Tawang

Tawang is a town and administrative headquarter of Tawang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It lies on NH-13 section of Trans-Arunachal Highway. The town was once the headquarter of the Tawang Tract, which is now divided into the Tawang district and the West Kameng district. Tawang continues as the headquarters of the former. Tawang is the number one tourist destination of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang became part of British Raj ruled India after the 1914 Simla Convention, where the McMahon Line placed it within the British Raj, though actual control remained loose. In 1951, Major Bob Khathing led an expedition and established full Indian administrative control over Tawang. Since then, it has been part of India. China continues to claim Tawang as its territory. It is situated 448 km north-west of state capital Itanagar at an elevation of approximately 3,048 metres (10,000 ft). It lies to the north of the Tawang Chu river valley, roughly 10 miles (16 km) south of the Line of Actual Control with China. It is the site of a famous Gelugpa Buddhist Monastery.