JASWANT GARH

Jaswant garh is famous tourist attraction place in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Located 21 km from Sela pass towards Tawang. Jaswant garh is famously known as Jaswant garh war memorial and this memorial stand in honor of the brave Indian soldier late Jaswant singh rawat, who sacrificed his life for motherland during the 1962 Indo-Sino war.

This war memorial sets in a scenic terrain just below the Sela pass and above the Jang, standing in the glory of valorous soldiers, reflecting the pride and strength of the Indian soldiers and tribute to those brave soldiers of 1962 Indo-Sino war. This war memorial stands in memory of rifleman Jaswant singh rawat, Mahavir Chakra, 4^th Garhwal Rifles. Who bravely fought and hold the Chinese troops back for more than 72 hours all alone defending his post at an altitude of 10,000 feet and against overwhelming and over numbered invading Chinese troops till 72 hours before succumbing to an enemy bullet during that bloody war. The post that he hold to repulse the invading force till his last breath was renamed upon this great soldier in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.

Jaswant garh is a temple like structure with camouflage pattern. There is a portrait of the martyr jaswant singh at the center of the hall along with his belongings including bed, shoes, rifles  etc. and one can ask for a record register for any message as a tribute to martyr. Just outside the hall on the both side of stairs there is graphite stone with golden names of those brave soldiers who sacrificed their life in 1962 war and a short story of the whole events of that battle.

Nowadays all the battalion of garhwal regiment are deployed or posted on western borders but one interesting fact about this memorial is that at least half a dozen of army personnel here,taking care of Jaswant garh belong to garhwal Rifles. These soldiers not only serve ‘BABA’ Jaswant garh but also provide help and service to travelers along the hazardous portion of terrain. Beside rescuing of travelers, they also serve free tea and snack like samosas to refresh tourist and travelers at a fair price that goes for the maintenance of the memorial.

This place is open to all to pay tribute to brave martyrs and is open throughout the year, Best time to visit is from April to mid of January heavy snow fall and rainfall may cause blockade but BRO and Soldiers try to resolve such situations at the earliest.

SOLUNG

Solung is the main Socio-religious festival of Adi tribe and it is one of the most popular agricultural festival of Arunachal Pradesh. Generally solung is celebrated in the month of September corresponding to Adi months of Tauno and Yio. However, solung is celebrated on different days of these months depending upon different villages. But usually date of festival is decided by village council (Kebang) considering the convience of village people in mind. Sometimes even the head men (Gam) can also fix the date of this festival along with village leaders consent.Festival continues for 7 days. On First day (‘Solung-Gidi Dogin’), Mithun and Pigs are sacrificed in early hours of morning. A family can sacrifice depending upon their financial capacity. Rice beer (Apong) is prepared in plenty and offered on the day of sacrifice of animals.Meat of all slaughtered animals are preserved for rest of the days of the festival.On Second day (Doreph-Long), preserved meat is distributed among the relatives and neighbours and relatives are invited for grand feast. Third day is ‘Binnayat Binam’ or worshipping the goddess of plenty and prosperity. Anyone of the inmates of the family goes to the field on the Fourth day and sacrifices a fowl. A women or a girl usually offers Etting and Apong. This day is called as Oinnyad.On the fifth day the Miri (religious leader or priest) is given a ceremonial send off when the girl’s sing and dance. During Solung festival, every evening the Miri sings ‘Solung Abung’ and through the song he relates the stories about the origin of man, animals and plants, ancestry of the Adis,On the last day of Solung festival, men assembles at village gathering hall known as Mosup to make bow and arrows, which are fastened on the doors of every house in the village, it is done inorder to resist the evil spirits from entering the house. This day is known as Ekob.

Myth:-               The ‘Solung’ is celebrated throughout the Siang district and also by the Adis inhabiting the Lohit district. The origin of the ‘Solung’ festival is related with a ‘legend’ i.e., the growth of paddy. The legendry narrates that the plant of the paddy originated from the life juice of ‘Yidum-Bote’ (Son of the God of knowledge) and the paddy plant was reared by ‘Kine-nane’ (the Goddess of the underworld). It was believed that a squirrel in the form of messenger of the human beings went to ‘Kine-Nane’ to ask for paddy.
However, the Goddess agreed to supply paddy to man if he sacrifices mithuns and pigs every year. The legend also says that one day ‘Kine-Nane’ caught the wild pig which was chased by man and it went to the region where ‘Kine-Nane’ had put some paddy in the ears of the wild pig. The pig went back to the earth and that is how, men started to cultivate paddy
However, the Goddess agreed to supply paddy to man if he sacrifices mithuns and pigs every year. The legend also says that one day ‘Kine-Nane’ caught the wild pig which was chased by man and it went to the region where ‘Kine-Nane’ had put some paddy in the ears of the wild pig. The pig went back to the earth and that is how, men started to cultivate paddy

However, the Goddess agreed to supply paddy to man if he sacrifices mithuns and pigs every year. The legend also says that one day ‘Kine-Nane’ caught the wild pig which was chased by man and it went to the region where ‘Kine-Nane’ had put some paddy in the ears of the wild pig. The pig went back to the earth and that is how, men started to cultivate paddy

However, the Goddess agreed to supply paddy to man if he sacrifices mithuns and pigs every year. The legend also says that one day ‘Kine-Nane’ caught the wild pig which was chased by man and it went to the region where ‘Kine-Nane’ had put some paddy in the ears of the wild pig. The pig went back to the earth and that is how, men started to cultivate paddy