Just a few years ago the Kingdom of Bhutan was known only for its location on the map and the fact that this state which is closed for tourists is incredibly religious. The country was seen as a large single temple. Even today you can only get there with a guide, and local authorities will carefully watch each and every tourist. Small colored flags which are the symbols of the five elements are hung everywhere in this country, and at each entrance, you can see a Buddhist prayer wheel. Its rotation is equivalent to reading a hundred prayers. However, even in this holy state, you can find the main tourist attractions, even though all of them will somehow be associated with the dominant religion of the country which is Buddhism.
The most striking example of the sacred architecture of Bhutan is the ancient mysterious Taktsang Palphug Monastery which name means “the Tiger’s Nest”. The famous Buddhist monastery was founded in 1692 in the vicinity of the modern city of Paro. It seems to float above the rock at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters. To get to that picturesque place you will have to make more than 1,000 steps and overcome the effects of the hot sun and gusty wind. However, the fantastic view that you will see from the height of the rocky mountains is definitely worth all the efforts. Although the date of the monastery’s foundation is considered to be the 17th century, its caves have been used as sacred places for meditations since the 8th century.
Nowadays the complex of the Taktsang Palphug Monastery consists of four functioning temples and several residential buildings. Inside the dark caves, you can see dozens of images of the Buddhist deity Bodhisattva which are illuminated only by the flickering of oil lamps and occasional glimpses of daylight. In one of them, there are sacred writings inscribed with gold dust. The other has a statue of a huge tiger. On the very top stands a statue of Buddha. All the rooms of the functioning monastery are connected by many stairs which are cut down in rock and also by fragile wooden bridges, the balconies of which offer a fascinating view over the beautiful Paro Valley.