Adventure @ Mechuka – Adrenaline Flows at 6000 ft.
Mechuka, an Arunachal Pradesh town on the McMohan Line (Indo-China Border), is 235 km from Basar. But, given the treacherous terrain and not-so-good road, one must do the drive during the day, and it can take upwards of 8 hours. Tribes like Memba, Adi, and Tagin inhabit Mechuka.
A 400-year-old Buddhist monastery at a hilltop, and a nearby Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) where the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, meditated, are some attractions here. Lying on the banks of River Siyom (Yargyap Chu), Mechuka has abundant scenic beauty, gentle hills, and a rapid river. Small wonder the town is popularising itself as an adventure tourism destination.
Adventure @ Mechuka – An Unusual Festival
Cashing in on the apt geography, Mechuka defines itself with a 3-day annual festival called Adventure @ Mechuka that began in 2018. I went there for its inauguration. While the day activities revolved around competitive adrenaline-pumping sports, the tribal song and dance performances brought alive the evenings. An obvious opportunity to let your hair down!
The festival organisers used the terrain well. River Siyom played host to Kayaking, water zorbing, and competitive angling action. Mountain biking competition, rappelling, rock climbing, and paragliding played out on the hills surrounding the festival grounds. The festival ground was the scenic venue for archery, air rifle, and hot air ballooning.
The festival attracted over 400 participants and visitors. For a small town not geared for such an inflow of visitors, the organisers put up a massive camping site that accommodated most travellers.
As a first-time effort, the festival was a success. The Sports and Youth Affairs Minister of India, Kiren Rijiju, flew in with Bollywood star Salman Khan to inaugurate the festival. And, for a small town with limited facilities, the organisers rustled up enough to ensure comfort for the participants and travellers. A festival that has the potential to go from strength to strength. I only hope to see it keep its character and not turn into a commercial venture, so our future generations can continue to enjoy it for long.
Have a look at a few moments from Adventure @ Mechuka!
