Did you know? Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh is the last town on eastern side of India

Kibithu, Arunachal Pradesh | photo: Glynis Machado

Kibithu is India's easternmost inhabitat place which stands on the line of control or LAC. It is uniquely located on the trijunction, with China to the north and Myanmar to the east. A small village in the Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, It is located on the last road head of extreme northeast of north eastern India and the very place that the Lohit river enters India. Lohit river is a tributary to the Brahmaputra River which rises in Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Kangri Garpo range, where it is known as the Zayü River.

Kibithu is one of the places which forms the Indo China border and has always been a place of great importance. The village is nestled roughly around 4000 ft above sea level and lies in Mishmi hills, 27 kms on the east of administrative town of Walong. Kibithu lies on the east of Dong Valley, where the first sun rays in India is received. However, Kaho village, which is on the other side (southern) of the river, is the the last populated village of India, and is around 2 kms in the east of Kibithu.

Kibithu is 275 kms from the nearest brigade formation at Tezu. Soldiers of the Sikh Light Infantry are posted on the Line of Actual Control, while the Chinese brigade at Langzu under Western Theatre Command is merely 60 kms away.T he Indian Army uses a foot suspension bridge to carry its military supplies to its Kibithu post, considered very important from operational point of view, as the only road connecting the East bank of Lohit river with West bank, remains closed due to landslides for most part of the year.

Kibithu is one of the five officially agreed Border Personnel Meeting points between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army of China for regular consultations and interactions.

If you ever plan to visit Kibithu:

1. Do note that the last petrol pump is at Khupa town, which is around 125 kms before Kibithu.
2. You can stay for a night at Hawai, district headquarters of Anjaw and 75 kms from Kibithu.
3. Do visit the Walong War Memorial, where Indian Army jawans stopped around 4000 Chinese troops in the Indo-Tibet war. It is roughly 20 kms before Kibithu.
4. Visit the Kibithu Helipad, from where you can clearly see the Chinese army camp.
5. Visit Garampani, hot water spring, 7 kms before Walong.
6. Visit Dong, the first village to receive sunlight in India.
7. To visit Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian would require ILP and a foreign tourist would need NLP. Get all the details Here.

Distance of Kibithoo from:

1. Guwahati - 800 kms
2. Tezpur - 700 kms
3. Tinsukia - 380 kms
4. Roing - 300 kms
5. Tezu - 220 kms
6. Parsuram Kund - 200 kms
7. Walong - 25 kms
8. Dong - 17 kms

Kibithu, Arunachal Pradesh | photo: Krishnav Das

Kibithu, Arunachal Pradesh | photo: Krishnav Das