Tiger’s Nest Monastery is believed to be the birthplace of Buddhism in Bhutan, making it the most sacred monastery in the country. Precariously perched high up on a sheer cliff a dizzying 10,000 feet/3,048 meter above sea level, it certainly also has the most stunning and fascinating location.
Why is it called the Tiger’s Nest? Legend has it that in 8th century Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava and one of the holiest figure in Mahayana Buddhism, flew to this exact spot from Tibet on a back of a tigress (who was a manifestation of his divine consort). He came to subdue a demon and then took residence in a cave where he meditated for 3 years, 3 months and 3 days. He then started the conversion of Bhutanese into Buddhism.