Times of India Patna 21 August 2008
Tawang monastery seeks world heritage status
Nirmalya Banerjee
Tawang : The 17th century Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh has approached Unesco for world heritage status.
Disclosing this to the media, abbot of the monastery Tulku Rinpoche said the shrine "is a storehouse of Tibetan and Monpa cultures…. Its recognition as a world heritage site will help us preserve them." Billed as one of the country’s biggest shrines, the monastery was built in 1680 by Merak Lama, a disciple of the fifth Dalai Lama. It occupies a significant place in India-China relations.
The sixth Dalai Lama was born in Tawang. Beijing often cites his association with the monastery to claim Tawang as its own. Rejecting this, the Rinpoche said, "The Dalai Lamas have been born in many places. The fourth Dalai Lama was born in Mongolia. It does not mean all these places are parts of China."
The monastery, which houses about 450 monks, has a long historical connection with Lhasa. Till 1952, the abbot of Tawang monastery was appointed by Lhasa. Between 1952 and 1968, the abbots were appointed locally. Since 1969, they are appointed by Dharamsala, the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama.
The monastery has a museum that houses artifacts collected mostly from Tibet. They are appointed by Dharamsala, the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama.
The monastery has a museum that houses artifacts collected mostly from Tibet. They include solid gold, silver and personal possessions of the sixth Dalai Lama. The monastery also has a library and a 36-foot high gold-plated statue of the Buddha brought from Lhasa.
To protect all this, temple authorities have asked the state government to install web cameras and appoint guards. The 14th Dalai Lama is expected to visit the monastery in October or November to inaugurate a hospital, for which he has donated a huge sum of money. In 1996-97, he helped in renovation of the monastery building.
