LEGENDS OF TAWANG MONASTERY
Tawang monastery is also known as Galden Namgey Lhatse is
located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It was founded by Merak
Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680-81 in
accordance to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. Tawang monastery is
the world’s 2nd largest monastery after Potala palace.
Tawang monastery belongs to Gelug school of Mahayana Buddhism
and has religious association with Drepung monastery of Lhasa, Tibet.
Three legends are narrated to the establishment of the
monastery.
In the first legend it is said that location of the present
Monastery was was selected by a horse which belonged to Merak Lama who was on a
mission assigned to him by the 5th Dalai Lama to establish a
Monastery. After an intense search, when he failed to locate a suitable place,
he retired into a cave to offer prayers seeking divine intervention to choose
the site, When he came out of the cave, he found he found his horse missing. He
went in search of the horse and finally found it grazing at the top of a
mountain called Tana Mandekhang,
which was the palace of King Kala Wangpo. He took this as a divine and
auspicious guidance and decided to establish the monastery at that very
location. Seeking the help of the local people, Merak Lama established the
monastery at that location in the later part of 1681. Name Tawang derived from
two words Ta means Horse and Wang means Chosen.
The second legend of the derivation of the name Tawang is linked
to Terton Pemalingpa, diviner of the treasures. At this location, he stated to
have given “initiations” of Tamdin and Kagyad, which resulted in the name
Tawang. Ta from Tamdin and Wang means initiation.
According to the third legend, a white horse of the prince of
Lhasa had wandered into Monpa region. People, who went in search of the horse
found the horse grazing at the present location of the Tawang monastery. The
people of that area then worshipped the horse and the location and venerated it
every year. Eventually, to honor the sacred site, the Tawang Monastery was
built at that site.
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