PParo Taktsang is the popular name of Taktsang Palphug Monastery (also known as The Tiger's Nest ), a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site and temple complex located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley, Bhutan. A temple complex was first built in 1692.
The monastery buildings consist of four main temples and residential shelters ideally designed to adapt to the rock (granite) ledges, the caves, and the rocky terrain. Out of the eight caves, four are comparatively easy to access. The cave where Padmasambhava first entered, riding the Tiger, is known as 'Tholu Phuk'; the original cave where he resided and did meditation is known as the 'Pel Phuk'. He directed the spiritually enlightened monks to build the monastery here. The monastery is so precariously perched that it is said: "it clings to the side of the mountain like a gecko ". The main cave is entered through a narrow passage. The dark cave houses a dozen images of Bodhisattvas, and butter lamps flicker in front of these idols. An elegant image of Chenrezig ( Avalokitesvara ) is also deified here. In an adjoining small cell, the sacred scripture is placed; the importance of this scripture is that it has been scripted with gold dust and the crushed bone powder of a divine Lama.
All the buildings are interconnected through steps and stairways made in rocks. There are a few rickety wooden bridges along the paths and stairways also to cross over. The temple at the highest level has a frieze of Buddha. Each building has a balcony, providing lovely views of the scenic Paro Valley below. The Monasteries have an ancient history of occupation by monks as hermitages.
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