(L) A map of Bhutan and Taktsang Palphug Monastery
(R) Taktsang Monastery: This photography was taken by Dr. Junhaku Miyamoto in September 2012.


Taktsang Palphug Monastery, also known as The Tiger's Nest, a prominent Himalayan Buddhist sacred site
and temple complex, located in the cliff side of the upper Paro valley, Bhutan. A temple complex was
first built in 1692, around the Taktsang Senge Samdup cave where Guru Padmasambhava is said to have
meditated for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century.
Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan and is the tutelary deity of the country.
Today, Paro Taktsang is the best known of the thirteen taktsang or "tiger lair" caves in which he meditated.


At the starting point of mountaintrail, many horses and women for sourvenir selling were waiting tourists.

(L) We can see Taktsang Palphug Monastery in the far distance at the high rocky mountain cliffside. Altitude :3,120m above se level
(R) Water-powered prayer wheel

Water-powered prayer wheel and prayers flag

(L) A cairn on the mountain trail (M) A pony follows the mother carriing a tourist to the Monastery.
(R) Monastery in the distance and a prayers flag in this side

A prayer wheels and horses for climing mountain trail

(L) A cafeteria on the mountain trail: a place to rest almost a halfway to the Monastry.(R) A prayers flag

(L) A prayers flag and Taktsang Monastery (R) A horse is resting after carring a tousists up to the end of mountain trail.

(L) A wild flower at mountain trail side (M) A horse goes down mountain after the work. (R) Taktsang Palphug Monastery

Tigers Nest Monastery: This was photographed from the other side of mountain.

After steps down 700 stone steps to the small bridge, we have to climb 200 steps to the Monastery.

A rapid waterfall adn Water-powered prayer wheel

(L) The waterfall which rappidly runs down. (M) Water-powered prayer wheel
(R) All climers to the Tigers Nest Monastery must leaves a backpack here.

A photographing beyond this point is forbitten. A policeman did a body check whether a camada in a pocket.


As this fantastic and very special monastery is a steep climb up the hill, 900 meters, it is advised to visit it
at the end of your stay in Bhutan, when you are acclimatized to the altitude. The mountain trail is precipitous,
and you have to walk up and up, and then the narrow down-and-up stairs follows until the Monastry itself.
A guide can organize a permit to enter the Monastery. The view is great and the atmosphere is holy, a place
where every Bhutanese will want to come at least once in his life. This is the place where Guru Rinpoche
brought Buddhism into Butan, arriving on the back of a tigress.

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タクッアン僧院

ブータン寺院観光でのハイライトはタクッアン僧院であろう。登山口から急な斜面を2時間、標高2,800mのレストハウス
（カフェテリア）まで、さらに3,000m 以上の展望台まで登りが続き、そこから谷底へ700段の階段を下り、噴流となって
流れ落ちる滝のしぶきを浴びたあと、さらに200段の階段を上り、ようやく僧院にたどり着く。500m ほど垂直に切り立った
屏風岩の岸壁に鎮座している17世紀に建造された寺院の石段は冷たく、内部にはパドマサンババやその八変化相の像など
がある。非常に珍しいブータン仏教の彫像が目前に迫る。しかし、カメラを事前に預けねばならず、写真撮影は不可能である。
帰路は再び700段の石段を登りつめる。標高3,000mを超える展望台にたどり着いた時には、息が切れ脈が早まる。生涯、
もう二度と体験できない急傾斜を上下する登山道であった。


Bhutan
The country to prohibit a tobacco sale Bhutan tour 2012 Bhutan temple 01 Bhutan temple 02
Bhutan Thimphu's hotels Bhutan Paro's hotels Bhutan smoking law


チベット仏教 タクツアン僧院
2012年9月写真撮影,　2012年10月執筆　医学博士　宮本順伯
★This Web site is link-free.
This information was provided by the Smokefree Hotel and Travel.
The photographs were taken in September, and the article was written in October 2012,
by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.
Copyright (C) 2012 Junhaku Miyamoto, PhD. All right is reserved.