories and individual villas.
I spend the
time in the complex exploring and appreciating the architecture and the
landscape. I also had a meaningful talk with a monk who explained to me how to
approach life in the right way.
Just for information
purpose, I would like to inform that there might be mobile signal problem. But then if
you are in such a beautiful place who needs a mobile signal.
I left for
Tinsukia in the evening fully satisfied that I made the right decision to take
my first solo drive to Golden Pagoda, Namsai.
(For travel information please visit Uttarakhand Tourism and Buddha Teachings.)
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