WE RISE IN THE EAST

On the trail of four women bikers in Arunachal Pradesh, SIMRRAN GILL is moved by female friendships and stunning vistas.

-  SIMRRAN GILL

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads

....the song plays on loop in my head as my vehicle navigates Arunachal Pradesh's bucolic countryside. I am following a convoy of some of India's leading female bikers-Kalyani Potekar, Candida Louis, Dr Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick and Tenzin Metoh-for a journey of a lifetime. The purpose of this trip? To explore an all-new travel circuit in Arunachal Pradesh as well as some of the state's hidden gems. I had landed at Dibrugarh Airport a day before, and made my way to Pasighat with the endless views of the mighty Siang and low-lying hills, and countryside charm for company. The rally officially began earlier that morning, and was flagged off by the state's chief minister Pema Khandu and director of tourism Abu Tayeng.

Pasighat, the headquarters of the East Siang ditrict, is the perfect entryway into Arunachal Pradesh; it charms with its indigenous hanging bridges, wooden pavements, and cliffs. Post the inaugural ceremony and some down time by the Siang, we make our way to Namsai which is best known for the Golden Pagoda. Built in Thai and Burmese styles, the pagoda sits majestically amidst landscaped gardens and is surrounded by lush greenery. And within the pagoda lies a gilded statue of Buddha, modelled on the kala Buddha of Nalanda archive. The complex also houses a centre for cultural research of the Tai Khampti-singpho tribes, a library, and a monastery.