Tawang monastery Travel Guide

A wonderful scenic tourist destination, Tawang Monastery is located at a foothill and at an elevation of 3000 m above sea level. The Monastery is the second......A wonderful scenic tourist destination, Tawang Monastery is located at a foothill and at an elevation of 3000 m above sea level. The Monastery is the second ancient monastery in the world after Lhasa and is one of the biggest lamaseries of Mahayana sect which is also identified as the Golden Namgyal Lhatse, which translates to "celestial paradise in a clear night." It was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680-1681 in accordance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. It belongs to the Gelug school of Mahayana Buddhism and had a religious association with Drepung Monastery of Lhasa, which continued during the period of British rule.

The monastery is three stories high. It is enclosed by a 925 feet (282 m) long compound wall. Within the complex there are 65 residential buildings. The library of the monastery has valuable old scriptures, mainly Kangyur and Tengyur.

HISTORY OF TAWANG MONASTERY:

There are many legends behind how the monastery was established. The most likely is the one in which Merak Lama had difficulty finding a good place in which to found the monastery. Story says that he decided to rest in a cave, where he prayed, seeking divine guidance. When he came back out, his horse was missing. After a while Merak Lama managed to find the horse, grazing at the top of a mountain. Merak Lama realised it as a good spot on which to built the monastery. In Tibetan, ‘Ta’ means horse and ‘wang’ means “chosen”, hence the name Tawang  – chosen by a horse. The full name of the monastery is Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse – “The site chosen by the horse is the divine celestial paradise”.

The most significant building in the compound is Dukhang, the assembly hall. The primary feature of the hall is the 18 feet tall gilded statue of Buddha seated in the lotus position. It is so large that the top of the statue extends to the upper floor. There is also a thangka, a Tibetan Buddhist style painting, of Palden Lhamo, guardian deity of the monastery. It was donated by the 5th Dalai Lama. The entire hall is decorated with exquisite carvings, murals, and paintings in the traditional architectural style of Buddhism.

The monastery is three storied, with a big assembly hall, a centre of Buddhist studies, and a school. The monastery has its own printing press, where wooden blocks and local paper are used to print Buddhist texts. There’s a large library with ancient manuscripts as well as handwritten and printed texts. The residential huts (Shas) of the monks were built to accommodate 700 monks and lamas, which currently house around 450. All the halls are brightly coloured and beautifully decorated.

The young monks are taught English, Hindi, Math, and Buddhist teachings in the school. Those who join the monastery have to make a lifetime commitment, failing which, a heavy penalty is to be given when leaving. Most of the monks are boys who belong to the Monpa community.

Tawang Monastery is built like a fortification as, in the 17th century, other sects of Buddhism were hostile to Merak Lama’s intentions to built a monastery. Hence, the compound was built with defence in mind. The monastery was also occupied by China during the 1962 Ind0-China War, though they caused no harm. Prior to that, the current and 14th Dalai Lama took shelter in the monastery in 1959, when he fled Tibet after a failed rebellion against the government of China.

There are many festival celebrations which are held in the large courtyard of the monastery, such as Losar (Tibetan New Year), Torgya, Ajilamu, Dungyur, and Choksar. buddha mahotsav tawang is main festival celebrated in tawang.  Tawang-Torgya is a festival exclusively held in the monastery. It takes place annually, and is a celebration of the Monpa people, which takes place according to the Buddhist calendar. Torgya is held to ward off evil forces and protect people from natural disasters. The 3 day long celebrations are most popular for the costumed dances. Two of them, Losjker Chungiye and Pha Chan, are the most popular, the former of which is performed by the monks. The dances showcase myths and legends, in which the strikingly masked figures represent different animals like sheep, monkeys, cows, etc. Tawang monastery is visited each year by thousands of pilgrims and tourists. It’s a unique and peaceful place unlike any other in the country. The spiritual and serene atmosphere permeates the air and seeps into the soul. When visiting the monastery, you can also travel to the beautiful lakes around Tawang, like Banggachang,  Shonga-tser, Madhuri, and Pangang Teng Tso. You can also stop by the Tawang War Memorial. No traveller should miss out on the beauty of the Tawang Monastery.