From Vajrayana to Theravada: How Arunachal Pradesh Preserves Three Different Buddhist Traditions

In Arunachal Pradesh, Buddhism has many stories to tell. Travel from Tawang in the west to Namsai in the east, and the monasteries, rituals, and cultural traditions change. What remains constant is the faith’s deep connection with the communities that have preserved it across generations.

These places offer more than a glimpse into India’s religious heritage. They tell the story of how Buddhism travelled, adapted, and flourished across the eastern Himalayas, connecting local communities with a much wider Buddhist world.

Tawang: Where faith meets frontier history

Founded in 1681 by Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso, following the wishes of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Tawang Monastery became an important centre of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries, it has shaped religious and community life in the region.

Tawang’s history took a decisive turn in 1951. In February that year, Major Ralengnao ‘Bob’ Khathing, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur, led an Indian administrative mission into the region. Accompanied by Assam Rifles personnel, he engaged local leaders and established Indian administration. On February 14, the Indian national flag was hoisted in Tawang.

Khathing’s role remains a relatively little-known chapter in India’s post-Independence history. Yet Tawang’s story cannot be understood through politics alone. Its centuries-old Buddhist links with Tibet remain central to its cultural identity, just as its place within India shapes its present and future.

For the Monpa community, Buddhism is part of everyday life. Festivals such as Torgya, masked dances and traditional art keep local customs alive. Urgelling Monastery, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the Sixth Dalai Lama, adds to the region’s religious significance.

Bomdila: Keeping Buddhist learning alive

Further south, Bomdila offers another perspective on the region’s Buddhist heritage. The Gentse Gaden Rabgyel Ling Monastery, established in 1965, reflects efforts to preserve Tibetan Buddhist learning following the upheaval in Tibet.

Monasteries are not simply places of worship. They are centres where scriptures are studied, philosophies debated and knowledge passed from teachers to students. Their libraries, paintings, rituals and artistic traditions preserve histories that might otherwise be lost.

Protecting this heritage, therefore, means safeguarding the knowledge practised within monastery walls, not merely maintaining the buildings themselves.

Namsai: A different Buddhist tradition

The journey east to Namsai reveals another important dimension of Arunachal Pradesh’s Buddhist landscape.

Unlike Tawang and Bomdila, which are strongly associated with Vajrayana Buddhism, Namsai and neighbouring areas are known for Theravada Buddhism, particularly among the Tai Khamti community. Its religious practices and cultural influences reflect distinct historical connections.

This diversity deserves greater recognition. Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh cannot be understood through Tibetan Buddhist traditions alone. Mahayana, Vajrayana and Theravada have followed different paths across the state, shaped by the communities that embraced and preserved them.

Namsai is an important reminder that India’s Buddhist heritage is not a single, uniform tradition. Its richness lies partly in the different ways Buddhist teachings have taken root across cultures.

A heritage that connects India to Asia

The stories of Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai belong to a much larger history of Buddhism’s dissemination from India across Asia. Ancient centres of learning such as Nalanda helped shape Buddhist philosophy through scholarship, translation and teacher-disciple traditions. Monks and scholars carried these teachings across geographical and linguistic boundaries, where they developed alongside local customs.

Arunachal Pradesh reflects that history in living form. Its monasteries preserve manuscripts, art, architecture and religious practices, while communities continue to pass their traditions to younger generations.

The challenge is to keep this inheritance alive. Manuscript preservation, religious education, research and cultural exchanges all have a role to play. So do opportunities for local communities through responsible pilgrimage, heritage tourism, traditional crafts and conservation. These efforts must be shaped with local communities, rather than simply organised around them.

Why this heritage matters to India

Tawang’s proximity to the India-China border has placed it at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of what it calls South Tibet, a claim India rejects.

But the region is much more than a strategic frontier. Its monasteries, communities and cultural traditions are central to its identity. India’s relationship with its Himalayan regions must therefore extend beyond security and infrastructure to include education, healthcare, economic opportunity and cultural preservation.

Cultural diplomacy can help build international connections, but it has lasting value only when it respects the people whose traditions it seeks to showcase.

The International Buddhist Confederation’s opportunity

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) has an opportunity to bring these traditions to a wider audience.

The scheduled exposition of the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha in Tawang from November 1–7, 2026, followed by a programme in Bomdila from November 8–13, offers an occasion to highlight the region’s Buddhist heritage. An international conference is also scheduled in Tawang on November 2–3 under the theme “Buddhism: Dissemination in the Himalayan Region and Beyond.”

The theme speaks directly to Arunachal Pradesh’s place in Buddhist history. Tawang and Bomdila represent important centres of Vajrayana heritage, while Namsai brings the Theravada tradition into the wider conversation.

The real value of these events will lie in what follows: stronger research partnerships, better documentation of Buddhist art and manuscripts, exchanges between monasteries and universities, and opportunities for younger generations to engage with their heritage.

For the IBC, this is an opportunity to connect Himalayan Buddhist institutions with the wider Buddhist world without overlooking the distinct histories of individual communities.

Tawang, Bomdila and Namsai tell different stories. One brings together centuries of monastic tradition and a pivotal moment in India’s frontier history. Another reflects the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist learning. The third highlights the distinct Theravada heritage of eastern Arunachal Pradesh.

Together, they offer a fuller picture of India’s Buddhist inheritance.

Preserving it will require more than protecting monasteries. It will mean ensuring that the knowledge, traditions, and community life they sustain continue to flourish. That responsibility belongs not only to India, but also to the wider Buddhist world.