Thembang Village: A Journey into Arunachal’s Ancient Heritage

About Thembang Village

Thembang village located east of Tawang-Bomdila road in West Kameng district, at about 2300m altitude is of high historical and cultural significance. The 50-odd households that live here are surrounded by a medieval fortification and many other ancient monuments. Interestingly it is not these historic structures, but the way of the people of Thembang, that has attracted attention. While most of us are unaware of its existence, this tiny village straight out of an impressionist painting has caught the attention of UNESCO, which has included Thembang in its Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

Thembang is an ancient village. In the medieval era, it was a headquarter of a large territory which was ruled by the powerful Thembang Bapu who was the direct descendant of the king of Tibet. This is one of the oldest villages in the region and it has witnessed many wars, as a result, a strong fortification with two stone wall gates was made by the villagers of Rahung, Khutam, Bhud, and Khowna who were under the sovereignty of the Bapus during that time.

Thembang is home to many historical structures, the most important being the 12th century Dzong, a type of fortress architecture found in Bhutan and Tibet. The Dzong was constructed using the traditional techniques of the local Monpa people, like composite stone masonry and wood architecture. Ornamental features include carved stone blocks, mani walls (stone walls with prayers engraved on them), traditional wood carvings, paintings, and manuscripts, etched as murals and graffiti along with the houses and ancient ruins. It has two gates, one at the northern end and the other at the southern end, which is for an emergency or escape gate.

A loud shout was given as a warning every evening before closing the giant gates.

In 1913 Lt. Col. F M Bailey and Capt. H T Morshead of the Survey of British India has stayed here while coming down from Tibet during their Tsangpo Exploration in 1912-13 which is now known as Bailey trail.

Many British officers including H W Tilman in 1938 had stayed in Thembang. The village has also witnessed a fierce battle between Indian and Chinese armies during the 1962 Indo-China war. A huge Chinese army had come down here through the Bailey trail went straight to Bomdila after securing Thembang, encircling large numbers of Indian army between Bomdila and Sela Pass. One can still find the war bunkers constructed by the Indian Army around the village. In June 2017, a war memorial was inaugurated here to commemorate the site where an infantry battalion fought valiantly against the Chinese forces in 1962.

Thembang Village is an outstanding example of a community with a sense of responsibility towards their environment. they still practice barter and community ownership and can teach the world outside the Dzong a thing about living in harmony with the environment.

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