Arunachal Pradesh Tawang Monastery
Tawang monastery is located in Arunachal Pradesh, which is one of the north east states of India and this is considered to be the largest in the country. In Asia, the monastery is ranked second in terms of size, as it is located in the top of a hill, which overlooks the Tawang Chu Valley. The hill is about 3300 mts in height above the sea level and is said to be more than 350 years old. The monastery is considered to be the spiritual part of life of people in the state, mostly the tribes of Sherdukpen and Monpa, which are said to be a Buddhist sect of Mahayana school. Exterior of the monastery, from a distance, looks like a fort, as if an imposing structure is guarding the valley below. A visit to the Tawang Monastery gives people a taste of Buddhist life style along with beautiful green forests, streams, mountain peaks, villages with great looking sceneries in the background. About 700 monks can live in the monastery, although there are presently about 300 monks leading a simple life in the confines of this majestic monastery. In the local parlance, the Tawang Monastery is also known as Galden Namgyal Lhaste and was set up in 1860s by Merak Lama Lodre Gyamtso. The imposing structure of the monastery is of 3 storeys and is spread over an area of 140 msq and has a compound wall surrounding it which runs for about 610 mts. It houses about 65 residential buildings and other structures also.
History
The foundation of the Tawang Monastery was laid down by Merag Lama Lodre Gyamtso, according to the wishes of Nagwang Lobsang Gyatso, who was the 5th Dalai Lama. Gelugpa sect of Buddhism is said to be the resident of this monastery. According to legends, the horse of Merag Lama, helped in deciding the location of the monastery. While in search for a proper place to build a monastery, Merag was in a cave praying for guidance. On coming out, he found his horse standing quietly on top of the hill, which he thought to be a message from the god. Along with the help of the villagers in the neighbourhood, he started the construction. In local language, the other name of the monastery means a celestial paradise in a clear night. From time to time, this Tawang monastery has been a favourite spot for many Dalai lamas, since the time of its construction, with some objections raised by the Chinese government, which sought the occupancy of Tawang region as it has a sizeable Tibetan population.
Architecture
Tawang Monastery can be entered from the northern gate, which is known as Kakaling. This is a structure which appears like a hut and is built from stones. From the Kakaling, the main gate is reached, located towards the north face of the monastery. Inside the monastery, one can find the most important structure and one which is quite prominent, as the assembly hall or Dukhang. It is situated towards the northern side and is the most important part of the monastery. This structure is 3 storeyed and has a temple as well as the replica of an Abbot, known as Labrang. From the inside of the Dukhang, one can find the innumerable paintings and sketches of gods and saints, as well as pictures related to Buddhism. There is an altar in the north wall of the assembly hall. This is the location of most of the functions that occur in the monastery and also is the point where there is a silver casket made of silk, inside which are the Thangkas, dedicated to Goddess Shri Devi, known as Palden Lhamo. The Thangkas has been painted with red blood drawn from 5th Dalai Lama’s nose and presented to Merak Lama by Dalai Lama himself. At this point, there is also the image of Lord Buddha, having a height of about 26 feet. The court, library and Rhum Khang or kitchen, are the other important structures inside the monastery.
Festivals
Inside the Tawang monastery, the important festivals celebrated with lots of dance and songs are Losar and Torgya. These are held in the months of January and the 11th month of the lunar calendar, respectively.
Reaching There
Tezpur in Assam is having the nearest airport to the Tawang monastery, at a distance of 365 kms, while Guwahati airport is situated about 555 kms away. Guwahati is also having the nearest railway station to Tawang. By road, tourists can reach by taking private buses, or jeep or two-wheeler, from Tezpur at a distance of 365 kms, from Bomdila at a distance of 185 kms and from Guwahati at a distance of 555 kms, by crossing the Sila Pass.
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