Paro District has beautiful valley which is about 2250m above the sea level. Paro is believed to be one of the first valleys to have received the influences of the Buddhism. The wide and fertile Paro valley has both an ancient and a modern face. It is home to some of the oldest and most revered temples in the kingdom of Bhutan. Taktshang monastery which is the most important pilgrimage site in the Buddhist world and almost all the visitors visit this site, is located in Paro district.
It also boasts the only International Airport in the country. The valley also offers the calm of the countryside, the beautiful landscapes, scenic and scattered villages and other historic buildings.
Paro valley lies in the western part of Bhutan. People of Paro are known as Paropas and they speak the national language of Bhutan – Dzongkha. Generally people of Paro are known for its stubbornness and straight forwardness.
It is located on the edge of a 3100m tall cliff overlooking the Paro Valley. The hike up this monastery is about two and half hour accent and is worth climbing or hiking to this monastery.
It was first built in 1692 at a cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated in the 7th century A.D. Legend states that Guru Rinpoche flew to the site atop the back of a tigress and meditated in the cave for 3 years, 3 months, 3 days and 3 hours in order to subdue evil demons residing within it. The cave has been considered a sacred site ever since and many famous saints have travelled to meditate in it.. We Bhutanese believed one must visit once in their lifetime to this sacred monastery.
Almost every tourist who visit Bhutan will visit this very famous and cultural icon of Bhutan – Tiger’s Nest. Your visit to this monastery will be unforgettable experiences in your lifetime.
On Sunday night 19, April 1998, a huge fire, probably caused by butter lamp destroyed the temple almost completely. Yet we were so lucky that the main relics and statues were nothing happen. The government undertook the reconstruction in 2000 with funds also received from outside donors. The monastery was recreated to its original splendor and competed in 2005.Welcome one and all and visit this temple once in your lifetime.
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel built Paro Rinpung dzong in the year 1645. Paro Rinpung Dzong’ (the fortress of a heap of jewels).
It is one of Bhutan’s most impressive and well-known dzongs. It serves as a central monastic and administrative seat of the Paro district. This dzong houses one of the most impressive and scared religious banner know as the ‘Thongdrol’ the size pf which is 20sqm. It is only displayed once a year to the public during the Paro Festival (annual festival at Paro). Scenes from the 1955film Little Buddha were filmed in this Dzong.
Drukgyel Dzong is located at the end of the paved road, 14kms from Paro town was built in the year 1649 to commemorate the victory over Tibetan invaders in 1644. Once the Tibetan invasions are over, this Dzong became a major trade route with Bhutanese and the Tibetans. Drukgyel Dzong was use as an administrative center until 1951, when the fire destroyed it. On clear days, the view of Mt. Jhomolhari can be seen. The meaning of this dzong ‘Druk’ (Bhutan) ‘gyel’ (victory). …dzong of victory.
In 2016, to celebrate the birth of His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, as well as to commemorate two other significant events, namely, the arrival of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to Bhutan in 1616 AD and the birth year of Guru Rinpoche, the Prime Minister Lyonchen Tshering Tobgay announced that the Dzong will be rebuilt and reinstated to its former glory. The announcement and ground breaking ceremony took place a day after the Prince was born and now the construction work is in full swing.
Anyone who visit Bhutan must spare some time to visit this dzong and get to know the history and importance associated wit it. Your guide will explain you in details and we wait for your visit to this Dzong – Drukgyel Dzong.
It is one of the two most sacred and the oldest temples in Bhutan, built in 7th century by Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo (the 33rd Tibetan king, who is also the manifestation of avoloketeshivara, commonly known to Bhutanese as Chenrize). The legend tells that a giant demon was terrorizing the whole of Himalayan region, preventing the spread of Buddhism, so to subdue it the king built 108 temples in one day all over the Himalayan region out of which 2 are in Bhutan (Kichu Lhakhang in Paro & Jambay Lhakhang in Bumthang). Kyichu Lhakhang was built on her left foot. The temple of Jokhang in Lhasa was built over the very heart of the demoness.
Tachogang Lhakhang is located near the Paro-Thimphu highway and was built by the renowned iron bridge builder Drupthob Thangtong Gyalpo in the 14th century. One can also see and iron bridge, a masterpiece of the great iron builder himself.He built many iron bridges in Bhutan.
Tachhogang Lhakhang was constructed around 1420. Tachogang means ‘temple of the hill of the excellent horse’. It is believed that while Thangtong Gyalpo was meditating here, he had a vision of the spiritual horse Balaha-an emanation of wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara and decided to built a temple as well as an iron suspension bridge at this location. The temple is privately run by the descendents of Drupthop Thangtong Gyalpo.
A new temple at Tachogang was built in the seventeenth century by the Fourth Druk Desi Tendzin Rabgye, as the original was destroyed after it served as the main seat for the Five Groups of Lamas, a coalition of local leaders who had opposed the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel.
Today many visitors to Bhutan visit to this temple and try to walk over the iron bridge that lies at the base of the temple. You will surprised to see how this man has made the iron at the time and built many iron bridges in the Himalayan region.
