Tawang monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in India but from a distance it does not look as imposing or exotic as the monasteries in Ladakh or Spiti because unlike the latter it does not have an ant-hill like formation but is set comfortably on a ridge.
About Tawang Monastery :
Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh is the largest monastery in India. It was founded near the small town of the same name in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh state of India by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680-1681 in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa school and has a religious association with Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, which continued during the period of British rule. It is very close to the Tibetan border, in the valley of the Tawang-chu which flows down from Tibet. The monastery is three stories high and occupies an area of 140 m². It is enclosed by a 610 m long compound wall. Within the complex there are 65 residential buildings and 10 other structures.
Tawang Monastery is one of the largest monasteries of Mahayana sect in Asia. The monastery is also known in Tibetan as Galden Namgey Lhatse, which translates to ‘celestial paradise in a clear night.’ The library of the monastery has valuable old scriptures, mainly Kanjur and Tanjur, numbering 850 bundles.
Attractions Of Tawang Monastery In Arunachal Pradesh :
The three storey fortified monastery covers the total area of 135 sq. meters enclosed by a compound wall of 610 m long. The monastery houses 65 residential buildings, chortens,lanes and by lanes. There is a main shrine room inside the monastery that is richly decorated and contains several statues including a beautiful thousand armed Chenrezig (or Avalokitesvara). Two ani gompas are visible from the main gate, clinging to the steep mountain slopes in the distance. The Parkhang hall lodges the library that contains the valuable old scriptures mainly Kanjur and Tanjur numbering 850 bundles. Than there is a craft center, which produces exquisite woolen carpets.
Tawang Monastery also has other monasteries in its vicinity for visitors interested in more Buddhist architecture. For tourists bitten by the adventure bug, there are several places around Tawang where adventure sports like rock-climbing, paragliding, skating and river rafting take place.
History :
The Tawang Monastery also known as the Galden Namgyal Lhatse is a 400 year old Buddhist monastery of the Mahayana sect. It is an important centre of pilgrimage for Buddhists. The monastery was founded by a monk, Mera Lama in the year 1860-61 A.D. It is situated at a height of 3500 meters (10,000 ft) at the Bhutan border surrounded by beautiful mountains.
The monastery is a vast complex with 65 buildings, the most prominent being the assembly hall or .’Dukhang’ The inner walls contain sketches of several saints and Bodhisattvas, on the northern side is an altar, used for religious ceremonies. To the left of the altar on the northern wall is a majestic silver casket wrapped in silk containing the Thankas of Goddess Dri Devi. It is believed that the Thankas was drawn using blood from the fifth Dalai Lama’s nose. Besides this the Dukhang also contains an 8.3 metre statue of Buddha that has become the most recognisable image associated with the monastery. To put the size of the statue into context a human measures around 1.5 metres. The lighting in the hall is all natural and it is extremely relaxing to just sit in the hall listening to the chanting monks.
Fairs and Festivals :
Losar is the major festival celebrated here, that continues for the period of continuous 15 days. It is the time for the Tibetans to be with the family and friends. The spectacle of thousand of monks dressed in scarlet celebrating the Tibetan New Year is as sight not to be missed. The festival is marked with the religious ceremonies, the performance fights between the good and evil, rejoicing and passing the passing the fire torches among the crowd. The festival is full of dancing, music and merry making.
Best time to visit :
The best time to visit the Tawang Monastery is between February and June when the weather conditions are pleasant. If you want to soak in the culture of Tawang, visit during the Losar Festival which is held in February – March. The temperatures in summers range from 5 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius. Tawang receives high rainfall during the months from July to October and visits to the place should be avoided at this time. Temperatures in Tawang during the winter range from -2 degrees to 5 degrees with January being the coldest month.
Timing :
The monastery as such does not have any rigid visiting hours but visitors are generally allowed from dawn to dusk. People should have a flexible itinerary when visiting Tawang as this area has a heavy presence of army forces and any army exercise might disrupt the visiting plans.
