| Name: | Taktshang |
|---|---|
| Identity: | Lhakhang |
| Level: | Registered Heritage Building |
| Category: | Heritage Building |
| Founder: | Guru Rinpochhe |
| Constructed(Year|Century): | | 8 |
| No. of Floor | 1floor |
| Main Wall | Stone masonry with mud mortar and timber elements. |
| Location: | Tsheto, Paro |
| Current Use: | Original |
| Ownership: | Government |
| Coodinates: |
Paro Taktshang is Bhutan's most celebrated spiritual landmark, with a history dating back to the 8th century and Guru Rinpoche. The name "Tiger's Lair" refers to the legend of Guru Rinpoche’s consort, Khando Yeshey Tshogyel, who transformed into a tigress to carry him to the site for meditation. The entire cliff is revered as the form of the protective deity Pelchen Dorji Shonu. Over the centuries, the site became a major meditation hub for luminaries such as Milarepa (11th century) and Phadampa Sangye (12th century). The complex includes significant temples such as the Guru Dorji Droloe Lhakhang and the Guru Rinpoche Drubkhang (meditation cave). Despite being nearly destroyed by fire in 1998, the site was meticulously reconstructed by 2005, serving as a powerful symbol of Bhutanese identity and solidarity. Today, it remains the "holiest of the holy" sites, where the landscape, architecture, and religious practices form a vital Cultural Landscape.
