Amazon Quiz (August 2): This monastery, the largest buddhist monastery found in India, is located in which Indian state?
Manipur
Nagaland
Mizoram
Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh
Tawang Monastery is the largest monastery in India, located in Tawang city of Tawang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is located in the Tawang Chu valley, near the little town of the same name in Arunachal Pradesh’s northeastern region, close to the Chinese and Bhutanese borders.
The Tibetan name for Tawang Monastery is Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, which translates to “the divine paradise of total victory.” Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso established it in 1680-1681 in following the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. It adheres to the Gelug school of Vajrayana Buddhism and had a religious relationship with Lhasa’s Drepung Monastery that lasted during British rule of India.
The monastery stands three floors tall. It is surrounded by a 925-foot (282-meter) compound wall. There are 65 residential buildings in the complex. The monastery’s library contains valuable old scriptures, primarily Kangyur and Tengyur.
Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse is the full name of the monastery. ‘Ta’ means “horse,” and ‘wang’ means “chosen,” so the name ‘Tawang’ means “the location chosen by horse.” ‘Gadan’ also means “paradise,” “Namgyal” means “complete victory,” and “Lhatse” means “divine.” Thus, the complete meaning of ‘Tawang Galdan Namgye Lhatse’ is “the horse’s chosen location is the divine paradise of total victory.”
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