Tawang, with the largest Tibetan monastery in India

Tawang, in western Arunachal Pradesh, has a history deeply intertwined with Tibetan Buddhism and the Monpa people. Traditionally inhabited by the Monpas, it was once part of Tibet’s cultural and religious sphere. The 17th century marked a turning point when Merag Lama Lodre Gyatso, under the patronage of the 5th Dalai Lama, founded the majestic Tawang Monastery in 1681. Perched at 3,050 metres, it became the second-largest monastery in Tibet and a vital centre of the Gelugpa sect. Tawang is also historically significant as the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, in 1683. Over centuries, the region witnessed shifting political boundaries between Tibet, Bhutan, and India, with the British-era McMahon Line (1914) placing it under Indian administration. When the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet to escape the Chinese army, he crossed into India on 30 March 1959 and spent several days at the Tawang Monastery. During the 1962 Sino-Indian War, Tawang was briefly occupied by Chinese forces but later returned to India; a war memorial is just south of town. Today, Tawang remains a vital cultural, religious, and strategic hub, embodying centuries of Himalayan heritage.