The Iconic Sign Boards and Slogans of BRO in Arunachal Pradesh: A Photo Series

The Border Roads Organization (BRO), a road construction and maintenance group, operating under the Ministry of Defence in India is the group that provides us the roads to reach India’s remotest corners and some of the most beautiful, yet inhospitable terrains. Their work is tough, yet they seem to carve roads out of mighty mountains and thick forests and allow our soldiers and their machines reach all the border areas. While I am really thankful to them for maintaining India’s border roads, I am absolutely fascinated by their road sign boards and slogans. People who have travelled to the high mountain roads of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir would know what I am talking about. Such iconic sign boards and slogans can be seen when you are traveling across the border regions of Arunachal Pradesh too. This photo series aims to share these famous road sign boards of Arunachal Pradesh with you. I believe these sign boards teach us a lot about road safety, how precious life is, life experiences in general and some that may be conveys BRO’s motto to us. These sign boards are so well thought through that I think BRO has a division just to come with newer slogan ideas.

Above photo: The mountain roads of Arunachal Pradesh, especially around the border areas are not everyone’s cup of tea. The unpredictable weather, the umpteen curves, the steep drops and the remote dense terrain offer a lot of challenges, but like the sign board which say ‘Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations’, the end result is insanely beautiful. Border areas of Arunachal Pradesh like Tawang, Mechuka, Lamang, Anini and Kaho are a sight to behold and are destinations that we should definitely experience. This sign board was spotted while traveling from Mechuka to Lamang.



Above photo: Accidents are common place on mountain roads. Faster vehicles and lack of mountain driving experience increases the chances of accidents. And that is why we need such sign boards to remind us of how precious our lives are. This signboard which says ‘Safety on road is safe tea at home’ gently reminds us of our responsibility to ourselves and our families. This was spotted while climbing the winding roads towards Mayodia pass and Anini from Roing.



Above photo: A lot of us have a tendency to race on highways. This usually causes trouble and more so on narrow, winding mountain roads. This sign board which says ‘Run your own race’ tries to convey two meanings. One is not to race with others and the other is to focus on our goals and ambitions. This road sign board was spotted between Mechuka and Lamang.



Above photo: This is not exactly a road sign board, but more a slogan that says ‘Swach Bharat, Sundar Bharat’ or ‘Clean India, Beautiful India’. Spotted at the military outpost of Lamang, this slogan perfectly fits this surreal environment made up of snow capped peaks, fast mountain streams, pine forests and thin mountain air.



Above photo: A commonly seen message on the roads made by Border Roads Organization, it says ‘Be gentle on my curves’, which literally translates into ‘Drive safely on the winding and turning mountain roads’. I spotted this on the highway from Aalo to Mechuka.



Above photo: Himalayas is a destination one should definitely experience in their lifetime. Unlike the Western Himalayas, which is drier and colder, the Eastern Himalayas are more forested, green and receive much more rainfall. The best way to experience the Eastern Himalayas is by indulging in slow travel. And this sign board, which says ‘Mountains are pleasure if you drive with leisure couldn’t have conveyed the thought better. I spotted this sign board on the road from Aalo to Mechuka.



Above photo: This sign board is may be BRO’s vision. ‘Connecting Places Connecting People’ is pretty much what these roads do to these remote regions of the country. These roads allow us to reach the remote border regions of Arunachal Pradesh and get to know the life of the local tribal people living there, while it allows the locals to connect with the rest of the country for groceries, telecom, education, healthcare and much more. This sign was spotted on the road to Lamang from Mechuka.



Above photo: Arunachal Pradesh is called the land of the rising sun (the sun rises the first here in all of India) and the land of the dawn lit mountains (as the sun rises here at 4 AM). This sign board at Aalo welcomes you to the border roads of Arunachal Pradesh.

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The Picturesque Tsomgo (Changu) Lake nestled in the Eastern Himalayas in Sikkim, India

Of days gone by...this April during my solo all India motorcycle journey…

I had reached dry Gangtok after being in rainy Darjeeling for the last 3 days. But, the journey was a rough one, with me having to put up with a busted rear brake. And to add salt to my wounds, the rains caught up with me and it actually turned into a downpour. Finally, it was rest time for my motorcycle as I was in the heavenly north eastern state of Sikkim in India. Since, this small state shares its borders with 3 countries (Nepal, Bhutan and China), one has to get an inner line permit done to visit most of East and North Sikkim. Apart from East and North Sikkim, Indian nationals can easily visit and tour the other parts of Sikkim – Gangtok, South and West Sikkim.


After getting my inner line permits done for visiting East Sikkim, I hopped on a jeep full of tourists that were bound for Tsomgo (Changu) lake. The initial plan was to visit Tsomgo lake and Nathulla pass on the India-China border, but due to rough weather and heavy snowfall, the road from Tsomgo to Nathulla was blocked. The route to the lake i.e. the Gangtok-Nathulla highway (the erstwhile trade route from India to China) wound for about three hours through high mountain passes and next to sharp cliffs on roads built by the Border Roads Organization. There were military establishments on the way and a lot of machines were being employed to clear the mess caused by the landslides. At a lot of places, all the vehicles would have to go at at snail’s pace to avoid the steep drops, the boulders on the road and the slippery slush caused by the rains and the landslides.


Tsomgo (Changu) lake is a small, sacred lake far above the treeline on the Indo-Chinese border and is situated at an altitude of 12,400 feet. Upon arriving at the lake and getting out of the jeep, I was momentarily numbed by the freezing temperatures, but recouped soon to be beset by hordes of locals to take a yak ride on the path covered in snow. Somehow, I managed to evade them and went to a nearby army base situated at a slight elevation to take some pictures. This is where I befriended a couple of soldiers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka who let me know that I could hike up to the top of the hill to get better views for myself and my lens. I thanked them for the information and off I went on the hike. The hike was a slightly tricky one as the area had received fresh snowfall and my 6 foot 3 inch frame would sink upto my waist at some places. But, I egged myself on and finally after about 50 minutes, I was there at the top. The views of the lake, the Himalayan peaks and the valleys surrounding it were phenomenal. In a short while, I started feeling real cold as most of my clothes had gotten wet in the snow and I retreated my way back down to get some warmth going in my legs. When I reached the tourist section, I could see kids and adults alike were having a great time building snow-men, rolling and smashing snow balls on their friends and taking a yak ride to the moderate-sized temple of lord Shiva that is present on the lake shore.

 
I had never been on a yak before. So, I decided to take a short ride to the lakeshore and back. The yak is a very strong animal, but I guess it never needs a bath in this weather and hence it emits a strong smell. But, the beauty is they are very sure-footed and are able to handle steep and slippery declines with ease. During my yak-ride, I struck small conversation with the yak-wallah and he told me that the Tsomgo (Changu) lake freezes in winter and makes for a silky white sight!!

The Tsomgo (Changu) lake derives its water from the melting snow on the mountains around. The river Lungtze Chu originates from the Tsomgo (Changu) lake and meets the Rangpo Cgu further down its course. An interesting fact about this lake is that during the older times, lamas used to study the colour of water of the lake and forecast about the future. If the waters had a dark tinge, it foreshadowed a year of trouble and unrest in the state.

All in all, a heavenly experience for me here. And next time, I am bound for his place, I hope the weather gods are kind and let me go up to the Nathulla pass on the India-China border and also pay a visit to the Baba Mandir close by.

To see India through the eyes of a motorcyclist’s lens, visit the album below.

my solo all-india motorcycle journey

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