Tawang

Experience closeness to nature like never before. True nature lovers, this hill town is the place to go for.

Hooked at an elevation of 10,000 feet above the sea level, Tawang is a famous town in Arunachal Pradesh. The lovely town offers panoramic views of huge mountains, beautiful valleys, waterfalls and lakes which are a part of its surrounding. While in Tawang, travellers will be fascinated to see the beautiful lakes around. Pankang Teng Tso Lake, 17 kilometers from the town, is the most beautiful among the rest. It offers a visual treat for the tourists and also a chance for closeness to nature. The natural site is alluring.

Highly influenced by Buddhism, Tawang is a major centre of Buddhist learning. It is the district headquarters of Tawang district.

Places of Interest
Tawang Monastery
The most important attraction of the Tawang town is the Tawang Monastery which is one of the best and largest in India. This monastery belongs to the Gelugpa sect and was constructed by the Mera Lama in 1681. The monastery gave the town its name. Its history dates back to the 17th century. The word Tawang means 'horse chosen'. In fact, this word has a reference to the horse of Meera Lama who wandered off on its own and discovered the heavenly spot where the monastery stands today. It offers celestial views of the Himalayas. The central hall of this three storied monastery houses a huge image of Lord Buddha. Five hundred monks live here. En route the monastery, you will get an opportunity to view the mesmerizing sights of forests flooded with oak and pine trees, mountains and valleys. Other attraction on the way is the Sela Pass which is the second highest pass in the world. Before the set up of this monastery, Tantric religion was very popular in Tawang.

Tawang Library
If you are interested to know about Buddhism, then do visit the Tawang library inside the Tawang Monastery. It is a treasure house of thousands of block-printed commentaries and treatises on the subject of Mahayana Buddhism. This library is of immense value to the Buddhist scholars. Handmade paper is used which is produced by the Monpas from the bark of the Hong Seng tree.