The popular interpretation is that the name Tawang was given by His Holiness Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso. (Image: News18)
Bilateral ties between India and China became “abnormal” after a clash on Ladakh’s eastern border in 2020. New Delhi has since maintained that its ties with Beijing cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.
Tawang, the smallest district of Arunachal Pradesh, may have hit the headlines due to political and border security reasons as it shares a border with China, but by the time you arrive here, the cold weather, scenic view and Tranquil atmosphere will surely welcome you. Tawang is a place blessed with natural beauty and the Buddhist culture is also quite evident in every nook or corner of any street.
According to the state government website, Tawang’s name is believed to be derived from the grandiose Tawang Monastery perched on the edge of the ridge that runs along the western part of Tawang Township. The popular interpretation is that the name “Tawang” was given by his holiness the Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso.
“TA” stands for Horse and “Wang” stands for Chosen, the website said.
As Tawang district has always been in the news for various reasons including being renamed from China to different places in Arunachal Pradesh, News18 he tried to find out the mood of the people in the main market of the district.
A 55-year-old man, Tashdak, a shop owner in Tawang market, said: “Before, our main means of transportation was horseback. Now we have cars. This is the change we have witnessed in the last 10 years. The government has developed highways in all directions. We condemn China’s activity. They have no rights here.”
Expressing great confidence in the Indian army and administration, another local resident, Tenzin, said News18, “Roads have been built. Previously, we were separated from the mainland. We now have access to connecting roads. China tried to create riots, but our Indian army is strong enough to deal with them.”
Echoing similar sentiments, a woman named Minu Rai said: “Now tourists come here and our income increases. That’s a great thing for all of us.”
According to some experts, infrastructure development is going on on a large scale in Tawang, which has boosted people’s confidence and made them believe that things have changed in the district for the better.
Besides, News18 I also ventured out to see the vibrant town of Zimithang in the border area.
India has rightly rejected China’s renaming of some places in Arunachal Pradesh, stating that the state is an integral part of India and that assigning “invented” names does not alter this reality.
India reacted last month after Beijing announced Chinese names for 11 more places in Arunachal Pradesh, which the neighboring country claims as the southern part of Tibet. It was the third batch of standardized geographic names for Arunachal Pradesh issued by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The first batch of standardized names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh was published in 2017 and the second batch of 15 places was issued in 2021.
Bilateral ties between India and China became “abnormal” after a clash on Ladakh’s eastern border in 2020. New Delhi has since maintained that its ties with Beijing cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.
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