Khonsa

Khonsa is a hill station in Arunachal Pradesh. This hill station is the headquarters of Tirap district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Khonsa is a tiny hill station located in a valley surrounded by the Himalaya Mountains. Khonsa is a military area marked by Assam Rifeles and CRPF.

Khonsa is the headquarters of Tirap district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Khonsa was created during the British rule in India. Khonsa borders Myanmar in the east and Assam in the south at that time.

Khonsa is surrounded by panoramic views of thick forests fringed by hills. Khonsa is a back to nature destination. The forests around Khonsa host wild beings from Tigers, Leopards, Jackals, Wild boars, Bears, Barking deer, Red Panda, Musk Deer, Mithun and numerous species of Rodents. One can find White gibbon monkeys swinging from branch to branch at Khonsa. A perfect place for all those who love adventure, Khonsa offers exhilarating treks through dense forests. Blessed with numerous rare species of orchids, during April, the forests treat everyone`s eyes with these rare and exotic blossoms.

Khonsa is located at 27.02 degree North to 95.57 degree East. It has an average elevation of 1215 metres (3986 feet).

According to the Population Census in the year 2001, Khonsa had a population of 9229. The males constitute 56 percent of the population and females 44 percent. Khonsa has an average literacy rate of 74 percent, higher than the national average of 59.95 percent. The male literacy is 80 percent, and female literacy is 65 percent. In Khonsa, 15 percent of the population is under 6 years of age.

Khonsa also houses one of the state schools like Ramakrishna Sarada Mission School. The town of Khonsa is cosmopolitan in nature as people from every Indian state could be found here.

The majority of the people of Khonsa are Christians, mostly Baptist, although some are Roman Catholics. There are relatively few animists. Among Nocte Catholics, syncretism between traditional religions and Christianity is evident. Some of the American-sponsored missionaries in Khonsa can also be found in parts of Myanmar and other parts of the North East states and the neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Yangon and Java.

Tourism in Khonsa deals with the nature tourism and the adventure tourism sites. Khonsa is popular hill station located in the Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. This village is located in the easternmost tip of India.

The Khonsa region of Arunachal Pradesh is chiefly occupied by the Nocte Tribe and Wancho tribe. Besides these traditional tribes, the population of Khonsa also consists of wanderers from the nearby states of Nagaland and Assam as well as from Myanmar and Bangladesh. Assamese, Hindi, Nocte, Wancho and English are the languages used in Khonsa. The historical background of Khonsa is very obscure. Some of the popular tourist destinations in Khonsa are Khonsa Museum, Kheti and Lajo Village, Namdapha National Park, Miao and many other places.

Khonsa Museum
Khonsa Museum is one of the most important museums in Khonsa, Arunachal Pradesh. One can find the traditional tribal artefacts, bamboo and cane work and colourful hand looms from different areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Beginning from the bygone days to the present days; all are there to provide an insight to the tribal cultural aspect of Khonsa.

Kheti and Lajo Village
Kheti and Lajo Village is a culturally assorted village in Khonsa, Arunachal Pradesh. Kheti and Lajo Village is inhabited by the Nocte tribe and Wancho tribes. These two silent villages make an overwhelming amalgamation with their old age traditions and culture. One can find dormitories tinted with the human skulls collected in the past by the people of this village during head-hunting days.

Namdapha National Park
Namdapha National Park is a high altitude national park in Arunachal Pradesh. This national park is situated at about 166 km from Khonsa, it is the only park in the world that has four of the great cats inhabiting - snow leopard, Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard and the clouded leopard. Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few kilometres from the entry point of Miao. It was designated as a national park in the year 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act. The same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. Namdapha National Park has a total area of 1985 sq kilometres. This is the largest national park in the north-east and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among the earliest national parks established in the seven states of North-East India. Namdapha National Park is covered with a mix of Assam valley tropical rain forest and North Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous forest.

Miao
Miao is situated at about 154 kilometres from Khonsa, Arunachal Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Changlang district and gateway to Namdapha National Park. Miao is the homeland of Tibetan refugees. Miao was a Tibetan refugee settlement area in the early years and thus amply reflects the Tibetan culture there. Miao is also an ideal spot for hiking, angling and trekking.