Moving several hundred kilometers west of Ziro village, one reaches the lovely town of Tawang. That is if you happen to be at an elevation of 10,000 feet. With just over 4,000 people living in Tawang, 97% of them are Monpas and practice Tibetan Buddhism. Here, tucked away in the mountains you will find India's biggest monastery, the Tawang Monastery. Buddhism in Tawang dates back to the 11th century and has been influenced by a variety of missionaries and sects ever since. Today most Monpas belong to the Gelugpa sect.


Tawang was a part of Tibet until the McMahon line was drawn in 1914 in an effort to define India's borders. The area thus retains many similarities in culture and religion, to Tibet. The Monpas speak six sub-dialects of a language that derived from Tibetan. Though they use the Tibetan script, the Monpa languages are mutually unintelligible from Tibetan.


The use of prayer flags indicates a tie to Buddhist culture. Clusters of flags can be seen on the mountainsides of Tawang; they are placed there after a death, with one flag for each year in the life of the deceased. Prayer flags are believed to have origins in the pre-Buddhist Bon religion, and are traditionally woodblock-printed with texts and images. The flags are hung not to carry prayers to gods, but to spread good-will and compassion to benefit all, and are dyed in five colors to represent the elements.


Prayer wheels, like prayer flags, are also part of Tibetan culture and are directly linked to the Buddhist religion. Prayer wheels can be found all over Tawang. Prayers or mantras are written on the outside of the wheels, and when turned are a physical representation of reciting the prayer. The mantra most commonly found on prayer wheels, Om Mani Padme Hum, is meant to steer the mind towards enlightenment energies. Perhaps this is what sustains the monks in their monastic studies and meditations.


The town of Tawang is most famous for the beautiful Tawang monastery. The monastery was built in 1681 in accordance with the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama. It is the largest monastery in India, and is currently home to about 450 monks. One of the most awe-inspiring parts of a visit to the monastery is entering its grand assembly hall. The altar occupies the entire northern side of the hall, where the 27-foot tall statue of Lord Buddha sits. It is in this hall that monks gather for prayer and dining. The monastery has been a cornerstone of Monpa life for centuries.


Young monks here receive a traditional monastic education as well as a standard education in subjects such as mathematics, Hindi, and English.

"This clip of professionally-shot broadcast stock footage belongs to the archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., and has been filmed on either Digital Betacam or 1080i HD. Please write to us for licensing queries at rupindang [at] gmail [dot] com and [email protected]."