IN VIRGIN TERRITORY (a trip to Roing & Anini)

The picturesque state of Arunachal Pradesh has always been one of my favorite holiday destinations. Having already made trips to Bomdila, Dirang and Tawang, I was looking for an opportunity to explore more places within this enchanting state. Fortunately, during mid March of 2012, I got a chance to accompany my husband to Roing (in lower Dibang valley) and then to Anini (in Dibang valley). My husband, of course, was on an official field visit but for me it was purely a pleasure trip. Our journey to Roing began from the upper Assam town of Tinsukia. After lunch, we proceeded to the ghat at Dhola to board a small ferry that would take us to the other bank (Sadiya) of the mighty Brahmaputra. As we traveled through the sandy track towards the river bank, there was a dust storm blowing in full pace and it almost blinded our vision for some time. With layers of dust and sand all over us, we finally got onto the ferry and crossed over to the other side. It took us around 20-25 minutes to reach Sadiya ghat. Back on the Maruti Gypsy in which we were travelling, we started off the next stretch to Roing. The poor road condition made the journey quite tiresome. After nearly 4 and half hours of bumpy ride, we arrived at the Roing Circuit House and retired early as it had been a long and exhausting day.

Exploring Roing was on my agenda on the next day. While my husband went on his official work, I and our son were accompanied by a local officer to do the necessary sightseeing. Our first stop was the Sally Lake. To reach the lake, we had to climb down quite a few steps. The ambiance was absolutely serene and one could unwind tired nerves at this place. Next we went to the Deopani River that flowed through the outskirts of Roing. The white gurgling water was refreshing and the makeshift bamboo and wood bridge was the only way to cross to the other side. I was informed that the bridge is often washed away during heavy rains and so new temporary bridges keep coming up every now and then. Every vehicle has to pay Rs. 20-30 to use the bridge one way. The money is collected by local boys who are in charge of the bridge’s maintenance. We then took a walk around the bazaar at Roing. Chinese goods were in abundance and I could sense that the prices were much higher than usual. In the afternoon, we visited the children’s park within the Forest Department’s guest house premises. It was a nice place to hang out in the evening and quite a few locals loitered lazily around with their kids in tow. Next day, we were to proceed to Anini, which was almost a 12 hour drive from Roing.

On the morning of 19^th March, we waited for our vehicle to arrive at the Circuit House. Meanwhile, I took a walk with my son to feel the crisp morning air and came across a beautiful Durga temple and the neat office of the Brahmakumari located very close to the Circuit House. Soon our vehicle came, carrying a lady officer of the Agriculture Department who would accompany us to Anini. Thus began our 12 hour uphill ride to one of the prettiest places in the north east. Our son was grumpy as he hated long road travels and this one was indeed going to be an endurance test for him. We crossed Myodia which is well known for its heavy snow fall during winters and a frequent haunt of tourists. Unfortunately, we hardly found any snow except for small patches here and there by the side of the road. Apparently, the snow had melted just two weeks back. The driver told us that we were lucky as the previous month had witnessed many road blockades due to heavy snow and landslides. We stopped at a coffee house and had a hearty breakfast comprising parathas and sabji, which was packed by one of the officers at Roing. The tea came from a nearby roadside stall. The view of the folds of mountains from the coffee house was breathtaking. The journey continued and around noon, we arrived at a place called Riyali about 178 kms from Roing. This was the only area throughout the journey where one can grab some proper food. There were two or three small dhabas run by locals and all vehicles moving to and from Anini stopped there. We ordered Maggi noodles as the lady officer insisted that it was the safest. The bowl of steaming noodles prepared soup style was quite appetizing. Thankfully, our son didn’t make a fuss as Maggi was his favorite too. The other option for lunch was the veg. or non-veg. thali. The road became more winding and narrow as we continued. By 4 pm, we reached a small town called Hunli and stopped at the Circuit House for a much needed tea break. It was getting cooler and darker as our vehicle ascended the hilly road. An interesting thing that we came across before approaching Anini was the bamboo or barbed wire gates right in the middle of the road, which we had to open and close quite a few times till we reached Anini. The gates are given by the Mithun owners to bar the animals from straying out of their respective areas. It was around 8 pm that we finally entered Anini. But it was completely dark as there was power outage and so we could not make out thing about the place till the next morning. Surprisingly, the Circuit House where we were accommodated was a newly and neatly built one.

Around 9.30 the next morning, I was introduced to a local student who would accompany me around the place as my husband would be carrying on with his official visits to nearby areas. Another local gentleman who worked at the Agriculture Department would be our guide for the day. After breakfast, I and our son met them outside the Circuit House and then started our tour of this special, little sleepy town. The gentleman took us to a vista point from where the whole town could be seen. The first thing that struck me was the name Anini engraved in massive letters on a hill facing us. The pink plum blossoms adorned the entire place. After some ritual photo session, we got into the car and were now proceeding towards a village named Acheso (also called Damben), about 26 kms from Anini. It took us nearly 30 minutes to reach the sleepy hamlet. As we moved downhill, on the way, we came across another beautiful mountain river and stopped there a while. The landscape was enchanting and peaceful. The gentleman, who was driving us around, suddenly ran down by the side of the bridge with his air gun to shoot a wild fowl but he missed it. It was interesting to see local men moving freely with dahs and air rifles as hunting is very much a part of their daily life. We continued downhill and soon could see the beautiful snow capped mountains as we approached the village. I wondered whoever believed European landscapes are the world’s best. Our north east is no less. One only has to explore its virgin territories to believe it.

Once we arrived at Acheso, I got a grand view of the snow capped mountains in the distance. We were ushered into a typical Idu hut that belonged to an aged couple. My new friend (the student) quickly went to the kitchen to prepare some tea while I and my son sat on floor mats of the living room. There was small fireplace in the middle of the room and the gentleman quickly built up a fire to keep us warm as it was windy and much cooler than Anini. Interestingly, the fire also keeps the tiny mosquito-like insects at bay. These insects are common in the area and their bites often leave bad scars. After tea & biscuits, we went to another house occupied by an old lady. There I was offered some Apong (local fermented rice beer) and I had to take few sips. Though a complete teetotaler, I drank the Apong as it is a local custom to offer it to guests and I could not disrespect it. By lunch time, my husband along with his team arrived at the home of the old couple. But there was still another place to be visited nearby while lunch was getting ready. We got into the car and drove off a little ahead to find a beautiful picnic spot by the white sandy bank of a river. One could actually feel nature’s beauty and bounty in such places. Several semi-domesticated Mithuns were grazing nearby and this bovine is considered to be sacred by the locals. Moreover, the number of Mithuns that a person owns indicates his economic status in the village. We returned to the hut and a hearty lunch comprising rice, local black pulses, boiled eggs, chicken curry, etc. awaited us. All of us sat on the floor mats around the hearth and enjoyed our meal. Soon it was time to return to Anini and I was disappointed to leave the enchanting little village and the warm hospitality of the locals.

By evening, we were back at the Circuit House. I was very tired but glad that I could catch a glimpse of the life led by these simple hill folks in that remote part of the country. Their peaceful existence in the lap of nature made me envious. I wondered if we could imbibe the mantra of simple and happy living from them. Next day would be our journey back to Roing. I considered myself lucky to have explored this virgin territory and hope to make another trip, maybe during the winters to experience the sheer beauty of the snow all around.