There are 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 gompa, 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.
The ‘Parkhang’ hall of the monastery houses the library which boasts rare hand written and block-printed Thankas or manuscripts of revered books like ‘Tangym`, ‘Kangyur` and ‘Sungbhum`. There is also a craft centre, which produces exquisite woollen carpets. Tawang is also suitable for trekking and hiking.
There are beautiful lakes around Tawang. One is Pankang Teng Tso (P.T. Tso ) lake. It is a fetching heaven for tourist only 17 KM away from maddening crowd of township. It is a beautiful natural site and provide tourist a lucky chance for deep communion with nature. Other eye catching lakes are Sangetser lake , Banggachang lake.
The sinuous road to Tawang passes through the dragon gates on the awesome heights of the great Sela Pass situated at 13,714 ft. Jaswantgarh located here is a memorial to the brave soldier who confronted the Chinese single-handed during the Indo-Chinese war in 1962.
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