Ganga Lake

The next place which I visited is one of the best gifts of nature to the capital city - Ganga Lake. It is also known as Geker Sinying in Nyishi dialect which means ‘confined lake’. This beautiful lake is confined by majestic hills and big rocks. Ganga Lake is a major tourist attraction and it is one of the most visited and popular attraction in Itanagar. tourists from across the world visit this destination for recreational activities and it hosts a perfect place for picnics. 

Ganga Lake

The lake is surrounded by various species of beautiful orchids is one of the breath-taking places to visit in the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh – Itanagar. Located in the vicinity of Itanagar, Ganga lake is a beautiful place where you can go for boating rides and campaigning facilities that would help you feast your eyes on the natural beauty of this lake.

Ganga Lake adorns a green look all through the year. While there is a legend that claims that the water of this lake went green after the lake was cursed by a hermit. Other practical minded folks claim the water derives its color from the abundance of vegetation in the surrounding areas as well as teeming marine vegetation inside the lake.

Ganga Lake - Front view

If you get a chance to visit the city, make sure a boat ride on this lake shouldn’t be missed by you!

How to reach?
The best and the most reasonable way to reach Itanagar is through roadways and railways. Ganga Lake is located at a distance of approximately 6 km from the city centre. Naharlagun Railway Station is around 22 km from this serene water body, which can be accessed in around 40 minutes. Private cabs, buses and rickshaws are easily available.

Gompa Temple

After exploring the city a little bit, I was eager to visit one of the most peaceful corner in the city – Gompa temple, Arunachal Pradesh being a state where ‘Unity in Diversity’ exists at its best way. All people irrespective of religion, culture, races live in a peaceful manner with the feeling of brotherhood. Gompa Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in the state capital which propagate the message of peace and harmony. Later on I got to know that ‘Gompa’ means a place where teachings and meditations are done in order to achieve salvation.

Gompa Temple

Design and interior details vary from region to region; however, all follow a general design of a central prayer hall containing a murti or thangka, benches for the monks or nuns to engage in prayer or meditation and attached living accommodation. The gompa or ling may also be accompanied by any number of stupas.

Holy Buddha statue and Stupa

For those who love peace and tranquility, Gompa Temple is the place to visit. Nestled among hillocks and just a short distance away from Itanagar’s city center this Buddhist temple was constructed by none other than the Dalai Lama. Located on a hill top, the Gompa Mandir is blessed with great natural beauty. I got mesmerized by the beautiful view of of Arunachal’s valleys. You would be welcomed into the Gompa by a small and multi-hued entrance gate. Sitting inside the temple is a huge statue of Lord Buddha. Buddhist monks can be seen chanting prayers and giving sermons, as they were helping the atmosphere fill with positive energy. There is also a white Stupa in the center of the temple with golden carvings and some Buddhist teachings. It is believed that taking four rounds of the Stupa brings peace in life.

How to reach?

Walking distance from Ziro Tinali or if you are unable to climb stairs then, you can take an auto or a taxi to reach the temple.

Timings: 5 AM – 8 PM

Must see: There is an ancient Banyan tree, with a life-size meditating statue of Lord Buddha that is filled with colorful meditating flags.

 A perfect place to click some photographs.

Shopping: There is a shop, inside the temple premises, run by the Buddhist monks. It has a delightful collection of artifacts. Do check it out.

Zoological Park - Itanagar

A famous attraction of Itanagar and a must visit on a family tour, Itanagar is a well-managed zoo, which is home to species like Himalayan Black Bear, Royal Bengal Tiger, Panther, Leopard, Great Indian Hornbill and many rare birds. After visiting the zoo, I found that the park is quite famous amongst the travelers and dwellers of Itanagar as it is a prominent attraction.

Mithun - endemic Species of Arunachal Pradesh

Well, I can assure you that your Itanagar tour cannot be complete without a visit to the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Situated in the hilly terrains of Itanagar, this is a very beautiful forest area. You know the most beautiful thing is due to lack of human interference wildlife sightings remain high at this wildlife sanctuary. One can easily spot a herd of Elephants, Sambar or Barking Deer at Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary. But if you are really lucky you could have a chance encounter with a Tiger or Panther. The forests here are home to as many as 45 species of rare birds. Hornbill, the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh, can be sighted here. Apart from this, the forests of Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary have a charm of their own. Many varieties of Orchids bloom in various parts of the sanctuary. 

During my tour, I found Itanagar Zoo is one of the best place to get the idea of flora and fauna that exists in the capital city and along the state. 

Timings: 9 AM –9 PM

Photography and videography is allowed in the zoo

Tip: Venture into the Eastern and Northern parts of the sanctuary for better wildlife sighting chances.

Itanagar: An overview

Known as the ‘Land of Rising Sun’ of India, Arunachal Pradesh is not only one of the most beautiful state of Northeast but of India. Situated in the foothills of mighty Himalayas, the state has breathtaking views, beautiful tourist places and mesmerizing natural beauty. It is very sad to know that being one of the most beautiful and attractive tourist places of the country, still it is out of the attention of many travelers and travel bloggers. Ziro Valley, Tawang and Bomdila are the only tourist spot which has entered the list of attractive tourist spot of the country and gained some publicity. Along with these three there are many tourist places in the state which is still unexplored. Among all, let us see one of the most spectacular tourist spots is the state capital Itanagar.

Itanagar city

Itanagar situated at a hilltop is one of the most beautiful places to start the exploration of Arunachal Pradesh. The state capital is a mixture of beautiful landscapes, magnificent view-points, historical sites and an example of a great socio-cultural significance. 

Itanagar seems to be as a modern city with every modern facilities and infrastructures still having a lot of hidden historical mysteries into its yard. History of the Itanagar finds its sights from long back 15th centuries when Ahom were ruling the clan. As you will be curious to know the mystery behind the name of the city, why Itanagar? The name ‘Itanagar’ is derived from the word ‘Ita’ which means bricks and ‘nagar’ means city. The name was given on the brick fort which was built by the Pre-Ahom rulers. 

Itanagar being the capital city of the state, it is inhabited by number of indigenous tribes of the state like Nyishi, Galo, Adi, Apatani, Tagin, Nokte, Mishmi etc. who add color to this beautiful city. Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism have peacefully co-existed in this city for many centuries now and you can easily spot a church, Hindu temple and a Buddhist Gompa side by side.

Itanagar is one of the unexplored beauties of the Northeast India. Apart from offering a great travel experience, the city is ideal for travelling with your family. I don’t understand why do people go abroad to spend their holiday, there are so many places that are still unexplored in the country.

To get to know more about the Itanagar, read my upcoming blogs and explore the city with me. Have a great ‘Safar’ at Itanagar.