Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh | |
|---|---|
 Vajrayana Buddhism: The historic Tawang Monastery (Gaden Namgyal Lhatse) in western Arunachal Pradesh. | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Total Population | 162,815 (11.8% of the state)[1] |
| Major Traditions | Vajrayana (Tibetan) and Theravada |
| Monpa term | སངས་རྒྱས་པ། (Nang-pa) |
| Khamti term | ꩫꩣꩤ ꩪꩣꩬꩌꩣ (Phra Dhamma) |
| Primary Regions | Tawang, West Kameng, Namsai, Changlang, Upper Siang |
| Major Ethnic Groups | Monpa, Tai Khamti, Sherdukpen, Singpho, Memba |
| Liturgical Languages | Classical Tibetan (Chökey), Pali |
Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh is a major religious tradition in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, practiced by approximately 11.8% of the state's population. The presence of Buddhism in the state is uniquely characterized by its division into two entirely distinct, historically unconnected traditions: Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism) in the high-altitude western and northern Himalayas, and Theravada Buddhism in the tropical eastern river valleys.[2][3]
Despite existing within the same state, these two Buddhist communities originate from entirely different cultural spheres, speak languages belonging to different linguistic families, and historically maintained separate international religious networks. Today, the state serves as a vital cultural crossroads connecting the Tibetan plateau to the Indochinese peninsula.
According to the 2011 Census of India, the total Buddhist population in Arunachal Pradesh was 162,815 out of a total state population of 1,383,727.[1] While Christians, Hindus, and followers of the indigenous Donyi-Polo faith make up the majority of the central districts, Buddhists form an absolute majority in the districts of Tawang and West Kameng in the west, and has significant population in Namsai and Changlang in the east.
- Tawang (21.4%)
- West Kameng (23.5%)
- Lohit (Includes Namsai) (18.2%)
- Changlang (11.5%)
- Papum Pare (8.10%)
- Upper Siang (5.30%)
- West Siang (4.00%)
- Other Districts (8.00%)
One of the most interesting characteristics of Buddhism in Arunachal Pradesh is that its adherents comes from two distinct cultures regions. Prior to the establishment of the North-East Frontier Agency, the Buddhist groups of the east and west had virtually zero historical interaction, as in all of modern-day Arunachal Pradesh which were essentially separate communities stitched into one.
