Nuranang - The Temple Builder

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat and the Tribal Heroines Sela & Nura

The most remarkable story of 1962. Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat held Nuranang with two local Monpa tribal women, Sela and Nura. Creating the illusion of a larger force, he delayed the Chinese advance for days. Today, the locals worship him as a deity - there's a temple where he's still honored. Sela Pass is named after the woman who fought with him.

The Soldier Who Became a God

In the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, far from the plains where most Indians live, there is a temple. It is not dedicated to Vishnu or Shiva, to Durga or Krishna. It is dedicated to a soldier - a rifleman of the Indian Army who fell in battle in 1962.

Every morning, the Monpa tribal people of the region perform puja at this temple. They offer prayers to Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat - the soldier who, with the help of two local women named Sela and Nura, held off the Chinese army for days at a place called Nuranang.

This is the most extraordinary story of the 1962 war. And perhaps the most beautiful.

The Garhwali Rifleman

Jaswant Singh Rawat was born in a small village in Garhwal, in what is now Uttarakhand. Like many young men from the hill communities of the Himalayas, he joined the Indian Army - specifically, the 4 Garhwal Rifles.

The Garhwalis are a proud martial community. Their regiments have fought in every war since the British first recruited them. Small in stature but immense in courage, Garhwali soldiers are known for their endurance in mountain warfare.

In October 1962, Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was deployed to NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency), now Arunachal Pradesh. He was 21 years old.

The Chinese Advance

When the Chinese launched their massive offensive on October 20, 1962, they swept through NEFA with overwhelming force. Post after post fell. The Indian forces, outnumbered and outgunned, fought delaying actions but could not hold.

As the Indian forces retreated toward Tawang, someone had to stay behind to delay the Chinese advance. The terrain around Nuranang - with its steep gorges and narrow paths - was ideal for a small force to hold off a larger one.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat volunteered. Or perhaps he was simply left behind as his unit withdrew. The exact circumstances are unclear. What is clear is that he found himself alone at Nuranang, with the Chinese army advancing toward him.

The Monpa Women

Here the story takes its most remarkable turn.

Sela and Nura were young women of the Monpa tribe - the indigenous people of this region. The Monpas are Buddhist, culturally connected to Tibet but politically loyal to India. They had lived in these mountains for generations.

When they saw the young Indian soldier alone, facing the Chinese advance, they made a decision. They would help him.

Why? Perhaps they feared what Chinese occupation would mean for their people. Perhaps they were moved by the young soldier's courage. Perhaps they simply saw someone who needed help and could not walk away.

Whatever the reason, Sela and Nura stayed with Jaswant Singh Rawat. And for the next several days, the three of them - one soldier and two tribal women - held Nuranang against the Chinese army.

The Deception

Jaswant Singh Rawat was clever as well as brave. He knew he couldn't defeat the Chinese through force - there were too many of them. But he could deceive them.

With Sela and Nura's help, he created the illusion that Nuranang was defended by a much larger force:

• He set up multiple firing positions around the area
• He moved between positions, firing from different locations to simulate multiple defenders
• Sela and Nura helped reload weapons and carry ammunition between positions
• The women also fed intelligence about Chinese movements, observing from vantage points
• At night, they lit multiple campfires to suggest a large garrison

The Chinese, unable to see how many defenders they faced and suffering casualties from the accurate fire, believed they were facing a significant force. They called up reinforcements and artillery rather than simply rushing the position.

For three days, this deception held. Three days in which the Chinese advance was delayed. Three days that gave other Indian forces time to prepare defenses further back.

The Final Battle

Eventually, the Chinese brought up enough firepower to overwhelm the position. Artillery rained down on Nuranang. The deception was no longer enough.

Sela was killed by artillery fire.

Nura, devastated by her companion's death, continued helping Jaswant Singh until she too was captured (some accounts say she was also killed; the exact details are unclear).

Jaswant Singh Rawat, wounded and alone, fought on. When his ammunition was exhausted, rather than be captured, he turned his weapon on himself.

He was 21 years old.

The Aftermath

When Indian forces eventually returned to Nuranang after the ceasefire, they found evidence of the extraordinary defense. The local Monpa people told them the story of the young soldier and the two women who had helped him.

The story spread. It captured something that the larger narrative of 1962 defeat could not - a tale of selfless courage, of unlikely alliance, of a soldier who became a hero not just to his nation but to the local people he had tried to protect.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra - India's second-highest wartime gallantry award.

