Tawang

Tawang is a high-altitude Himalayan town in Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh, situated at about 3,048 metres in the eastern Himalayas. It is known as the administrative headquarters of Tawang District and for the 17th-century Tawang Monastery, one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, alpine lakes and valleys, it is a major cultural and scenic destination in Northeast India.

Visitors can expect a remote Himalayan town surrounded by snow-covered peaks, coniferous forests and alpine lakes. The town centre has markets, hotels and eateries, while the surroundings feature the large Tawang Monastery complex, prayer halls, museums, war memorials, waterfalls and high mountain passes such as Sela Pass. Roads are winding and mountainous, weather is cold, and Tibetan Buddhist culture and Monpa traditions are prominent throughout the area.

Tawang Monastery was founded in 1680-81 by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso at the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. The monastery belongs to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and has historically been an important centre of Buddhist learning. The region also gained significance due to its role in the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, commemorated by the Tawang War Memorial.

Tawang is the cultural centre of the Monpa people and a major centre of Tibetan Buddhism in India. Tawang Monastery houses Buddhist scriptures, thangkas and religious artefacts and hosts festivals such as Losar, Torgya and Saka Dawa. The town reflects Monpa architecture, handicrafts, traditional dress and monastic traditions.