The Tiger's Nest
A temple clings to a sheer cliff 900 metres above a Bhutanese valley. Legend says a great teacher flew there on the back of a tigress.
What was reported
Paro Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest, is a Buddhist monastery perched on a cliff above the Paro valley, reached by a steep path through the forest. It's built around a cave where, in the 8th century, the teacher Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three weeks and three days.
The legend says he flew there from Tibet on the back of a tigress, to subdue a demon that troubled the valley. The monastery was built around the cave in 1692.
Explanations offered
Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, is revered as the one who brought Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet. The monastery was badly damaged by fire in 1998 and carefully rebuilt. It's the most famous sight in Bhutan.
- When
- Sacred since the 8th century; temple built in 1692
- Where
- Paro Valley, Bhutan
- Witnesses
- Bhutanese Buddhist tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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