Tawang, Aranachel Pradesh
The Tawang Monastery is by some measures India’s biggest monastery, one of the largest monasteries in Asia, and one of the largest Buddhist monasteries anywhere outside of Lhasa. Nearly five hundred monks call it home. It is famous among Buddhists for its enormous golden Buddha statue and its old and incredibly valuable collection of sacred texts. The Tawang Monastery is considered one of the most important centers of Buddhist teachings in India.
The Tawang Monastery has a relatively short history, at least relative to the antiquity of Buddhism in India. Founded in the late 17th century, it was at the time of its construction a part of Tibet and within the sphere of influence of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was established under the guidance of Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, the fifth Dalai Lama.
According to tradition, the site of the monastery was chosen by a horse who wandered to the spot when its owner was praying for guidance as to where to build it. In the early 18th century, conflict between the Tibetans, Mongols and Chinese left the region and many of it’s Buddhist monasteries in ruins, but the Tawang survived and continued to grow in importance.
Due to British colonial rule, the Tawang Monastery was incorporated into Indian territory rather than Tibetan. Because of this, when China annexed Tibet in the 1950s, Tawang remained outside of their influence. Subsequently, the Tawang Monastery became an important place of refuge for Buddhist monks fleeing China (including, briefly, the Dalai Lama himself).
The Tawang Monastery remains an important if controversial site. It has been attacked by raiding troops on several occasions, and has become something of a symbol of Tibetan/Buddhist independence. Today it is one of the most important and prestigious Buddhist schools and place of pilgrimage in the Indian subcontinent.
The Tawang Monastery is absolutely huge. It consists of over sixty buildings clustered in steps up to the top of a mountain. It is enclosed by a wall and crowned with the main temple and library. Nearly five hundred monks currently call it home, though it has room for more. The centerpiece of the monastery is its three story temple which houses an absolutely huge golden statue of the Buddha.
Of more historic interest perhaps is the library. Known as the Parkhang Library, it houses a collection of antique manuscripts of inestimable value, some of which are written in gold. The library is used by the large student population that studies at the monastery. The monastery is also home to a museum.
The Tawang Monastery crowns a hill that backs up to the Himalayas and overlooks the town of Tawang just to the east, less than ten miles south of the border with China and 700 miles east of New Delhi. As of this writing no visitor information was available. Web: http://tawangmonastery.org (official website).
Tucked away in one of the remotest places in India, Tawang is nevertheless heavily influenced by its proximity to Tibet. There are many monasteries nearby, notably the Urgelling Monastery. Across Bhutan in Sikkim are many more monasteries, including the Rumtek Monastery and the Pemayangtse Monastery.