At Tawang Monastery, more than 21,000 devotees paid tribute to the sacred relics of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Tawang Monastery located in the alpine region of Uttarakhand, considered one of the four major monasteries of Buddhism, recently organized a special event to pay homage to the holy relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. A large number of devotees, local Buddhist monks, and tourists gathered on this occasion for more than two decades. Devotees offered flowers, incense and candles in front of the relics while chanting mantras under the light of a huge flag and incense sticks installed at the main gate of the monastery. The head guardian of the monastery presented this event as a symbol of religious importance as well as social solidarity.

Tawang Monastery was founded in the seventh century and is a major center of the Tibetan school of Buddhism. The remains of Shakyamuni Buddha, believed to be several centuries old, were brought under the protection of the monastery in the past few months, adding new luster to the sanctity of the site. Buddhist scholars say that such relics are not only a source of spiritual energy, but also play an important role in the spread of Buddhism and the protection of cultural heritage. The relics were put on special display during this year's Buddhist festival, bringing a sense of spiritual peace and faith to devotees.

The monastery's administration planned to release the holy relics more regularly in the future following this large-scale ceremony.