Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), December 4 — Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday inaugurated the first-ever International Conference on Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso, the Sixth Dalai Lama, who was born in Tawang in 1683. The four-day event brings together scholars, monks and delegates from India and abroad to examine his cultural, historical and spiritual legacy.
The conference opened with a sacred Mandala offering. In a post on X, Khandu said Tawang “becomes the centre of a global academic dialogue” about the Sixth Dalai Lama. He also offered prayers at Tawang Monastery ahead of the programme, calling the start “a blessed beginning” to honour the leader’s spiritual and cultural contributions. The Chief Minister added, “May the light of the Sixth Dalai Lama guide humanity forever.”
Organised under the guidance of His Eminence Ven Tengyur Rinpoche and the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Karmik and Adhyatmik Affairs (DoKAA), the conference aims to produce a fuller, well-researched understanding of Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso’s life, teachings and poetry. Speakers and participants will explore aspects of his philosophy and history that — Khandu noted — are often overlooked outside Monyul and Buddhist circles, where he is commonly remembered mainly for his verse.
Delegates will engage in sessions that unite faith, culture and scholarship in the birthplace of the revered spiritual figure. Officials describe the gathering as a proud and historic moment for the region and a global effort to bring wider attention to the Sixth Dalai Lama’s teachings, poetry and enduring influence.
Scholars from across India and overseas are expected to contribute papers and discussions aimed at rediscovering and contextualising the Dalai Lama’s legacy for contemporary audiences.
