After 50 years in Tawang, Bihar-born caretaker pens emotional farewell to the mountain town

In Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, Janardhan Yadav — a native of Bihar who first arrived in the border district in 1977 — has bid an emotional farewell after nearly five decades of service and memories. 

Yadav, who spent most of his life working as the caretaker of the Tawang Circuit House, shared with India Today the profound love, warmth, and respect he received from the people of Mon Tawang as well as from Army personnel during his long stay in the strategic Himalayan town bordering China’s Tibet.

Reflecting on his bond with the community, Yadav said he has always valued the kindness of the people, respected their views, and cherished their presence in his life. His decades of service and steady involvement in the town, he noted, were his own way of acknowledging the deep affection he experienced from the local residents.

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Recalling the early years, Yadav said that in the 1980s it often took nearly a week to reach Tawang from Bhalukpong due to treacherous roads and extreme weather. Today, with improved connectivity, the journey takes only seven to eight hours. He also observed that heavy snowfall, once common from September to October, now arrives only after December, marking a visible shift in weather patterns.

With plans to return to Bihar by January to spend the rest of his life in his native village, Yadav said he is leaving with a heart full of gratitude. Despite moving away, he affirmed that he will never forget the affection and sense of belonging he received throughout his life in Tawang — a place he now considers his second home.