The Tawang district covers an area of 2085 sq km and it is bordered by Bhutan in the South west and Tibet In the North and in the eastern side Sela ranges are present that separates it from the district of west Kameng. According to the interpretation of the people of Tawang, the name to this place was given in the seventeenth century by Mera Lama.The Tawang district is located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India and is also known as the Land of Monpas. This district has an average elevation of 10000 ft above the sea level. Tawang is famous for an old monastery which dates back to 400 years. The Tawang Monastery comes in the largest monasteries in India. Tawang is the main core of Buddhist learning as well.
The name of the place is after the majestic monastery located here. It is a kind of place that seems to belong to the other world. The monastery has the capacity of housing more than 700 monks. Merag lama LodreGyatso founded this monastery in the year 1681.It was founded in order to fulfill the wish of 5th Dalai Lama, NagwangLobsangGyatso. There is a legend associated with the name of Monastry. Ta means horse and Wand means chosen. So the name indicates to be the place that has been chosen by the horse. It is said that the Merag lama’s horse chose the site for the monastery.
Merag Lama was not able to decide where to establish the monastery. One day while he was praying inside a cave, he asked for the divine guidance for the same. After coming out of the prayers he found that his horse was missing. The horse was discovered from a top of the hill, standing quietly at that very site. Merag Lama considered it as a divine sign and built the monastery at that place with the help of the volunteers belonging to the nearby villages. The Monastry is still maintained by the villagers. It is also called as GaldenNamgeyLhatse which means celestial paradise.
Places To Visit
Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse
Tawang Galden Namgyal Lhatse is popularly known as Tawang Monastery. It is a piritual center of the universe for the Monpas, which was established byMera Lama. Merag lama LodreGyatso founded this monastery in the year 1681. It was founded in order to fulfill the wish of 5th Dalai Lama, NagwangLobsangGyatso.
Jaswant Garh
It is a war memorial which is located on the route of the Tawang monastery. It is located at a distance of 21 km, ahead to the town of Tawang. The place has been established to venerate the courage shown by the martyrs during the Indo China war in the year 1962. It is mainly dedicated to Rifleman Jaswant Singh who was killed by the invaders from China.
Tawang Library
The library contains thousands of books which are block printed and contains dissertations on the Mahayana Buddhism subjects.
Weather And Best Time To Visit
The climate of Tawang is moderate and remains pleasant during the major part of the year. During most of the months the rainfall occurs here and the amount of rainfall is quite heavy during the monsoons. The temperature during the winters also drops down to the freezing point. The best time to visit this place is during the summer season from the month of March to October. The Losar festival is celebrated during the early month of March because the Losar festival is celebrated here by the Monpas. Heavy rainfall occurs during the winters hence the roads are blocked for a particular time period during winters. It should be avoided to visit Tawang during the heavy monsoons that occur from July to September.
Languages And Culture
Tawang is famous for an old monastery which dates back to 400 years. The Tawang Monastery comes in the largest monasteries in India. Tawang is the main core of Buddhist learning as well. The Tawang Monastery comes in the largest monasteries in India. Tawang is the main core of Buddhist learning as well. It is of the Geluga sect and also connected to the Drepung Monastery in Lhasa.
The town also has a handicrafts center which was established with the aim to promote the small scale industries in India for the local handicrafts. The wide range of shawls, Woolen carpets, and other handicrafts are available here. Many good Chubbas and shoes are also available here. Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, English and Monpa are the main languages spoken here.
Festivals And Activities
Losar
It is a New Year festival which is celebrated by the Monpas. Thi festival is celebrated during the last days of the month of February and the early days of March. The duration of the festival is around 8 to 15 days. Yak and liondances are performed during the festival.
Torgya
This festival is celebrated on the 28th day of the 11th month in the Lunar calendar each year. The festival is generally celebrated January. It is celebrated in order to ruin away the evil spirits which are responsible for human disease and also misfortunes related to the humanbeings as well as the crops. It also aims to get rid of the natural calamities. The Monastic dance is celebrated during the festival in the tawang monastery’s court yard called Cham-lang.
The other activities that can be enjoyed at this hill spot are trekking , hiking and other outdoor adventures.
How to reach Tawang:
By Air : The nearest airport to Tawang is at Tezpur, Assam.
By Rail : The nearest railhead to Tawang is at Rangapara, Assam.
By Road : The nearest bus station is at Bomdila. It is well connected with other towns by buses.
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