Tiger's Nest Monastery, a photo from Paro, West

Photographer's Note

This is one from the archives. Visiting Bhutan was a dream realised in 2008. I don't think I can really pick out any particular highlight as the whole trip was wonderful from start to finish.

The steep walk up to the Taktshang Goemba (Tiger's Nest Monastery) was well worth the early start and full day.
The monastery is one of the most venerated places of pilgrimage in the Himalayan region. The legend behind the Tiger痴 Nest monastery is just as amazing and magical as its location of being perched precariously high on a cliff (over 3000 meters above the Paro Valley).

Taktsang Monastery was built in 1692 by Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye. Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye is believed to be the reicarnation of Padmasambhava. Legend believes that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew to this location from Khenpajong, Tibet, on back of a tigress. Guru Rinpoche meditated for three months in the cave at Taktshang. He also subjugated the Eight Categories of Evil Spririts and converted the valley to Buddhism.

Guru Rinpoche then returned to Tibet and transmitted his teaching to his disciples. One of his disciple, Langchen Pelkyi Singye, returned to Taktshang to meditate in the year 853. He named the cave where he meditated as Pelkyi痴 Cave. Pelkyi is believed to have gone to Nepal where he later died. His body miraculously return to Taktshang Monastery under the grace of deity Dorje Legpa and is now sealed inside the chorten standing in the room on the left at the top of the entrance way

ybx, PecoBud, gildasjan, COSTANTINO, jjcordier, bebbetto, jester5, tyro, carlo62, InasiaJones, bayno, ChrisJ, annjackman, Wanda1, patdeph, timecapturer, i9l2y1m8a8t3, vasilpro, delpeoples, adores, Cricri, UlfE, kennyblack, No_One, maloutim has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ybx (251) 2012-03-27 10:18

Hello Rosemary,
a very beatiful picture for a mystic place.
The image return all the fascination and atmosphere of these places.
Thank you for the interesting explanation about the monastery.

Regards & ciao

Corrado

holmertz (103762) 2012-03-27 10:26

Hello Rosemary,
This must be the most emblematic place in Bhutan and you captured it remarkably well, showing the buildings in great detail and including enough of the hair-raisingly steep slopes. I visited Bhutan in 2003, unfortunately (for my participation on TE) still being in the pre-digital area. Actually I only saw this place from a distance. But Bhutan was a great experience I had been looking forward to for at least 30 years.
Kind regards,
Gert

Jeppo (17645) 2012-03-27 11:24

ciao Rosemary,

I have been told that Bhutan is such a magic place. a friend o'mine who visited it told me "it's not gold everything's shining...but in Bhutan you have the impression that everything's gold!"

It's impressive the place where this monastery has been built...I hope you will show us some picture from the inside as well.

ciao
jeppo

PS: I saw you are from Namibia (a land I'd like to visit)...but are you Namibian?

PecoBud (3824) 2012-03-27 11:39

Just love this photo!! Superb detail and clarity has captivated me and placed me somewhere else....This is what a great photo will do when viewed. Wonderful colors and lighting with dream like BG and FG separated from subject. Beautiful POV Rosemary!!

TFS...................Buddy

Bluejeans (64251) 2012-03-27 11:42

Ola Rosemary ,
Brutal como construiram este templo neste lugar longe do mundo , um lugar de paz para observar a natureza , bom ponto de vis縊 , parab駭s!!
Um abra輟 Gon軋lo

m (0) 2012-03-27 11:52

Hi Rosemary,
I'm lost for words... Incredible! That's all I can say about this fantastic setting. Envy you big time for seeing it in person:))
Cheers
Marina

leo61 (0) 2012-03-27 12:10

Hi Rosemary!
Great shot of this manastery!
fINE DETAILS TO VIEW and great POV.
Regards,Leo

gildasjan (43826) 2012-03-27 12:11

Bonjour Rosemary
Le point de vue en donne et met parfaitement en valeur les textures de ce magnifique monast鑽e.Une image nette et tr鑚 bien expos馥.
Amicalement
gildas

COSTANTINO (117940) 2012-03-27 12:13

Hello
superb shot with wonderful details
your notes descrbe in the best
way this fantastic monastery
regards
Costantino

yquem46 (38752) 2012-03-27 12:18

hello Rosemary
looks pretty tricky to reach this Gompa, a nice trip for eagles
I like these typical houses of the monastery in the greenery
Beautifully composed and very luminous
Still missing on my list of "must go"
Have a nice evening
Patrick

dta (98848) 2012-03-27 12:30

Hello Rosemary ,
What an incredible place for this splendid temple ! A n excellent close view , with fine detatil of the foliages of the trees in the FG .
regards

guld (1042) 2012-03-27 12:50

I have seen a photograph of this place before. Yet, this is a beautiful take. I love the colors and the clarity. Congrats.

