| From
Kolkata Brooding in solitary splendour, with a grand view of
the snowy Himalayas, is the Tawang Monastery in the fabulous Tawang
district of Arunachal Pradesh. The hill town is quite like the last frontier,
strategically placed between China, Tibet and Myanmar. Tawang is well connected to Tibet
in the north by the Bum La and Tulung La passes.
Tawang
is an important centre of Buddhist learning and is particularly famous for its 400 year
old gompa, one of the best known in India. The Tawang Gompa houses a beautifully gilded 8
metre high statue of the Buddha and a number of equally remarkable idols, thangkas and
murals.
Getting
to Tawang from Kolkata means braving a long but rewarding journey. The drive through the
picturesque mountain country is spectacular and can leave you breathless, as you wind
around steep hill-roads and manoeuvre sharp hairpin bends. In parts, the road can be
rather treacherous and this is not a drive for the faint-hearted!
But once
you are on top of the situation, and reach the end of the vertiginous drive, you are
rewarded by the electrifying panorama of stark mountains, deep valleys, waterfalls and
almost a hundred lakes. To the south of the town, the Tawanchu river carves a deep gorge
as it rages by, while jagged cliffs rise steeply towards the north and snow capped peaks
frame the east. To the west of town, the Tawang monastery looms across the horizon, its
enormous yellow roof and white walls standing out like a beacon for miles on end.
The Tawang
Gompa is definitely the high point of the town, perched on a 2760 m high ridge
with a commanding view of the splendid valleys beyond. The gompa, also called the Galden
Namgyal Lhatse, is a famous Mahayana monastery established in 1643-47 by Lodre Gyaltso,
who was popularly called Meera Lama. The name of Tawang means "horse chosen," a
reference to the way in which Meera Lama's horse wandered off on its own and discovered
the perfect spot on which the monastery now stands.
The 3
storey, fortified monastery is over 140 square metres and has 65 residential buildings,
chortens, lanes and by-lanes. The Duknang or main assembly hall has Buddha statues in
various poses, while the Parkhang hall lodges the library, with a wealth of
Thangka-manuscripts and sacred books. Some of the precious manuscripts have been penned in
gold and are quite a treasure to behold!
Five
hundred monks live in the gompa, chanting, praying, meditating and advancing Buddhist
thought. The monastery attracts scholars and pilgrims from all over the world. In spite of
being a peaceful and solitary retreat, the Tawang gompa buzzes with activity and its craft
centre produces intricately woven carpets. The Dalai Lama renovated the entire monastery
in 1997.
The town
of Tawang itself is modern, with a bustling bazaar and fluttering prayer flags. The best
way to enjoy Tawang is to walk around the town. And once you have had your fill, make a
trip to Zimithang to see the impressive Gorsam Stupa, the Tatsang gompa,
the Khinme monastery and the Singshur nunnery. The Sangeshar Lake, en
route, is one of myriad lakes that make Tawang the splendid haven it is. So thank God you
braved that long drive to get here!
|
