This great valley is famous for it’s many monasteries one being the oldest in India the Tawang monastery .I had the greta privilege of seeing this Buddhist spiritual den . Before you start to trek up a winding hilly road that leads to the main monastery sanctum , one is greeted by a fountain running on winding wheels gushing out fresh water for any one to have . This is a place pilgrims and monks alike can quench their thirst .In front of the fountain is a giant wishing wheel painted red with gold letters inscribed on them. The place was cored with dark blue sky and clouds , their is a dense mountain cover around the monastery and one has to walk up at least a few Km to get to the real monastery area . As I climbed up I saw army Jawan’s doing their morning drills , few monks walked out of the monastery library . The Tawang monastery is well maintained and very colourful , red , gold and green being the main colours used , the inner walls of the monastery is filled with immaculate paintings of god’s , some even narrate an ancient buddhist tale or proverb .Inside the Monastery is majestic golden buddha statue in a meditative posture , on the left is the photograph of the Dalai Lama who was chased out of his Kingdom in Tibet and took refuge in Tawang . One can hear slow chantings of the monks when they start their pryers . The place is full of wall murals , denoting the mystic art of the east with paintings of dragons and tigers that is more close to the oriental east . A lot of the architecture is similar to the one you see in Hong Kong and even in Mainland China .
Near the monastery is a local Buddhist school , where young bald Buddhist ids play and study , all dressed in maroon robes . The teachers drink cups of tea and teach the kids the finer points of Buddhist heritage and culture .I did manage to catch a conversation with one of the teachers in wanted to ask him about the intricacies of the Bon faith a ancient almost lost faith even pre dating buddhism , but did not get any satisfactory answers .Most people here are vegetarian and enjoy rice dal greens and roti . But I tasted the pork curry and the mutton of the region which came with spicy gravy and curry .The people are simple , poor but laid back and happy , the entire region has a air of tranquility and holiness about it .
Their are two rows of wooden planks running across the inner hall of the monastery , I was told pupils and disciples sit here in a straight line to study the ancient buddhist text , debate or just do their chanting the entire place reverberates during a prayer session .The Tawang monastery is 450 years old and most revered by Tibetans and Buddhist alike it is home and a bacon fo their faith in the eternal . Tawang monastery and it’s mountain roads will for every remain in my heart for years to come .