Adventure At Mechuka & Mechuka Attractions, Arunachal Pradesh

 Adventure At Mechuka

“Are Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan brothers?”

This was the question posed in all innocence to us by a wide-eyed girl as we sat warming ourselves in front of a fire. It was extremely cold and the mist had descended on the open grounds that lay in front of the homestay in which we were staying. We were in Mechuka in the North-Eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and staying at the home of a family of the local Memba tribe.

Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh, India is the last town before the Chinese border and lies not far from the McMahon line that separates the territories of India and China.

So if you are wondering how did Salman Khan crop up in the conversation at this remote town of India, the town seemed to be still awed by the physical presence of the actor who had breezed in and out to attend the MTB Adventure@Mechuka festival.

We too were in Mechuka to attend the festival as well as experience some of the attractions of the place. A vehicle breakdown on the road from Basar to Mechuka meant that we missed Salman Khan and just saw the helicopter in which he was seated flying away in the skies. After a great experience in Basar at the BASCON festival and a long fun-filled drive in the midst of the spectacular landscapes of Arunachal Pradesh, we had reached Mechula, late at night with the cold chilling our very bones.

Mechuka Adventure Festival

Adventure@Mechuka is an annual festival that takes place in Mechuka and is focussed on promoting the place as an adventure tourism destination. Though the festival is organized primarily as an adventure festival, culture and music also are an integral part of the celebrations.

The festival is spread over three days with adventure activities both competitive and otherwise taking part during the day and cultural and music programmes lined up for the evenings.

The adventure activities that dominate the festival agenda are:

Paragliding – Competitive & Tandem

One can simply enjoy the thrill of flying like a bird against the backdrop of the snow-clad peaks at the Mechuka Valley by experiencing tandem paragliding. The competitive section, on the other hand, is for serious exponents of the sport which tests their skill and mettle.

The Paragliding championship had participants from across the country and outside as well, and had International judges too.

Downhill Biking Championship

Mechuka boasts of one of the best and challenging downhill biking tracks in the country. The Downhill Biking Championship was one of the important events of the Adventure@Mechuka festival. In fact, Salman Khan, the famous Indian Bollywood star who was there at the festival, himself rode a bicycle for about 7 kilometers in the company of the current Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr. Kiren Rijiju and the current Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Mr. Pema Khandu.

Kayaking Challenge

There were Kayakers from across India as well as from other parts of the world who participated in various categories of Kayaking. The icy waters of the Siom river flowing from the Himalayan mountains make for an ideal and picturesque setting for the Kayaking championships.

MTB (Mountain Terrain Biking) Arunachal Pradesh Championship

The grueling mountain terrain biking race  – MTB Arunachal that took off from Itanagar culminated at Mechuka, covering more than 700 kilometers of challenging terrain. We had witnessed the flagging off, of one of the legs of the race when we were in Basar.

Other Adventure Activities At Mechuka Adventure Festival

There were many other activities for those seeking an adrenaline rush at Mechuka. This included river rafting, hot-air ballooning, and angling. We did river rafting and enjoyed the experience, though there were not much of river rapids to write home about.

Culture & Music At The Mechukha Festival

Evenings saw the scenic environs of the Mechuka valley, the venue of the festival come alive with song and dance.

Local dances like the Memba dance of the region, the famous Snow Lion dance of Tawang and other performances were interspersed with performances from musical bands that included our favorite David and his band.

Many of the local talents of Arunachal Pradesh had the opportunity to showcase their talent on the platform of the Mechuka adventure festival.

The festival concluded with a prize giving ceremony where prizes to the winners were given away by the tourism minister of Arunachal Pradesh Mr. Jarkar Gamlin and other dignitaries.

Mechuka Attractions – Places To See In And Around Mechuka

Mechuka with its colorful houses, the meandering river Siom, and the surrounding snow peaks evokes the aura of a Scandinavian country.

The surrounding hills and forests make for thrilling hikes.

