Bhutan is the last Mahayana Buddhist nation on earth. The faith is rooted in the country’s history. Wherever one looks from east to west or north to south – the legacy of nearly 1,500 years of Buddhism is vibrantly visible – thousands of prayer flags, stupas and monasteries which occupying every corners. It is in fact a living faith, practiced daily, by monks in ancient temples and common people for whom the worship is everyday ritual. Then tahere are numerous sacred places – all of them dating back to the pre-historic times and revered throughout the Buddhist world.
Tour Highlights
Visit Taktshang – dubbed the Tiger’s Nest – considered so sacred that it is a must see place for every visitor to the Kingdom. Lying on a cliff ledge, 1,200 meters above Paro valley, this monastery was blessed in the 8th century by Padmasambhava, who is widely regarded as the “Second Buddha”. Also visit:
- Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro and Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang, both built in the 7th century, the oldest Buddhist temples in Bhutan, besides numerous others.
- Bae Langdra – the sacred hidden land
- Gomphu Kora where the “Vase of Immortality” is embedded into a rock
- Aja Nye, renowned for the one hundred sacred syllable “Aa” imprinted on rocks
- The gigantic structures called Dzongs which aserved as castle plus fortress plus monastery
Visit a spiritual retreat centre and rejuvenate your body and mind with yoga or meditation.
Get initiation/teaching from a renowned Buddhist master.