Tsangyang was born on 1 March 1683 in Mon Tawang (in modern Arunachal Pradesh, India) to Lama Tashi Tenzin of Urgelling, a descendant of the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa, and Tsewang Lhamo, a Monpa girl hailing from a royal family of Bekhar Village.

There are many stories about the life and death of Tsangyang Gyatso.

There are several legendary tales about the birth of Tsangyang.
Apparently, His mother, Tsewang, had experienced a few miracles prior to the birth of Tsangyang Gyamtso.
One day, within the first month of her pregnancy, she was husking paddy in the stone mortar.
To her surprise, water started accumulating in the mortar.
On another occasion, when Tsewang drank water at a nearby place, milk started gushing out in place of water.
Since then, this stream was known as Oma-Tsikang, literally known as milky water.

In the course of time, Tsewang gave birth to a boy who was named Sanje Tenzin, with Tsangyang's grandfather and Nawang Norbu with his father.
Due to this fact, legend said that he would not drink his mother's milk from the day after their birth.
One day, when his face began to swell from an infection, Tsangyang could hardly open his eye, two local diviners were summoned.
They prescribed purifactory rite and said that his name should be changed to Ngawang Gyamtso.

His recovery was credited by the regent to the intervention of the Dalai Lama's own guardian deity, Dorje Dakpa.
The grandfather dreamt that the child was constantly being protected by heavenly beings.
The mother dreamt, as she took a rest from her weaving, that a great company had arrived to take him off.
His paternal grandmother dreamt of two suns shining in the sky.
Tsangyang was born on 1 March 1683 in Mon Tawang (in modern Arunachal Pradesh, India) to Lama Tashi Tenzin of Urgelling, a descendant of the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa, and Tsewang Lhamo, a Monpa girl hailing from a royal family of Bekhar Village.
There are many stories about the life and death of Tsangyang Gyatso.
There are several legendary tales about the birth of Tsangyang. Apparently, His mother, Tsewang, had experienced a few miracles prior to the birth of Tsangyang Gyamtso. One day, within the first month of her pregnancy, she was husking paddy in the stone mortar. To her surprise, water started accumulating in the mortar. On another occasion, when Tsewang drank water at a nearby place, milk started gushing out in place of water. Since then, this stream was known as Oma-Tsikang, literally known as milky water.
In the course of time, Tsewang gave birth to a boy who was named Sanje Tenzin, with Tsangyang's grandfather and Nawang Norbu with his father. Due to this fact, legend said that he would not drink his mother's milk from the day after their birth. One day, when his face began to swell from an infection, Tsangyang could hardly open his eye, two local diviners were summoned. They prescribed purifactory rite and said that his name should be changed to Ngawang Gyamtso.
His recovery was credited by the regent to the intervention of the Dalai Lama's own guardian deity, Dorje Dakpa. The grandfather dreamt that the child was constantly being protected by heavenly beings. The mother dreamt, as she took a rest from her weaving, that a great company had arrived to take him off. His paternal grandmother dreamt of two suns shining in the sky.
6th Dalai Lama