Tawang Monastery

If you are God and nature-loving then we got a perfect place for you. It is the largest Monastery in India and second in the world.

Attraction

People who love God are mostly attracted by this Monastery. Daily huge numbers of visitors and devotees gather in the monastery for getting a spiritual connection with God. From the monastery, there is also an amazing natural view which is loved by the nature-loving people and photo fanatics.

Nearby places are:

History

The monastery was founded by Merek Lama Lodge Gyamsto in the year 1680-1681 at the order of the 5th Dalai Lama.

The monastery was founded by Merek Lama Lodge Gyamsto in the year 1680-1681 at the order of the 5th Dalai Lama. During the construction, there were many difficulties and issues. The local people helped to sort out all these issues and built this amazing monastery. There were the Gelug sect of Buddhism and the Black Hat sect of Buddhism due to the dominance the founder Merek Lama had to face hostility. That is why the monastery is located defensively. The Tawang Monastery agreed in two agreements with the East India Company in the year 1844 to surrender the rights of mon pas and the other agreement to the Sherdukpen. The Tawan Monastery was consecrated by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet on 15 October 1997. Until 1914, this region of India was under the control of Tibet.

Later Tibet needed to give several hundred square miles of its territory which includes the Tawang region and monastery to the British. From 1913-to 1914 due to the Simla Agreement, the area came under the control of the British Raj. This territory resulted in the contention for the 1962 India China war. China claimed that Tawang belonged to Tibet. Before the war, the 14th Dalai Lama from Tibet arrived in India and took shelter in the monastery before moving to Tezpur. There were 400 monks in the year 2006 and the number increased to 450 monks in the year 2010. Tawang Manuscript Conservation Centre was established in the monastery in August 2006 and has curated 200 manuscripts and 31 manuscripts have been treated for preservation.

Currently, the monastery has control over 17 gompas in the West Kameng district. It also has controls over two dzongs; the Darana Dzong and the Sanglem Dzong. The dzongs collect taxes and preach Buddhism to local people. The monastery owns the cultivated lands in the villages of Soma and Nerguit. Also owns some lands in other villages which are all cultivated by the farmers who share the product with the monastery. The present head of the Tawang Monastery is Gyalse Rinpoche.

Inside/Outside Views

From this Monastery the visitors can have stunning and pleasant natural views. It is a perfect place for nature-loving people

Inside View:

This Monastery looks like a Kingdom. At the entrance of the monastery, there are colorful hat-like structure gates. Those gates are known as Kakaling and their roofs are called Mandalas. On the interior walls, there are paints of divinities and saints. The monastery has an outer wall of 925 feet in length with a height of 10-20 feet. The main buildings of the Monastery look like a mansion. The monastery is three stories high with a large assembly hall. There are 65 residential quarters for students, monks, and lamas. On the ground floor rituals and dances are performed. There are Buddhist symbols on most of the staff of the monastery. Currently, the monastery has 450 monks. One of the unique features of the monastery is there are footprints on a stone slab placed on the walls.

The main temple of the monastery is known as the Dukhang. ‘Du’ means assembly and ‘Khang’ means building. There is an 18 feet image of Buddha for worship. Adjoining the Buddha image there is a silver casket that holds a special thangka of the goddess Sro Devi (Palden Lhamo) which is the guardian deity of the monastery. In the library, there is a printing press for printing religious books. The monastery library has a rich collection of books. There are 25 volumes of Tengyur and three sets of Kangyur with many other valuable religious books.

Outside View:

From this Monastery the visitors can have stunning and pleasant natural views. It is a perfect place for nature-loving people. The monastery is seated in the valley with a height of 10,000 feet. Visitors can take pictures of the hills, valleys, and villages from the monastery.

How to Reach

By Air: Unfortunately, there is no airport in the region. There is an airport in Tezpur, Tezpur Airport Rd but the distance is 320km from the Tawang Monastery which will take 10-12 hours to reach the destination. However, visitors can take service from the Naharlagun Helipad. The Helicopter service conducts from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. As it has limited seats it is advised to pre-book the helicopter ticket. It will take around 55 minutes to reach Tawang from the airport.

By Railway: Rangapara North Junction is the nearest railway station to Tawang.

By Road: Tawang is connected to Guwahati and Tezpur cities. Buses are available for Tawang from Tezpur and other places in the cities.

FAQ

Que-01: Is this place safe to visit?

Ans: Yes, it is safe to visit this hill. Many people and devotees visit the Monastery.

Bomdila Police Station

Que-02: Is photography allowed in this place?

Ans: Yes, photography is allowed in the Monastery.

Que-03: What is Tawang Monastery?

Ans: This hill is a masterpiece of India. It is the largest monastery in India and the second largest in the world. The monastery sits in the valley of the Tawang Chu. The monastery is also named Gaden Namgyal Lhatse In Tibet.

Que-04: Who is the founder of Tawang Monastery?

Ans: The founder of this is Merak Lama Lodge Gyatso.

Que-05: How does the hill look?

Ans: This hill sits 10,000 feet above and in the valley of Tawang Chu. It is three stories high. The monastery is enclosed by the 935 feet long wall. Within the monastery, there are a total of 65 residential buildings. Tawang Monastery library has a rich collection of many valuable old scriptures. Visitors will also get the Kangyur and Tengyur in the monastery.

Que-06: What is the best time to visit this hill?

Ans: The best time to visit the Monastery is from March to October.

Que-07: How many days Tawang Monastery remains open in a week?

Ans: This Monastery remains open all day every week.

Que-08: What are the festivals in the Tawang Monastery?

Ans: There are many festivals held in the Monastery. The main Monpa festivals that are held in the monastery are Choker, Losar, Ajilamu, and Georgia. During the Tibetan, New Year visitors and devotees visit the monastery and offer prayers. Many festivals are held regularly in the Tawang Monastery.