Tawang Monastery or Gompa

The Tawang Monastery or Gompa is a 400 year old Tawang Monastery Buddhist monastery founded by a monk, Mera Lama, a contemporary of the fifth Dalai Lama. The complex is like a walled city with narrow streets and stone houses that accommodate over 500 monks.

The buildings of the Tawang Monastery include a library, the central monastery, the treasure house of old scriptures, painted tapestries, books and gold lettered Buddhist scriptures.

The library is housed in Parkhang Hall and contains rare hand written and block-printed manuscripts of revered books like 'Tangym', 'Kangyur' and 'Sungbhum'. The Dukung, or assembly hall, is the most impressive building - this three story building houses the temple.

Other highlights of the Tawang Gompa are the 18 foot high gilded Buddha statue and the entry gate, which is beautifully decorated with paintings. The ceiling is painted with Buddhism folklore.

The Buddhist cultural center was developed for Buddhist cultural studies, particularly for the young monks to learn Buddhist values.

Scholars and pilgrims from all over the world come to join the Tawang Monastery to chant, pray, and meditate in this peaceful and solitary retreat. The Tawang Gompa is very active and the craft center is well known for its intricately woven carpets.