Hanging Bridges in Mechuka

The hanging bridges, some of them old enough to give you a scare as you walk across add to the adventure element when in Mechuka.

The fact that these bridges also facilitate some of the most spectacular views of the surrounding landscapes is an added bonus.

On the sidelines of the Mechuka Adventure Festival, we were able to see some of the attractions in and around Mechuka.

Samten Yongcha Monastery

A winding road leads up to a 400-year-old monastery. As you make your way towards the monastery, the thickly forested area and the snow peaks that seem to grow bigger and bigger as you advance, have your attention riveted.

It is a wonderful trek from the river bed to the summit of a hill that is surrounded by the snow peaks and offers a spectacular view of Mechuka valley stretching out below. The monastery is looked after by a lone man who is the caretaker and watchman, all rolled into one. He informs us that the Lamas who stay down in Mechuka come there on festivals like Losar and other occasions when prayers are organized in the monastery. The colorful flags that fluttered in the breeze seemed to be the only companions for the man who did confess that he felt bored of the loneliness at times.

The monastery belongs to the Mahayana order of Buddhism and has idols of Buddha and Padmasambhava.

Hanuman Point

A drive up the hills takes you into the midst of thick forests. On the face of one of the hills, you can spot what looks uncannily like the shape of the face of Hanuman, the popular Monkey God of Hinduism from the famous mythological text, Ramayana.

Guru Nanak Tapasthan

A serene place where the Sikh saint, Guru Nanak is said to have meditated is a wonderful place to visit when in Mechuka. There is a Gurudwara which is a more recent addition which is maintained by the Indian Army personnel who serve you with tea and food at the Langar. Their love and hospitality are sure to leave you moist-eyed. At a little distance away is the actual place where the saint meditated.

An enchanting waterfall cascades down to flow in a crystal clear stream across overhanging branches of trees over thousands of pebbles of different colors. A few minutes spent here listening to the gurgling waters and feeling the cold water on your feet is sure to leave you rejuvenated in body and spirit.

Dzogchen Samtan Choeling Monastery

A very nice monastery right in Mechuka itself, the Dzogchen Samtan Choeling Monastery makes for a nice walk, especially in the evenings or early mornings. The views from the monastery of the town of Mechuka are breathtaking.

From this vantage point one, looking down at the picturesque Mechuka valley stretched out below, one is reminded of Scandinavia. When in Mechuka a visit to this monastery is a must.

Dorjeeling

A fairytale village located about 20 kilometers away from Mechuka was a place that one usually associates with dreams. The beauty of the village had us mesmerized as we soaked in the experience. The village seemed to be made to order for those out of the world Instagram photos but was so much more real.

How To Get To Mechuka

Mechuka Map

• Mechuka Arunachal Pradesh is situated about 555 Kms., from the state capital of Itanagar and about 439 Kms., from Dibrugarh
• The nearest airport is at Lilabari and there is a weekly twice helicopter service under the UDAN scheme
• Mechuka can be reached from Aalo or Basar by road

Quick Facts About Mechuka

• Mechuka homestays are the best option for visitors
• The Mechuka weather is cold and dry with not much rainfall, snowfall occurs in the month of December
• Inner Line Permits ( ILP ) is required in Arunachal Pradesh. Refer this site to obtain ILP or to know more
• The Mechuka adventure festival is one of the attractions that draw visitors every year

Mechuka tucked away in a corner of the country opened a new window to the world to us. A place that now feels far away and somewhere in the realms of dreams. It has that dreamy quality that makes you wonder whether you had actually been there. And then you remember the ground covered with a carpet of white mist, conversations about Salman Khan over a fireplace on which water is being boiled for bathing, a cute little cafe where you spent time with the gang over cups of tea and coffee.

This is enough to prove that Mechuka exists, a place waiting to be explored by those who have not been there.

Pack your woolens and get ready to head towards the Indo-China border town of Mechuka to attend Adventure@Mechuka.

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