Dirang is little heaven on Earth. In the whole of Arunachal Pradesh, which is in the North East India, this little village is favourite of all. Dirang is one such place that helps you enjoy, rediscover yourself and be inspired. Located in west Kameng district, this small hill station welcomes you with snow-capped mountains, gushing streams and lush greenery. Dirang is perfect environment where you feel home away from home. Below are awesome things to do in Dirang.
1. Walk in Lap of Nature
There is nothing better than taking a walk in nature. It’s so refreshing for the soul and it is picture perfect village, but they would all blow you away with their beauty. The best walk is the one towards the old monastery, Khastung Gompa.
From here you can get stunning panoramic views of the whole place. You will come across ancient houses, bridges laced with Himalayan flags, wildlife and prayer wheels. There’s a surprise around every corner.
2. Visit Khastung Gompa
Temples with history have best stories to tell and in Dirang, there’s an ancient Buddhist gem. Khastung Gompa is located high above the village. It’s over 500 years old, claiming the title of the oldest monastery in Arunachal Pradesh. It has awesome ancient prayer wheels they are made out of layers of leather and inside they would print Buddhist scriptures. It’s amazing learning about old traditions and how they still are alive today! Also there is hidden secrets on the ceilings.
3. Head to Sangti Valley
Located around 12km out of the village, Sangti is another shanti retreat into nature. The location of Sangti Valley is beyond description, it is surrounded by Eastern Himalayan ranges and you will find this area rich in dense forests and rivers. Black necked cranes migrate to this valley from china during the months of November and December and after the winter months are over, they set back to their homes during April and May. These birds are referred to as tung tung ka uk by the people of Sangti Valley.
4. Visit Thubsung Dhargyeling Monastery
This monastery was built in April 2017 and was inaugurated by his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama himself. It’s a temple and learning institute of Tibetan Buddhism by monks and members of the Buddhist faith. The name Thupsung Dhargye Ling was given by the Dalai Lama and means: “Place of Flourishing of the Buddha’s Speech”. The best time to visit this monastery is at sunrise. This is when the monks perform their morning prayers.
5. Explore Dirang Dzong
The fort has an interesting history surrounding it. Built-in the 17th century, it was first used as a fort to protect the village from neighboring states. Nowadays, these are used as houses for the Monpa people. Try getting invited inside and meeting the families! It’s definitely worth exploring and getting wonderfully lost in this part of town. You’ll find the architecture is so quaint. The history talks to you through the walls.
