GANGTOK: The Himalayan states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the North East of India have a lot in common, the prominent one being their Buddhist heritage.
And it was the highlight on the third day of Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang (Goley)’s visit to the easternmost state of India as he visited Urgenling Gonpa, the birthplace of His Holiness the 6th Dalai Lama.
Tamang is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh to attend the Arunachal-Sikkim Cultural Exchange Program 2022.
The Urgenling monastery was built in 1487 and it was here the 6th Dalai Lama was born in 1683.
On his way to Dirang, the Sikkim CM also visited Khinmey Monastery in Tawang where HE 14th Padhmashree Thegtse Rimpochee and the monks greeted him.
Tamang also attended a special puja ceremony at Thongmin Gonpa located at Tawang District. CM and his entourage also had an auspicious darshan of the Holy Subh Mangal Mandela – an ancient sacred stupa consisting of various sculptural forms of Lord Buddha. The Mandela is considered the most auspicious and sacred figure in history, having been preserved since ancient times. On this occasion special puja was also performed in the monastery for the well-being of Sikkim and its people.
“I visited two of the oldest monasteries in Arunachal Pradesh, namely the Tawang Monastery and Ngyomsa Gonpa at Jang. It is a blessed feeling to visit the holy monasteries and offer prayers for the prosperity and well-being of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people,’ Tamang said.
“I also went on a tour of the museum where ancient Buddhist artefacts are on display,” he added.
The Sikkim CM also paid tribute to the brave Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1962 Sino-Indian War at the War Memorial in Tawang.