Arunachal Pradesh Lower Gompa
Bomdila is one of the important towns of the North East Region of India, located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. This town is situated in an altitude of about 2217 metres above sea level and is a destination housing a few Buddhist monasteries and apple orchards.
Bomdila was part of the kingdom of Tibet during medieval times,ruled by the local tribal chieftains of Bhutan. In 1962 Indo Chinese War, China invaded this area, but later retreated.
Lower Gompa is a Monastery established at the end of Bazaar Street at Bomdila, placed right at the middle of the town, while this Monastery exhibits beautiful Tibetan architecture with a huge prayer hall within the main Gompa building.
Founded by
The GentseGadenRabgyel Ling Monastery, which is Upper Gompaat Bomdila, was started by TsonaGontseRimpoche’s 12th reincarnate , in the years 1965 – 66, the model for which had been taken from TsonaGontse Monastery at Tsona of South Tibet, which was established in the 15th century. The architecture of Upper Gompa therefore is exactly the same of TsonaGontse Monastery.
Upper Gompaand Lower Gompa are the most visited attractions of Bomdila, which monasteries are home of many Buddhist Monks and Lamas belonging to Mahayana Buddhism.
Description
Buddhist Gompas are calm and peaceful places to render prayers and meditation by people with Buddhist faith, mostly part of Monasteries or Monasteries themselves, positioned in a serene atmosphere, with idols and images of divinity kept in a main hall. They are mostly monasteries intended for learning, awakening and reaching ecclesial achievements by enduring divine worship. Monasteries or Gompas are established mostly in countries like Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and India. Gompas are also referred as lings they may also be in the form of stupas. They are constructed of varied designs according to region they are established, in some cases it can just be a hall for meditation.
Lower Gompa is a Monastery of this order, although not very big as other Monasteries.
Attractions Nearby
Bomdila being a small hill town is a perfect tourist place with a ever bustling market place, many eat houses and locations to see in the town itself, besides giving scope for amazing valley views that everyone would admire.
- Rupais a picturesque township closer to Bomdila, situated on the banks of Rupa river, the name of the place having been given in honour of a young girl Rupa who was resourceful to the Indian Army during the Chinese war in 1962 war. The river bank and the mountain range behind are beautiful opportunities for one to enjoy at Rupa.
- Chilipam,is a nearby village which epitomises solitude and depicts Arunachal Pradesh village life at its best. There is a Monastery there, which recent construction, which location commands phenomenal view of the hills from its unique position on a mountaintop. It would be a wonderful experience to watch the young monks of Chilipam Monastery reading aloud by sitting on the green grass of the premises, while in the village outside, the farmers engaged in cultivation activities at the hostile mountain land and their children playing in the adjascent thatched houses .
- Dhirang is another town which is reachable by a two-hour journey from Bomdila and the travel by itself will be a joy of seeing greenery and quiet all throughout.In Dhirang there is a fabulous waterfalls, beautiful orchards and a few hot springs. These sulphur springs and the village DirangDzong , which is 500-year-old, are the main attractions here. Dhirang also houses a yak breeding centre which one should not miss.
- Tawang Monastery is another spot one can visit when touring this area. This is one of the largest gompas in India, even a distant view of the monastery will be a sight of amazement..
- Tawang is also known for the war memorial built to honorand remember the heroes of the 1962 Chinese war, which had causedunforgettable effects on the life of people here .
How to Reach
Bomdila has no railway link and Tezpur Railway Station in Assam is the nearest point to reach this place by train. There are Helicopter services available in Arunachal Pradesh to commute to different places, which can be availed for reaching Bomdila too. As for the regular air travel, the nearest airport is the Tezpur airport I Assam, which is connected through flights from Kolkata and Guwahati, with good frequency.
Bomdila, where Lower Gompa is situated, is well connected by road with all other towns of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. There are regular buses from Tezpur to Bomdila, while large section of people use shared Jeeps for travel.
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