Gorsam Chorten

Gorsam Chorten is a historic Buddhist stupa located in Gorsam village in the Zemithang Valley of Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh, about 92 km from Tawang town. Standing about 28 metres high with a whitewashed dome and golden spire, it is the largest stupa in Arunachal Pradesh and is modeled after the Boudhanath Stupa in Nepal. Built in the 12th-13th century, it is an important pilgrimage site and hosts the annual Gorsam Kora festival.

Visitors can expect a large whitewashed stupa with a broad dome, golden spire and prayer flags set in the open Zemithang Valley surrounded by mountains and the Nyamjang Chu river. The site has a peaceful, open courtyard for circumambulation, prayer wheels and views of the valley. Visitors can walk around the base, observe Buddhist architecture and murals, and experience a quiet pilgrimage atmosphere. The location is remote and rural with limited commercial development.

Gorsam Chorten is believed to have been built in the 12th-13th century by the Monpa lama Pradhar. It was constructed in the style of the Boudhanath Stupa in Nepal and is considered one of the oldest and largest stupas in Arunachal Pradesh. The stupa enshrines Buddhist relics and has served as an important landmark for Buddhist pilgrims traveling between Tibet and India for centuries.

The chorten is a significant pilgrimage site for followers of Tibetan Buddhism, particularly the Monpa community. It is revered as a sacred stupa for circumambulation and prayer. The annual Gorsam Kora festival, held in March on the full moon day, draws devotees and monks who perform ritual circumambulation and prayers, reflecting the living Buddhist traditions of the Zemithang Valley.