Paro Taktsang

This Buddhist temple complex that clings to the cliffside got its name, which translates to “Tigress Nest”, after the legend of Padmasambhava, an 8th-century Buddhist master from the Indian subcontinent who brought Buddhism to Bhutan – and who, according to legend, flew to the location from Tibet on the back of a tigress. He meditated there for three years, three months, three weeks, three days, and three hours, and eventually transformed the caves into a holy shrine. In 1692, the monastery was finally built at the site, with the placement of its first stone by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye, Bhutan’s leader of the time, also believed to be a reincarnation of Padmasambhava. Tragically, the monastery burned down in 1998, leading to the death of one monk. By 2005, it had been rebuilt and restored at a cost of about USD2 million. Today, Paro Taktsang is a remarkable wonder, from the outside and the inside, with its carved stairways, deep caves, and stunning surrounding valleys and mountains, as well as its gold-plated dome and beautiful statues.