Itanagar, Nov 27 : The famous Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh is under imminent threat of collapse following massive landslides around it.
The 330-year-old monastery, also known as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, which stands on the spur of a hill about 10,000 feet above sea level, is witnessing massive landslide around it since Monday, officials said.
The landslide had already damaged the plantation and some electric posts around the monastery located in Twang-chu valley of Tawang district, they said.
Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu visited the site yesterday to assess the damage and asked the district administration and public works department to put their men and machine in place to contain further damage to the site.
Khandu also said he would take up the matter with the Centre to save the monastery, one of the biggest in the world.
The monastery, belonging to the Gelugpa sect of Buddhism, was founded by Mera Lama Lodre Gyatso in 1680 in compliance with the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama.
The monastery has a three-storey library which boasts of a collection of 400-year-old Kangyur scriptures, large collections of Sutras, Tangym, Sungbhum, old books and invaluable manuscripts -- both handwritten and printed, many of them in gold.
The monastery has 65 residential buildings, currently housing about 450 Lamas. It controls 17 gompas and a few nunneries in the region.
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