Article’s

Buddhist monasteries have historically functioned as centres of religious practice, learning, and cultural transmission. Although Buddhism declined in India from the Gupta period onward and appeared nearly extinguished by the twelfth century, it survived and flourished across Asia through regional adaptation. One such enduring manifestation is found in the Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh, where Tawang Monastery represents a continuous and living Buddhist institutio. This paper examines Tawang Monastery within the broader trans-Himalayan Buddhist tradition, situating it historically and culturally through textual sources and material-cultural analysis. It explores the evolution and meaning of Buddhist monastic institutions and provides a geographical and ethnographic context of the Tawang region. Particular attention is given to the monastery’s architecture, ritual spaces, prayer wheels, chorten, frescoes, and sacred objects to demonstrate how material culture functions as an integral component of monastic life. The study argues that Tawang Monastery is not merely a heritage site but a dynamic institution in which belief, ritual practice, and material forms operate as an interconnected system. Despite modern transformations, the monastery continues to preserve Buddhist doctrine, sustain community identity, and embody cultural continuity in the Himalayan context.