TAKTSHANG: THE TIGER’S NEST

In every trip there is a place everyone agrees must be visited. If you go to the Mediterranean, that place will surely be the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, a 5-star luxury resort where we will bring you to the deepest corners of Asia.

If travelling further distances though, the place all travellers who go to Butan must visit  is Taktshang, a monastery called “The Tiger’s Nest” located half an hour from Paro on top of a 700-metre cliff, 3,100 metres high.

Just like almost all amazing and spectacular spots, in order to reach the Tiger’s Nest you will have to make a physical effort and walk uphill for two and a half hours. Nothing too demanding for those who are used to hiking.

Taktshang is a sacred Buddhist monastery which started being built in 1692 near the cave where the Guru Padmasambhava was believed to meditate for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 hours in the 8th Century.

Legend has it that Guru Padmasambhava flew on the back of a tigress over Tibet and in doing so he managed to tame the evil tiger.

Although there is also another legend which tells the story of the wife of an emperor, who later became disciple of the Guru in Tibet, and then turned into a tigress, and it was she who brought him to Butan. Once there, Padmasambhava stayed in a cave meditating for a long time and only came back out after 8 incarnations, hence this place becoming a holy place.

This monastery, Taktshang has been hit by several fires throughout the years, but the dubkhang, the holiest chapel, where Guru Padmasambhava was, has always remained mysteriously protected.  This fact has led to many conjectures regarding the magic powers he possessed. People still believe in such powers nowadays.

Currently, in the Tiger’s Nest there are monks who live there and practise Buddhism, a religious retreat, which is the reason why that part of the monastery is forbidden to tourists.

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