Tawang Monastery is the second largest monastery in Asia, overlooking the Tawang chu valley in the
Tawang District of
Arunachal Pradesh. It is located on top of a hill at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. This 350 year old monastery is the source of spiritual enlightenment for the followers of the Gelupa Sect of the Mahayana School Sherdukpen and Monpa tribes of Tawang and
West Kameng districts. The interiors of the monument are decorated with paintings, murals, carvings and sculptures. The building can accommodate over 500 monks.
Tawang can be reached by a two-day trip from
Guwahati, covering almost 600 km over the 4150 m high Se-la ranges. Tezpur in Assam is the nearest airport. Rangapara in Assam is the railway station nearest to Tawang.
