LIVING ON THE EDGE — A visit to Tiger’s Nest
Of a country that boasts of breathtaking views on every other bend, a national attraction is justifiably expected to be even more scintillating and awe-inspiring. So it is no wonder that Paro Taktsang (popularly called Tiger’s Nest), precariously perched on a cliff in Paro Valley, meets and possibly exceeds those expectations to be one of the most popular tourist locations in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan.
Tiger’s Nest is a 20 min drive away from the picturesque town of Paro which happens to be the largest city in Bhutan and also has the only international airport of the country. I had rented a homestay in Paro and left for Tiger’s Nest at 11:00 AM which is a bit late compared to when people usually start the trek. By 11:30 I reached the starting point of the trek which is a parking lot where visitors park their cars and buy tickets(which cost 500 Ng (Ngultrum)) for the monastery from a nearby booth. I have always been accustomed to treks where the destination reveals itself on the final bend, but this trek is different as you can see the monastery right from the beginning of the trek, though distance does not do justice to its alluring grandeur.
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I started the trek at 11:45 and right at the beginning there is a miniature flea market with locals selling all sorts of souvenirs and collectibles. For people who want to buy such goods, it is advised to buy it from there itself as the same stuff is sold at a much higher price in the main Paro market. You can rent walking sticks for 50 Ng (Ngultrum)each to aid you in the trek and they can be returned to the same spot once you return. You can also mount a horse if you do not feel like hiking up but I would strongly suggest using your own two legs.
A beautiful, welcoming blue pine forest marks the initial part of the trek and horses can be seen grazing peacefully on the lush green grass littered scantily by horse dung. The overall trek uphill can be easily completed in 2.5 to 3 hours maintaining a decent pace and it is not a very difficult trek though the midday sun may compel you to think otherwise. Once the forest clears out the view of the valley below begins to unfold. The constant ascent and the scenic beauty are a perfect recipe to take your breath away both literally and figuratively. The path meanders uphill and the monastery constantly goes in and out of sight. It is no wonder to see the path adorned by prayer flags which I had already gotten used to seeing everywhere in Bhutan. Benches for tired people are also placed at different locations along the way as are dustbins. Along the way the path diverged into a steep one away from the one I had been walking on which takes lesser time but a greater deal of effort and only young legs should wander that way. Somewhere around the mid-point of the trek is a large clearing where people stop to click pictures with Tiger’s Nest in the background. There are prayer wheels too and a cafeteria if hunger has been bugging you along the way though the prices are a bit on the higher side.
The path levels out every now and then and you can catch your breath in those phases. The air gets cooler as you near Tiger’s Nest and you will see another monastery perched up above along the way. The final few hundred metres are steps that go down and then up to the monastery which is also around the spot from where the classic Tiger’s Nest pictures that you see on the internet , on postcards, fridge magnets or other souvenirs sold in markets, are clicked. This is also the spot where the magnitude of the architectural brilliance of the monastery compels you to pause in hypnotic admiration.
The construction is such that the monastery seems like an extension of the cliff it is perched on. Down below on the left is a waterfall and the sound of the gushing water can be constantly heard in the final stages of the trek. Water droplets trickle down from up above the monastery like a constant drizzle and a healthy mountain gale blows them about. I was lucky that the clouds did not hamper my view from this scenic vantage point as sunlight filtered through distant clouds onto the valley below.
The monastery had an amiable guard at the entrance who asked me to keep my belongings into a numbered compartment in the locker room nearby. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the monastery. There are many chambers dedicated to different gods inside the monastery and silence is a constant companion. The tranquil monks can be seen carrying out their daily chores as they clean the chambers and place offerings before the lifeless statues of their Gods. You can roam around in the monastery for some time, take in the positivity and the beautiful view gazing at the archaic stone walls and scores of embellished statues.
I stayed at the monastery for around an hour and then left constantly turning around to look at the monastery with its magnetic aura as it just sat there in silence, almost like a human being. The descent takes around half the time as it takes to climb up and in around an hour I was back to where I started from, gazing again at the monastery from down below.
All in all, a trip to Bhutan is incomplete without visiting the Paro Taktsang monastery and the brilliance and aura of the place left an indelible mark on the pages of my memory !
