Gorsam Chorten

Where

Gorsam, 3 km south-west of Zemithang

Altitude

About 2,000 m (6,500 ft)

Distance

About 90 km from Tawang

Timings

Open daylight hours

Entry fee

Free

Permit

Arunachal Inner Line Permit for Indians, Protected Area Permit for foreigners; army checks on border roads

Best time

October–April; Gorsam Kora in spring

Time needed

1 hour

Gorsam Chorten is a large white stupa on the bank of the Nyamjang Chu, about 3 km from Zemithang. Sources put it at around 90–93 ft high, one of the largest stupas in Arunachal Pradesh. Pilgrims walk clockwise around its base turning prayer wheels, and on festival days the whole valley comes.

The story of Gorsam Chorten

No written record of its building survives. Local tradition says it was built by a Monpa monk named Lama Pradhar (sometimes Lama Sangye Pradhar) to ward off evil spirits. He travelled to Bhutan and Nepal to raise funds, was struck by the great Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu, and carried a model of it home, said to have been carved from a radish. The date is disputed: sources give anything from the 12th to the 16th century.

What you'll see

• The stupa itself, on a broad square base with tiers of steps and a gilded spire.
• Prayer wheels set into the surrounding wall.
• The Nyamjang Chu flowing past, with the hills of Bhutan to the west.

Gorsam Kora festival

The Gorsam Kora festival falls on the last day of the first month of the Monpa lunar calendar, usually in March. Pilgrims from Tawang and from Bhutan's Trashiyangtse circle the chorten; there are masked dances, stalls and community meals.

How to reach Gorsam Chorten

Drive from Tawang via Lumla towards Zemithang. The chorten is about 3 km before the village.

Road distances from OpenStreetMap routing. Drive times are what we see on these mountain roads, not map estimates.

Weather

Low and sheltered at around 2,000 m, the valley is mild in winter and very wet in summer.

Monthly averages for 2015–2024 from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, at the site's elevation (about 1972 m). Rain and snow are rated relative to this location's own year.

Where to stay

Stay in Zemithang (homestays or the circuit house) or at Lumla. See our Zemithang page.

Etiquette

• Walk around the stupa clockwise.
• Don't sit or climb on the stupa or its walls.
• Ask before photographing monks or pilgrims.
• Dress modestly; cover shoulders and knees.

Things most guides don't tell you

• Come late afternoon. The western light turns the white stupa gold, and pilgrims do their evening circuit.
• Combine it with Bap Teng Kang Falls on the way; the falls are best in the morning light.

Nearby

• Zemithang, 3 km.
• Bap Teng Kang Falls, on the Lumla road.
• Tawang Monastery, back in Tawang.