Verrier Elwin was an anthropologist whose work among the little known Indian tribes has contributed much to the understanding of these peoples . he was born in Dover in England and was educated at Cheltenham and subsequently at Oxford. On his graduation from Oxford he was ordained as an Anglican priest. His association with J. w Winslow a missionary influenced him greatly and he left for India in 1927. He was fascinated by Indian Culture and slowly moved way from the Church. He travelled widely throughout India and wrote extensively about the different tribes , especially of the North Eastern region. In recognition of his work, he was made adviser on tribal affairs of the government of India. He was drawn towards Buddhism and when he died in 1936he was cremated in Shillong according to Buddhist rites. Hi autobiography “ The tribal world of Verrier Elwin, published posthumously in 1964 is a remarkable piece of wiring characterized by keen observation and empathy for the people described. The present section “ A PTT” is an extract from this very book.

The essay is full of graphic descriptions of the natural beauty of NEFA and is marked by a high degree of empathy for the inhabitants of this region , sharp observation, an eye for detail and a boundless spirit for adventure and curiosity are characteristics of Elwin’s essay and this may said to have been born out of the authors deep sense of involvement with the people and the places that he wrote about.

Elwin’s essay is deeply autobiographical , the description of the vivid imageries the beautiful description of the dresses, the ornamental and attire and the culture and lifestyle of the hill people and his keen sense of sight , all contribute towards making the essay an experience of a journey in itself.

Here it would be apt to say that through the medium of the essay Elwin has highlights the notions of nature beauty and religion to quite an extent. Being an anthropologist he gives extraordinary description of the culture, their way of living, their habits, customs, traditions etc. all in a very insightful manner. His deep regard for Buddhism is evidently present in the piece when he talks about the Buddhist monastery , the very description of it brings about a kind of different aura in the context of the essay . The festival of Buddha purnima , then sacred religious texts of the Buddhist , age old Shrines and books all have been magnificently described by elwin.

Elwins begins his account of the journey with the description of the geographical , religious nad political importance of Tawang. The importance of the valley lay in the fact that it was the first place that the Dalai Lama had halted when he has first travelled to India seeking political asylum. It is evident reverent tone in which Elwin speaks of the Dalai Lama and of Tawang that his interest in the region and its people is not mererly the objective interest of the anthropologist . He has definite personal learning towards the culture and religion of these people.

The 1st part of the essay mainly deals with the journey how it leads Elwin and all his companions to Bombdila over the Se La pass. He gives us a vivid description of the the sights and surroundings and the natural beauty of the sela and its adjoining areas , he describes the hazardous journey with both the moments of joy as well as bitterness. Elwin goes into rapture over the beauty of the place and borrows the couplet inscribed on the walls “ IF this….” To describe the beauty of the place and its surroundings . Each and every aspect of the place , be it the people, the customs the traditions etc, everything enchants him.

Fom Bombdila they travel to Dibang where they encounters the people of the Monpa Commun ity , with a sharp eye for detail, elwin describes different aspects of the Monpa life including a description of their small houses, weird customs of the butter tea the kind and benevolent nature if the people, temples etc. while describing them, he uses humour to quite an extent.

The arduousness of the journey is forgotten in the splendour of the scenery . The journey culminates in the Budddhist monastery on the day of the Buddha purnima at a monastery in Tawang. His fascination of Buddhism is evident here. He does not speak of it a s a mere journey but as a pilgrimage. He explicitly states that it meant much more to him than an ordinary travel journey

Throughout the essay what is evident is the empathy of the traveller with the landscape and the mindscape of the people. the mini travelogue id full if fascinating details of the land and its people and the living is simple and straight forward. The attitude of Elwin I s of of condescension but of involvement.

The essay “ Pilgrimage tO tawang” is not a mere travelogue, the essay not only speaks about the people but gives us a deep insight into the beliefs of the author as well, how the magnifies monastery soothed his soul, the vivid scenes of the temple, all these had a much more effect on him than the sights and instance he had observed during the course of t= hid journey. The style of the essay is lucid and the language very simple and effective, there is no ornamentation in describing the customs and traditions of the communities. The essay presents before us not only the geographical dimensions of Tawang but the religion of Buddhism as well which brought about a definite change into him. Being more of an anthologist, his area of concern is not only to describe the beauty of nature, but to evaluate the factual and critical aspects of the society and customs of Twang as well. He calls his journey more of as a pilgrimage solely for the fact that the journey not only gave him happiness and pleasure but provided him a sense of inner peace and tranquillity as well, and perhaps helped him get more inclined towards Buddhism.