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Thrilled Tawang ready to welcome Dalai Lama

Manoj Anand

The 14th Dalai Lama may not like to retrace his escape route that he had undertaken 50 years ago, wading through snow to enter India near Zemithang (93 km northwest of Tawang bordering Bhutan and China), to escape persecution by the marauding Chinese soldiers, but there are a number of Monpa community leaders who had mesmerising memory of his historic escape. The Dalai Lama is very close to their heart.

Apart from his spiritual discourses, the Dalai Lama is very special to Monpas who equate themselves with the Dalai Lama more because the sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-1706), was born in a Monpa family of Tawang.

The Monpa belong to the Gelugpa and Nyangmapa sects of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. The Monpa speak their own language, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family, but is written in the Tibetan script, since the 11th century, with some variation depending on region; Tawang Monpa is one. A large number of Monpa also speak Tibetan.

"This may be the last opportunity for me to have the blessing of the Dalai Lama. I can’t wait to see him again here," said 72-year-old Chogumbu Lama, in-charge of the monastery’s museum. He was one of the many Buddhist Monpa inhabitants of Tawang who saw the Dalai Lama off at Komkang, four kms south of Tawang, in 1959.

"We will be able to generate love and compassion among the people by the blessing of the Dalai Lama," says Tsona Gontse Rinpoche, the chairman of newly-created Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs.

He says, "We don’t understand why China is making so much noise about the visit of His Holiness. It’s not the first time that he’s coming to Arunachal Pradesh. He was here in 1997 to inaugurate the renovated Dukhang and again in 2003. He is coming for religious discourses and not for anti-China politicking."

More than 400 Lamas of Tawang monastery are equally elated and waiting for the Dalai Lama. They organised a special kurum (prayer) for three days to sanctify the 328-year-old monastery ahead of the Dalai Lama’s visit.

"We will also be organising a special prayer on the last day of his visit to Tawang for his long life and good health," said Mr Rinpoche who himself is a Lama and represented Tawang three time as MLA and minister.

Old logs in the Lamas’ living quarters are replaced. The complex atop a ridge overlooking Tawang Valley has been given a fresh coat of paint while new shoms — holy cloth — have been draped around the main prayer hall called Dukhang. The sitting and living rooms for the Dalai Lama atop the Dukhang have also been spruced up. Every one is contributing in their own way.

"The Dalai Lama will be accorded a grand welcome on his arrival as state chief minister Dorjee Khandu, himself a Buddhist, will personally be present to receive him," said Mr Rinpoche.

The official itinerary of the Dalai Lama starts with a four-day visit to Tawang beginning from October 8.

Coming straightway from Guwahati by chopper, the Dalai Lama, along with his 11–member entourage, will be visiting the Tawang Monastery on the inaugural day to attend a public reception.

From October 9 to 11, the spiritual teacher will deliver religious discourse from Yidga Choszin (a prayer hall, specially designed at the Tawang Government Higher Secondary School ground) to hundreds of devotees, expected to come from various parts from within and outside country.

The Dalai Lama is also scheduled to inaugurate a state-of-the-art hospital at Tawang on October 9. He had donated Rs 20 lakhs for the project.

On October 12, he will leave for Bomdila en route Dirang for one-hour stay, where he is expected to give blessings to many devotees. The following day will witness another discourse at Bomdila.

In his last part of journey, the Dalai Lama will be visiting the state capital Itanagar on October 14. A large number of devotees are expected to come for his blessings at Gompa where the spiritual leader is schedule to offer religious discourse to his devotees.

Apart from the state level reception committee, many sub-committees have been constituted to look after and arrange the schedule visit of the Dalai Lama.

To receive numerous visitors from outside state, Mr Rinpoche said, the state level committee was taking special care for issuance of Inner Line Permit and Restricted Area Permit to Buddhist visitors and monks.