Itanagar

ITAFORT, the name Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh, is derived from the historical fort called Itafort situated in the heart of the town. It is an historical fort of irregular shape built mainly with bricks. It is said that more than 80 lakh pieces of bricks were used to build this fort. The Fort has been identified by same scholars with Mayapur of Ramachandra, a king of Jitari Dynasty which dates back to 1360 to 1550 AD. GEKAR SINYI (GANGA LAKE) is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas is a unique piece of the capital, Itanagar. The lake locally known as Gekar Sinyi (confined water) abounds in natural beauty. Other important places to see are Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum, Craft Centre, EmporiumTrade Centre, Donyi-Poto Centre for hearing impaired, State Forest Research Institute, Zoo, NERIST, Arunachal University, Central and State Libraries, Baba Vishwanath Temple, Kati Mandir, Legi Shopping Complex and Akash Deep complex.



The Buddhist Temple A new but beautiful yellow- roofed shrine, it rises from wefi-rnaintained grounds behind a stupo tree planted by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The grounds of the temple afford a good view of Itanagar Town.

Ganga Lake (Gyaker Sinyi) The 6 km drive to the lake from Itanagar takes visitors on a rugged road through some superbly primeval jungles, Bamboo groves, orchids massed on tall trees are some of the vegetation which can be identified by the interested travelers. Stopping at the base of a hill, one has to take a flight of steps uphill. At the top of the ridge one looks down on a serene green forest lake which one has to cross in a row boat. Today, it Is a beautiful spot for outings, boating and picnics.

The State Museum: In the gallery at the ground floor, the political and administrative development of the area, population of the various tribal groups as per 1991 census (provisional), sociocultural heritage of the people and their lifestyle have been depicted, with the help of maps and Dioramas. While the fife-styles of all the major tribes have been depicted, the display maps cover a wide range of subjects such as the people, house types, festivals, dances, handicrafts, textile designs, musical instruments, weapons of war and chase, important developments, Malinithan, Itafort, Noksaparbat, Kundil valley civilization and historical sites.

Polo Park: An interesting little botanical garden atop a ridge overlooking the town. Visitors should notice the cane thicket, it looks a bit like a palm with spines on its stems, but grows as a bush. There is a small zoo. Where to Buy: The main Sales Emporium is located at Itanagar, from where the handicraft items are available. Handicrafts Center This establishment offers a good range of shawls, carpets, carved baskets and the beautiful cane and bamboo works in which the North East excels Behind and on one side of the showroom, is the workshop where cane is heated, cut and woven by tribal artisans with great skill.

Actual specimens of arts and crafts particularly wood carving objects, musical instruments, headgears, religious paraphernalia etc. have been displayed in show cases. Thus the ground floor gallery gives a panoramic view of Arunachal Pradesh. The gallery on the upper floor has six sections-textiles, archaeology, ornaments, basketry, weapons and household articles. Actual specimens from among the different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh are on display under different sections. The Archaeology Section has been arranged to give some idea about the heritage of the state, found at excavated sites of Malinithan, Itafort, Noksaparbat, Bhismaknagar have been exhibited. Closed on Monday.