Tiger’s Nest Temple, Bhutan

The breathtaking side view, the sacred site for a perfect meditation, the extra ordinary architecture in the cliff side where you can hardly even feel to stand, the mysterious home of “Guru Padmasambhava”, a cultural icon of “Bhutan”, a nest where tiger rests, yes my traveler friends, I am talking about one and only the amazing spiritual wonder “Tiger’s Nest Temple” or “ParoTaktsang” or “TaktsangPalphug Monastery”.

“Tiger Nest Temple” is located 10 kilometres to the north of “Paro” and hangs on a precipitous cliff at 3,120 metres, about 900 metres above the “Paro” valley, on the right side of the “Paro Chu” river. The temple complex was first built in “1692”. “Guru Padmasambhava” is been said that the introducer of “Buddhism” in “Bhutan” and has been considered the “protector saint of Bhutan”. This is the sacred site where, “Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)” is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century. “ParoTaktsang” is the best known of the thirteen taktsang or “tiger lair” caves in which he meditated. It is believed that “Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)” flew to this location from “Tibet” on the back of a tigress from “Khenpajong”. This place was consecrated to tame the Tiger demon. That is why it is called as “Tiger Nest”. There is an another tale regarding this topic. It is also been said that a former wife of an emperor, known as “YesheTsogyal”, willingly became a disciple of “Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambahva)” in “Tibet”. She transformed herself into a tigress and carried the Guru on her back from “Tibet” to the present location of the “Taktsang” in “Bhutan”. It was been the best meditation site in “Bhutan” from the establishment. First “Guru Padmasambhava” started the meditation here in the 8th century and latterly, many Tibetan saints and eminent figures came to “Taktsang” to meditate, including “Milarepa”, “Pha DampaSangye”, the Tibetan yogini “MachigLabdrön” and “ThangtonGyelpo”. A huge fire accident was happened on “April 19, 1998” by an electrical fault. As a result main building of the monastery complex, which contained valuable paintings, artifacts and statues, was totally destroyed. A monk also died during the fire. The restoration works were undertaken at an estimated cost of 135 million Ngultrum (Bhutan’s currency) by “The Government of Bhutan” and the then King of Bhutan, “JigmeSingyeWangchuck”.

Well, that was a short and compact introduction of this monastery. Now I want you to explore the beauty of this spiritual wonder through some of my fantasy lines. When I visited this Temple it was a spring time, the weather was quite comfortable and charming. After a 15 minutes drive from “Paro” town, car dropped me at an ending point of the road, from where anyone has to climb up to see this piece of beauty. I could see the monastery far away from me. I didn’t know how to get there, I couldn’t feel how hard it would be to reach there, I didn’t know how scary it would be to see the low land from the temple ground. But I knew one thing in my mind, that any how I have to earn my dream to see, “One Of The Most Adventurous Temple Of The World”. So I started my hiking towards the “Tiger’s Nest”. Pine forest was making a dreamy movie around everywhere of myself. Clouds were shrouding the monastery and give an eerie feeling of remoteness. On the way I had been viewer of some breathtaking places. First I met a small “Lakhang”. Then I arrived to a famous thrilling view point, called “Copper-Colored Mountain Paradise of Padmasambhava”, where I got a cafeteria for a quick refreshment. On the way to main temple I had seen the beautiful of view of hundreds of Buddhist player flags. The roaring of a large waterfall was breaking the silence of the woods. And then, I finally arrived in my destination and amazed by the unconventional beauty of “Taktsang Monastery”. I saw the unexplainable beauty of various paintings inside the temple and amazed for what I did to feel it.

That was the story about my “Tiger’s Nest” experience. I hope you, who born with the adventurous blood, will get to see this spiritual wonder very soon. So put it in your travel bucket list and jump into an ocean of nature and spirituality.