Tawang Buddhist Deities

📖 Stories

• The Founding of Tawang Monastery and Its Role in Himalayan Buddhism
  **Tawang Monastery** (Gaden Namgyal Lling), founded in **1687 CE** by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso, is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India and the largest in Arunachal Pradesh. The monastery is situated at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet, overlooking the Tawang valley in far northeastern India. According to tradition, the 5th Dalai Lama gave his patronage and spiritual guidance for the monastery's establishment. The founding came after Merak Lama had a vision of the site, where a large rock resembling a "sleeping Buddha" indicated the location's spiritual significance. The monastery follows the **Gelug tradition** (the "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism), which emphasizes monastic discipline, scholastic study, and meditative practice. Over the centuries, Tawang became a major center for Buddhist learning, housing hundreds of monks who studied sutra, tantra, philosophy, and ritual practice. **Ibn Battuta** (14th century), the Moroccan traveler, described visiting Himalayan Buddhist regions, observing the monasteries and the devotion of the monks. **S. R. Bell**, a British explorer, visited the Tawang region in the early 20th century and documented the monastery's impressive setting and religious art. Following the **Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959**, many Tibetan refugees and monks fled to the Tawang area, strengthening the monastery's ties to the broader Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The monastery played a significant role in providing sanctuary and maintaining Buddhist practices during this period. Today Tawang Monastery is both a living religious institution and a major pilgrimage site. The annual **Losar** (Tibetan New Year) celebrations and the **Tawna Festival** draw thousands of devotees. The **Cham dance** performances by monks depict Buddhist teachings and the triumph of spiritual forces over negativity. The region's Monpa people have maintained their Buddhist heritage for centuries, with Tawang as the spiritual center of their tradition. The monastery continues to host teachings by prominent lamas and has become an important site for both regional Buddhists and international visitors.
  — Buddhist tradition + historical records + scholarly sources