Situated
on the edge of a 3,000
feet (900 meter) cliff, the
Taktsang Monastery or Tiger’s
Nest creates an impressive sight, and
is the unofficial symbol of Bhutan. It is also called Tiger's Nest Monastery. It is
about 2-3 hour, totally up-hill hike from the
parking lot to the monastery. According
to a legend Guru Rinpoche flew
to this location from Tibet on the back
of a tigress and Taktsang was consecrated
to tame the Tiger demon. The
first monastery was not constructed until
1692 at the order of Tenzin Rabgye, the
ruler of Bhutan from 680 to 694. It is built
around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave,
where custom holds that Guru Rinpoche
meditated in the 8th century. In 1998
a tragic fire destroyed most of the original
buildings, but these have since been
painstakingly restored to their former
glory.
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