Hiking Taktsang

Taktsang Monastery, famously known as Tiger Nest Monastery, is located in Paro, Bhutan. The monastery is one of the most venerated places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan. The legend of Taktshang (Tiger's lair) evolved form 747 AD when Guru Padmasmbhava chose a cave on a sheer rock face to meditate and, assuming a wrathful form, Guru Dorji Drolo, astride a tigress, subdued athe evil spirits n the locality. Taktshang thus became one of the most important Buddhist monuments in the Himalayan Buddhist world. Then name "Taktshang" - Tiger's Lair - was derived when the people in the locality came across a tigress residing in one of the caves. Legend has it the tigress actually was Yeshi Tshogyal, a consort of Guru Rinpoche, who has transformed herself into the fearsome animal to subjugate spirits. Taktshang clings to the rock towering 800 meters (over 2,600 feet) above the valley, and is located 2,950 meters (9,678 feet) above the sea level. It takes about 2 hours walk to reach the monastery from the road at Ramthangkha, 12 kilometers from Paro town. The history of this sacred place goes back to the eighth century when Padmasambhava, an extraordinary saint who founded the Mahayana school of Buddhism, visited the site. He assumed the terrifying form of Guru Dorje Drolo and cleansed the place of evil spirits to preserve the integrity of Buddhist teachings. An account has it that Yeshe Tsogyal transformed herself into a tigress and carried the Guru on herback from Singye Dzong in eastern Bhutan to Taktshang. In a cave there, the Guru then performed meditation and emerged in eight incarnated forms (manifestations). At Taktshang the Guru revealed the Mandala of Pelchen Dorje Phurpa, and delivered sublime teachings to his disciples. He spent four months in the cave, taming and subjugating the malicious spirits, and concealed profound treasures for the benefit of sentient beings. The climb to the monastery takes about 3 hours on a comfortable pace. Frequent trekker and gym enthusiast can complete it in about 2 hours. The total distance walked is about 4 km one way with 700m in elevation gained.