Taktsang Monastery Bhutan

Taktsang Monastery

Also referred to as the “Tiger’s Nest”, the Taktsang Monastery is a treat for the eyes of a huge number of tourists and visitors (pilgrims) every year. The legend behind the sacred landmark’s history narrates that back in the 7th century (some sources quote the time as the 8th century) Guru Rimpoche fled from Tibet, China. In his pursuit of finding a recluse, he flew over the grand Himalaya sitting on the back of a tigress. Upon reaching the shrine’s present day location, the Guru meditated for round about 90 days in a cave.

The Taktsang Monastery hosts a spectacular construction and design that leave its viewers mesmerized and in a trance. Located in the vicinity of Paro Valley (Western Bhutan), the trip to Taktsang Monastery would be a meager 20 minutes if your car could ride all the way to the top. However, that is not the case. In order to get to the monastery, visitors and pilgrims must park their cars in the parking lot located at the base of the cliff.

The ascend to the temple’s entrance is approximately 900 meters above the valley and can take anywhere from 2 – 3 hours depending on how many “view points” you stop at during the hike.

Currently the temple is undergoing renovation after it caught fire back in ‘98. Fortunately, the Guru’s cave was left unharmed by the disaster. The entrance is patrolled by guards who make sure no one goes in with any baggage or cameras. The Taktsang Monastery marks the beginning of Buddhism in Bhutan.