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| Know the Tawang Monastery |
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The Tawang Monastery also known as "Galden Namgyal Lhatse" was founded by Merak Lama Lodre Gyamtso in the year 1860-61 AD. The Monastery stands on the top of a hill, about 10,000 ft above sea level with ravines in the south and west, a narrow ridge on the north and a gradual slope on the east.
According to legend, a celestial horse chose the site for the monastery, when the Merak |
Lama had difficulty deciding on a place to build the monastery. Tawang is the coining of two words with "Ta" meaning horse and "Wang" meaning blessed.
The mammoth structure of the monastery appears like a fort from distance, standing guard for the patrons in the valley below. Tawang monastery is the largest of its kind in the country and 2nd largest in Asia. The Monastery is the source of all spiritual life for the people of this region.
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| The Structure of the Tawang Monastery |
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The Monastery is a huge structure, built in the days of yore. The assembly hall and the court form the two major segments of the monastery.
The assembly hall called the Dukhang is a massive three-storey structure, which houses the colossal statute of Lord Buddha. The statute 28 ft tall, reaches up to the first floor of the Dukhang. The hall also has the altar and the holy Thankas.
The Dukhang through a series of cobbled pathways and gateways opens on to the court. All important ceremonies and religious dances are conducted in the court.
The Par-Khang or the library is a 3-storied building on the western side of the court. The library has all the Holy Scriptures, some of them ancient relics passed on from one generation to another since time immemorial.
The entire eastern side of the monastery forms the residential quarters of the monks. The quarters have around sixty "Sha" or huts, built and maintained by the patrons from the village.
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The Centre for Buddhist Cultural Studies |
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The monastery also has a Centre for Buddhist Cultural Studies, where young monks are taught Arithmetic, English, and Hindi besides traditional monastic education.
Visiting the Tawang Monastery at Arunachal Pradesh is a very spiritually rewarding experience.
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Journey to The Tawang Monastery |
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Tawang like the rest of Arunachal Pradesh is yet to be connected with the rest of the country by the Railway. Tezpur in Assam is the nearest railway station. Chopper services have been introduced to enable easier access to the different places in Arunachal Pradesh. The nearest airport is the Tezpur airport and it is well connected with Kolkatta and Guwahati.
Road Transport: Arunachal State Transport runs buses to Bomdila on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (8hr). Private buses also ply daily via Bomdila up to Tezpur. Jeep services are also available from Tezpur. They ply daily from Tezpur early in the morning to the Tawang.
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Staying near the Tawang Monastery |
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Comfortable accommodations are available for all tourists visiting Tawang.
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