Tiger’s Nest

Our last day in Bhutan was perhaps the best day we spent in the Land of  the Thunder Dragon. This is the day we visited the Tiger’s Nest, which is one of the most widely recognised and extraordinary tourist spots in Bhutan.We started from our hotel in Paro at 7.30 am as we wanted to cover at least a portion of our journey till the sun came up. We were at the car parking, from where the hike starts, in about 20 minutes.

We started the uphill hike to Tiger’s Nest at 8 am after purchasing the entry tickets for Rs. 500 per head. Students travelling to Bhutan should remember to carry their school/college id cards with them as 50% concession is given on tickets to students. The facility is extended to students from India as well.We did not opt for horses for our trip as  I did not find very encouraging reports on the internet. Also the ponies take you only half way up the hill and are also not permitted on the climb down. One such horse  trip costs Rs. 600 per head. The tickets are only for entering the monastery. One can still go up the entire path to the entry of the monastery without the entry ticket.

Paro Tatsang Monastery or Tiger’s Nest is a Buddhist temple complex which was built in 1692. The monastery hangs on a precarious cliff at about 10240 ft. The rock slopes are very steep and almost vertical. The monastery buildings are built into the rock face. I wondered at the expertise of the people who built this magnificent edifice in such a difficult location.

It is believed that Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) flew to this location from Tibet on the back of a tigress to tame a Tiger demon. 

The temple complex was built around the cave where Guru Padmasambhava had meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century. Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Mahayana school of Buddhism to Bhutan. The cave is opened only once a year for public view.

The path to the monastery passed through a dense pine forest that was colourfully festooned with prayer flags and moss covered rocks. The hike  all along was  very scenic with the gurgling sounds of streams and waterfalls breaking the silence.  Different kinds of flowers and rock formations accompanied us all through. We met people of various nationalities all along the way, some carrying small babies on their backs. After about half an hour of hiking, we started getting glimpses of the magnificent Tiger’s Nest which came closer and closer as we covered the distance.

The hike was to me one of moderate difficulty with most of the path consisting of stone, gravel and dust. The last part of the journey consisted of climbing up and down around 700 stairs. I could cover the entire round trip of 6.4 kms in 6 hours. The elevation gained from the base was about 1700 feet. Many people complete the journey only up to the cafeteria which is mid way and come back. I also had doubts whether I would be able to complete the hike successfully as I had read blogs about the difficult terrain. However, I did not find the hike very difficult or dangerous. However,  I had to take breaks every few minutes to gather my breath and energy. Also the two bottles of water  that I carried with me were  fully consumed. The walking stick which I had taken on rent for Rs.50.00 at the base proved to be very useful.

Near the beginning of the trail we came across a water powered prayer wheel, which was revolving continuously powered by the crystal clear water from a flowing stream. There was the sweet chime of a bell with each rotation of the wheel. The water that is touched by the wheel is said to have become blessed and carries its purifying powers into all rivers and lakes that it flows into.

At the end of the trek and just before climbing up the stairs to Tiger’s Nest, suddenly there appeared a huge waterfall with a drop of around 200 feet. We had to cross a small bridge here to reach the stairs to climb up to the temple complex.

The monastery building consists of four main temples and residential quarters for the monks, beautifully designed to fit into the granite ledges and the rocky terrain. All the buildings are interconnected through steps and stairways made in rocks. The monastery is so precariously perched that it appeared that it was clinging to the side of the mountain like a wall lizard.

We were asked to deposit all our belongings, bags, mobile phones and cameras, before entering the monastery.

In 1998, a fire broke out in the monastery destroying many valuable paintings, artefacts and statues. However, the statue of Guru Rinpoche remained intact. The temple was restored in 2005.