Bhutan's sacred secrets
Sites linked with the 8th century Guru Rinpoche abound in the Himalayan Kingdom, but many remain little known and rarely visited
Walking uphill to the Tiger's Lair in Paro is a frightening experience. Taktshang, perched on a rock face and a vertigo sufferer's worse nightmare, is one of the most visited nyes (sacred places) in Bhutan.This is the place Guru Rinpoche flew to on the back of a tigress, the form taken by his consort and disciple Yeshey Tshogyal. Stories of his 8th-century adventures to transmit the dharma here form the founding myths of Bhutanese Buddhism.
As we reach the cluster of temples, beads of water cascade down the rockface forming the waterfall known as Shekar chhu.
According to legend, this is the rosary of Guru Rinpoche, which was shattered by a demon then just as quickly gathered up by a kneeling Yeshey Tshogyal. Because no bead was lost, Guru Rinpoche was able to subdue the demon. Imprints of where Khando knelt can still be seen on the rock.
The legends of Taktshang are the best known in the country and draw both local Buddhist pilgrims and curious visitors from abroad.
But less known are the stories of the many nyes just as sacred as Taktshang that have remained hidden, cut off or unexplored, some under thick forest.
One of the many such spiritual "secrets" is Om Bha nye in Trashiyangtse. The reason few have ventured to Om Bha is its inaccessibility. A 10-hour drive east from Paro still leaves you with a two-hour trek through the oak-forested mountains.
You know you've reached Om Bha nye when you see the monastery - another cliff-hanger - and its statue of Guru Rinpoche.
Visitors who come armed with binoculars can peer down to the valley floor and pick out the pillars that mark the border with India.
"Guru Rinpoche came to Om Bha after having a vision of a snake demon that was tormenting the locals here," says the monastery's caretaker, Neten, 51.
"After two months of meditation he was able to summon the power to subdue the demon," explains Neten.
Before leaving, Guru Rinpoche inscribed the sacred om aah syllable into the rockface, giving the place its name.
He also hid religious treasures in the caves and rockfaces, "But since there is no written document most of the treasures remain hidden," says Neten.
"Even my grandfather didn't know what other sacred spots here might exist.
"Today only one-third of the nye is known, while the rest is yet to be discovered."
Besides the inscriptions on the rockface, there are other sacred features at Om Bha, like the cave in which Guru Rinpoche meditated, and his chakar, or walking staff.
And yet this holy site blessed by the Guru is little known outside the local area.
Though Om Bha nye has seen an increasing trickle of visitors, Neten says the majority of Bhutanese have never heard of it.
"Visitors are so few that the nearby home-stay service remains unused," confirms local official Dechen Wangdi.
More accessible but also little-known is Tshelung nye, 43 kilometres south of the capital, Thimphu. Nestled among pine trees and colourful prayer flags in a cleft between mountains, Tshelung's spiritual power is drawn from its longevity blessing.
The road comes to an end at a parking lot, from where we strain our necks to see the monastery. A 10-minute trek up steep mountainside takes us to its stone walls, beautifully draped with colourful prayer flags.
A monk, Dawa Gyeltshen, greets us and we are ushered into the monastery to learn more about the 29 sacred spots that surround the place.
Dawa Gyeltshen, 31, is the fifth generation of his family to have taken care of Tshelung.
He leads us to a small room below the main hall where the Guru is said to have stayed.
After meditating here for four months, he summoned up a vision of Tsepamey, the God of Longevity, who offered him the tshey gi bumpa [vase of longevity]," Dawa Gyeltshen tells us. Since then pilgrims have travelled here in the hope of being blessed with long life.
"Tshe means the life that everyone holds; lung means receiving the blessings for long life and nye means a place to receive the blessings," explains the monk.
But those who can't make the journey here needn't worry. Guru Rinpoche also declared that the mere thought of visiting this sacred place could add years to a devotee's life.
The 29 places of sacred power that surround Tshelung Monastery include the Guru's footprint, from which drupchu (holy water) is said to spring, the rock on which he slept and left the imprint of his elbow, and the remains of a demon he subdued and imprisoned in a boulder.
"Despite its sacredness, like many other nyes in the country, Tshelung remains unknown to many," says Dawa Gyeltshen. "Some know of its existence but don't know where it is, while others have never heard of it."
The road, which was built last year, has brought in more pilgrims. "It has now become important to construct modern infrastructure to reach even places like nyes, so people can visit these important sites more easily," says Dawa Gyeltshen.
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