Tawang Monastery Expresses Discontent Over China Renaming Places in Arunachal Pradesh
Tawang Monastery is the oldest in Asia and the largest in India. (Image: News18)
The oldest monastery in Asia, which has sociopolitical impact in the northeast and Tibet, said China did not have any right to do this in Indian territory
The Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh has expressed its discontent over China renaming different places in the state. The monks at the oldest monastery in Asia, which has sociopolitical impact in the northeast as well as Tibet, said the neighbouring country did not have any right to do this in Indian territory.
“They don’t have any right to rename places here. We strongly condemn this. We have already taken out rallies against this. They are trying to disturb us but we will not tolerate this,” lama Thupten Shastri told News18. “In Tibet, China tortured Buddhists and tried to destroy the religion, Tibetan culture and history; everything came under attack and any fake narrative that the other side tries to establish will be strongly condemned.”
Buddhists from across the world visit the monastery, which is home to 300 monks and 17 gompas of the region. The monastery identifies with Tawang in every way and has historical importance as well. It belongs to the Gelugpa school and has a religious association with Drepung monastery in Lhasa.
It is also a research space for Buddhism and is considered the holiest place for the Mahayana Buddhism. Being the largest monastery in India, it plays a massive role in preserving the practice of Buddhism in the country. In Tibet, the Tawang Monastery is known as ‘Gaden Namgyal Lhatse’, which means ‘divine paradise of complete victory’.
It was founded by Lodre Gyatso in 1680 on the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama. It is a three-storied structure with more than 65 residential buildings and a storehouse for over 400 handwritten manuscripts. Its structure is so sound from an architectural as well as spiritual point of view that it gets visitors all through the year.
“Lodre Gyasto is the founder of this monastery, he went to Tibet and the fifth Dalai Lama told him to build it. Our scripts and research, everything is here. People from around the world come here,” Thupten Shastri said.
He said there is a popular saying that the name and location of this monastery was selected by a horse. “You may be astonished but the full name of the monastery in Tibet is Galdan Namgye Lhatse. ‘Ta’ means ‘horse’ and ‘wang’ means ‘chosen’, which together ‘Tawang’ meaning the location selected by the horse. This horse was the Lodre Gyatso’s. There are numerous stories attached to its naming,” he added.
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