Nuranang (Jang) Falls

Where

About 2 km north-east of Jang, Tawang district

Altitude

About 2,100 m

Distance

About 39–40 km from Tawang, around 1.5 hours

Timings

Daylight

Entry fee

No entry fee reported

Permit

Arunachal ILP for Indians, PAP for foreigners

Best time

May–October for the fullest flow

Time needed

45 minutes–1 hour

Nuranang Falls drops about 100 metres in a single white plunge near the town of Jang, on the road between Sela Pass and Tawang. It is also called Jang Falls (or Jung Falls), and locally Bong Bong Falls, after the sound it makes.

The story behind the name

The falls take their name from the Battle of Nuranang, fought nearby on 17 November 1962 during the war with China. Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat of the 4th Garhwal Rifles won a posthumous Maha Vir Chakra there for capturing a Chinese machine gun. Local tradition holds that a Monpa girl named Nura helped him; the falls and the river carry her name. The Jaswant Garh war memorial on the Sela road honours him, and most Tawang trips stop at both.

Where the water comes from

The Nuranang river rises on the northern slopes of Sela Pass and drops over the falls before joining the Tawang Chu just downstream. A small hydroelectric plant at the base, the Jang hydel plant, supplies electricity to nearby villages.

Bollywood connection

In 1997, part of the song Tanhai Tanhai from Koyla was shot here and at Sangetsar Lake. A song from the Assamese film Hiya Diya Niya (2000) was also filmed at the falls.

How to reach Nuranang Falls

The falls are about 2 km off the main road at Jang, on the motorable Jang Falls Road, north of the Sela Tunnel. It's an easy detour on the way into or out of Tawang. See our Guwahati to Tawang cab page and Tawang tour packages.

Road distances from OpenStreetMap routing. Drive times are what we see on these mountain roads, not map estimates.

At the falls

• Park by the hydel plant and walk down a set of steep steps to the viewing area.
• The last stretch can be slippery and partly washed out after heavy rain; stepping stones across the stream have been lost in floods before.
• Allow 45 minutes to an hour including the walk.

Weather and best time

The falls flow all year and are fullest from May to October. Winter mornings are below freezing, and spray can freeze at the edges.

Monthly averages for 2015–2024 from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, at the site's elevation (about 2098 m). Rain and snow are rated relative to this location's own year.

Things most guides don't tell you

• Mornings and late afternoons give the best light; midday sun flattens the spray.
• Wear shoes with grip. The rocks near the base are always wet.
• Combine it with Jaswant Garh and the Sela Pass lake for a full stopover.

Planning the stop

Most travellers see Nuranang on the drive between Dirang and Tawang. Going north, it's about an hour past Sela Pass, a good place to stretch your legs after the high crossing. Going south, stop on the way out of Tawang in the morning, when the light is on the falls.

A Sela–Jang plan (northbound)

• Morning: leave Dirang, cross Sela Pass at 13,700 ft and stop at the frozen lake.
• Midday: Jaswant Garh war memorial, with its Army canteen.
• Afternoon: Nuranang Falls, then the last hour to Tawang.

Who it suits

The upper viewpoint is easy; the steps down to the base are steep and wet, best for steady walkers. Keep children close near the water.

Nearby

• Tawang Monastery.
• Sela Pass guide.