Tawang is in the news these days - this small border town in Arunachal Pradesh has suddenly re-emerged as a contentious issue between the giant neighbours.

Nestled at 10,000 feet in still pristine, Himalayas, Tawang retains its mystique as one of the last Shangrilas of the world - still relatively unspoilt by the momentum of economic growth.

The journey to Tawang is not for the weak hearted; from the nearest airports at Tezpur or Guwahati it is a 12 to 16 hour drive. The road, which is a steep ascent most of the way, is barely one lane wide in many places.

Slippery roads caused by landslides and poor visibility due to mists add to the hazards; there is also an added threat of a 20-tonne army truck hurtling towards you around a blind corner. Prayers - and our driver’s consummate skill - are what brought us back alive.

Nonetheless, the drive is amongst the most scenic anywhere in the world; from Bhalokpong on the Assam border, to the lovely town of, Bomdila for an overnight stay, past the picturesque Dirang Valley, through the icy cold Sela pass and then the descent into Tawang past waterfalls and brooks.

One would scarcely believe that there could be a connection between Karnataka and Tawang, but there is! Enroute from Bomdila to Tawang we stopped at a roadside tea shop.

Chatting with the couple who ran the shop, I said that I was from Bangalore and explained that it was quite a distance from there and far down south. To my amazement they said that they had visited Bangalore- of their three sons, two were in the Tibetan Buddhist monastery at Bylakuppe near Kushalnagar.

The Tawang monastery, more than 300 years old and the largest in India, is managed by the same sect of Mahayana Buddhists who run the one at Bylakuppe and there is free intermingling of the students and priests between the two monasteries. This more than anything else underscores the cultural affinity that Tawang has with the rest of our country.

Tawang town has all the ugly trappings of a small hill station; loud Hindi music, street side food stalls, STD booths and Sumo taxis.

But step out of the main street and the beauty of the place is surreal, the imposing monastery surrounded by the snow covered Himalayas, the profusion of flowers, the colourful monpas (the local tribe) and the peaceful yaks.

Army presence is considerable; it is a grim reminder that Tawang is a frontier town with the border a mere hour away. However, there are a number of locals from other parts of India who have made this their home.

It would take a Wordsworth to do justice to the beauty of Tawang, but I do hope the photographs you see may want to make you go there. Do it soon before the Indian government “develops” the place and “opens” it for tourism.