Arunachal: Tawang becomes centre of global dialogue, says CM Pema Khandu

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday said that Tawang has become the ‘centre of a global academic dialogue’ as the first-ever international conference on the cultural and historical significance of Tibetan spiritual leader the sixth Dalai Lama, commenced in his birthplace.

Opening the event with prayers at the historic Tawang Monastery, Khandu said the conference was a ‘blessed beginning to honour his timeless spiritual and cultural legacy’.

“Tawang, the birthplace of His Holiness the Sixth Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso, today becomes the centre of a global academic dialogue on his cultural, historical, and spiritual legacy,” the chief minister said in a post on X.

Born in 1683, in the 17th century, Dalai Lama continues to inspire humanity through his timeless teachings, poetry, and compassion. May the light of the Sixth Dalai Lama guide humanity forever, the chief minister added

The first-of-its-kind four-day conference, being held from December 3 to 6 at Tawang, brings together leading researchers in Tibetan literature, Buddhist studies, arts, history, and anthropology from premier institutions across India and abroad, officials said.

Hosted by the state Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs department, the Thubten Shedrubling Foundation, and the Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD), the conference aims to critically examine the multifaceted legacy of the sixth Dalai Lama (1683–1706/46), a figure whose life and writings have profoundly shaped Tibetan intellectual and spiritual history.

Despite the complexities surrounding his brief and extraordinary life, Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso left behind a remarkable body of poetic works composed primarily in vernacular Tibetan. His verses, often meditations on impermanence, exile and spiritual longing, continue to resonate globally.

“Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso’s life was a bridge between the spiritual and the secular, and his poetry is a testament to the enduring power of human expression amidst historical turmoil,” a representative of the Thubten Shedrubling Foundation said.

The conference, he added, reaffirms Tawang’s vital role not just as his birthplace, but as a central locus of trans-Himalayan Buddhist heritage and intellectual inquiry.

Also Read: Pema Khandu Slams China: Arunachal Woman Detained in Shanghai