But in Arunachal Pradesh, he received something even rarer.

The Temple at Nuranang

The Monpa people of the region decided that Jaswant Singh Rawat was no ordinary soldier. He had given his life for them. He had been aided by their own daughters, Sela and Nura. He belonged to them now.

They built a temple at Nuranang, dedicated to Jaswant Singh Rawat.

This is not a memorial. It is not a museum. It is an active place of worship.

Every day, the temple is opened with military honors. A soldier from the Indian Army (a successor unit maintains the tradition) "wakes" Jaswant Singh in the morning, changes his uniform, offers him food. In the evening, he is "put to sleep."

The Monpa people come to pray. They believe Jaswant Singh's spirit protects the region. They make offerings, seek blessings, and honor the soldier who became their guardian deity.

This is extraordinarily rare - a Hindu soldier from Uttarakhand worshipped as a deity by Buddhist tribals in Arunachal Pradesh. The shared experience of 1962 created a bond that transcends religion and region.

Sela Pass - A Woman's Name on a Map

The pass that connects Tawang to the rest of India is called Sela Pass. At 13,700 feet, it is one of the highest motorable passes in the world.

Many believe it is named after Sela - the Monpa woman who fought and died alongside Jaswant Singh Rawat.

Note: Some historians dispute this, saying the pass had this name earlier. But the local Monpa people associate the pass with their heroine, and that connection has become part of the region's identity.

Whether or not the pass was officially renamed, the fact remains: when people travel through Sela Pass, many remember the woman who helped defend India in 1962.

The Significance of Sela and Nura

The story of Sela and Nura is remarkable for several reasons:

1. Civilian Participation in Combat

These were not soldiers. They were young women who had never received military training. Yet they chose to fight.

2. Women in Combat

In 1962, the idea of women in combat was almost unthinkable in India. Yet Sela and Nura actively participated - loading weapons, carrying ammunition, gathering intelligence.

3. Cross-Cultural Alliance

A Hindu Garhwali soldier from Uttarakhand and Buddhist Monpa women from Arunachal Pradesh - people who might never have met in ordinary circumstances - fought and died together.

4. Local Resistance

The Monpa people could have remained neutral. The Chinese claimed to be liberators. Yet these women chose to fight for India, demonstrating the genuine loyalty of frontier communities.

The Indian Army's Tribute

The Indian Army has officially recognized Jaswant Singh Rawat's extraordinary story:

• He was promoted posthumously to Honorary Naib Subedar
• His name is read on roll calls, and a soldier answers "Present" on his behalf
• The temple at Nuranang is maintained by the Army
• The anniversary of his death is observed as a regimental occasion

The 4 Garhwal Rifles proudly claims him as one of their greatest heroes.

Visiting Nuranang Today

Today, visitors to Arunachal Pradesh can visit the Jaswant Singh Memorial (the temple) near Nuranang. It is located on the road between Se La and Jang.

The experience is unlike any war memorial:

• The temple is run like an active religious site
• Soldiers maintain his "quarters" as if he were still alive
• His medals, photographs, and personal effects are displayed
• Local Monpa people come regularly to pray
• The stunning Nuranang waterfall is nearby, adding to the beauty of the setting

Many visitors report being deeply moved by the site. It is not about war or glory - it is about sacrifice, devotion, and the strange ways that heroism transforms ordinary people into something more.

Why This Story Matters

1962 is remembered as a defeat. The stories that emerged were mostly tragic - brave men overwhelmed by superior forces, dying in lost causes.

But the story of Jaswant Singh, Sela, and Nura is different. It is about how courage creates community. It is about how sacrifice earns love. It is about how a young soldier from the plains of Uttarakhand could become a god in the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh.

In the end, the Chinese took Nuranang. They took all of NEFA. But they could not take what Jaswant Singh Rawat had built in those three days - a legend that would outlast any military victory.

The Eternal Soldier

Every morning, in a temple in Arunachal Pradesh, a soldier is woken. His uniform is changed. He is offered food.

Every evening, he is put to sleep.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat has been on duty at Nuranang for over sixty years now. And if the Monpa people have anything to say about it, he will remain on duty forever.

In the long history of India's wars, there are many stories of brave soldiers. But there is only one story of a soldier who became a god.

This is that story.

Jai Hind.