Essays on Tibetan Cultural Heritage

The book contains articles on different aspects of Tibetan culture and religion. It covers the states of and  regions of Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Arunachal Pradesh. Three articles on Tibetan language and religion trace the history of the origin and growth of the Tibetan language while the article on Tibetan art examines Tibetan art in all its aspects and points out its orientation towards religion and religious presuppositions. History of the sects of Mahayana Buddhism and the history of the spread of Buddhism in Bhutan have been discussed in two articles. Role and importance of relics in Tibetan Buddhism is the subject matter of one article. One important aspect of Tibetan Buddhism is the establishment of monasteries. Both Sikkim and Darjeeling abound in such monasteries with or without monastic estates and colleges for higher religious education. History of the establishment of such monasteries and their economic role have been examined in details in three articles. Finally the article on Arunachal gives an impression of religious practices of the Buddhist tribes of the state.