It was early in the morning, when we started our journey from Dibrugarh town in Assam towards Pasighat, chasing the sun. We were all overjoyed thinking about the journey. Pasighat is the headquarters of East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh and is a favourite destination of tourists and backpackers.

Nothing could be more pleasant than waking up early to travel to a new place and getting to explore that place. India’s longest rail-cum-road bride- Bogibeel bridge-over the river Brahmaputra has cut short the distance between Pasighat and Dibrugarh town in Assam making the road trip it more exciting.

The Bodak village:

Our destination was Bodak village, about 15 km off Pasighat town. People of this village belong to the Adi tribe. They are such warm-hearted people. “This place is beautiful, but it has got the recommendation only in the recent times” said by one of the locals. Most of the people have their own farmland and grow their own vegetables and fruits.

Our first stoppage was by the highway, where we could see the famous Siang river surrounded by hills. The sound of the river water rushing with a high-speed current left our ears with such musical joys. It was like a tune and a rhythm we could sing on.

I, along with my friends again hopped in the car and reached another viewpoint. The view was so breathtakingly beautiful. The Siang river could not be more beautiful looking than this.

The Hanging Bridge:

There was also a trekking spot where in we could climb down and up near the river. Climbing down, we got to experience an unexpected hanging bridge made of bamboo and suspended with metal wire. The bridge seemed so scary at first that I felt it will fall in no time. According to the locals, the bridge can carry five people at a time. However, fear inside me gave way to fun of swinging on the bridge across the Siang. It has the magic that can make anyone forget all their miseries and sadness.

Trekking down so many steps, we finally managed to reach the river, surrounded by mountains. We got down on the river and sat on a rock sinking our feet in the ice-cold water and enjoying the view feeling the pebbles underneath the river. Though we were sun tanned yet we could not stop but admire the nature.

The whole trip was so serene getting to experience the mesmerising roads with the natural scenic beauty unaffected by pollution. This place surely gave me and my friends a calm and positive aura and a refreshing mind to go back to our daily schedule of life.

Sudarsana Duwarah

Sudarsana Duwarah is pursuing Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication at the the Centre for Studies in Journalism and Mass Communication, Dibrugarh University. She can be reached at [email protected].

Photo courtesy: Shravanee Baruah, Lashmita Saikia and Sudarsana Duwarah