Tawang:
It has a special place in history. Tawang is where the Dalai Lama entered India 50 years ago, after escaping from Tibet. Now, the monastery there is making special plans to receive him once again.
On March 31, 1959, 23-year-oldTenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, arrived at the Tawang Monastry. Each visit since has been controversial. The Dalai Lama was meant to visit in March, but cancelled his visit at the last moment. He's now expected to inaugurate a hospital here next month. Room 301 will be his home.
"We are eagerly waiting to receive him. This has nothing to do with political issues, because he is a spiritual leader and the head of the Buddhist religion," says Chombay, a Tawang resident.
India has already dismissed China's objections to the trip. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has said that the Dalai Lama is free to travel anywhere in India, including Arunachal Pradesh, "as long as he does not comment political developments."