jjcordier (79299) 2012-03-27 13:00

Rosemary
Une excellente photo de ce monast鑽e du Bhutan quasiment suspendu dans le vide. Tr鑚 bon cadrage et excellent POV.
Amicalement
JJ

mesutilgim (0) 2012-03-27 13:04

Hello Rosemary,
What a beautiful capture from Buthan !
Very good pov and perfect layout. Perfect ligth management and many interesting details.
A perfect TE entry enriched with many good and usefull notes.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

corjan3 (2109) 2012-03-27 13:12

Hello Rosemary,

You are really fortunate to be able to travel but let me stop the envy and admire the image. Once again you show your artistry in fabulous quality. Sitting back here and just enjoying it. What a pleasure. And a very interesting note too. May I ask you a favour...please let us have an image of the same place taken in portrait format. And if you do not have one then please go and get one :) Imagine living on the edge like that, vertigo and all..... Marvelous POV and composition too.

Warm regards.

Neels

ifege (49653) 2012-03-27 13:26

Hi Rosemary
A good clear colourful photo of this iconic Bhutan spot in its spectacular setting.
cheers
Ian

Gigidusud (21679) 2012-03-27 13:31

Hello Rosemary,
Impressive place!Beautiful architectural composition with nice colors and light.Excellent POV and framing.
Thanks for sharing.
Ghislaine

siudzi (34141) 2012-03-27 13:39

Hi Rosemary,

You have found an amazing place for taking this great picture. This architecture with lots of details and eye-catching colors is simply stunning! Very well executed image! Like it a lot.

Warm regards,
Malgorzata

bebbetto (122) 2012-03-27 13:54

hello Rosemary.
Stunning view and perfect picture. Great light and details. Interesting note

jester5 (2024) 2012-03-27 15:09

Wonderful photograph with such contrasts of texture and colour.Nearer to God is very true in this case and I don't envy you the hike up here but worth every step for a result like this.

tyro (30513) 2012-03-27 15:35

Dear Rosemary,

I just cannot believe that you have hidden this treasure away from us for over four years!
This is a fabulously well composed photograph which perfectly shows this beautiful monastery perched in mid-air on a cliff face of incredible height. The colours are amazing and the impression of depth an height are wondrous. Incredibly sharp detail and perfect exposure. This is truly a beautiful photograph - the sort of thing we see in National Geographic Magazine!

Absolutely Wonderful!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. Thank you for your excellent note and also for providing a map link too. I'm not sure if you know this [I learned it from Andrew (macondo) recently], but if you look at your little map and click on the multicoloured "Google" logo, a new and bigger map opens. That map also has the little yellow man and although he won't show you views from along roads here, he will allow you to settle on some little blue dots, each of which is a picture - look here for example, and try moving the little man to the blue dots.

How much of a climb was it up to here? I guess you don't suffer too badly from acrophobia but I reckon it must have been a long and arduous slog to get to this monastery?

carlo62 (81265) 2012-03-27 16:00

Ciao Rosemary
un monastero spettacolare, POV splendido, colori molto belli e ottima nitidezza, tutto questo da un risultato magnifico.
Saluti
Carlo

Miguel82 (47110) 2012-03-27 16:27

Hi Rose
A wonderful shot of this gompa
so remoted place and inacessible country
MIguel

InasiaJones (31566) 2012-03-27 17:29

Hello Rosemary,

How were you able to keep this captivating photo in your archives for so long?

The point of view above the monastery is impeccable and allows to see the ornaments on the roofs. The sense of heights is also well rendered, as the pines in the background are slowly going down the hill.

Lots of depth and details, highly interesting buildings and an incredible surrounding.

It was time for this image to be shared!

Cheers!

Andr�

npecanhuk (79329) 2012-03-27 18:20

Hello Rosemary!
Magnificent place, both for its natural and architectural details!

Wonderful picture with excellent sharpness, exposure, colors, chosen pov, horizontal format and composition!

TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

bayno (18348) 2012-03-27 21:43

Hi Rosemary,
The Buthan, a place almost closed to tourism and with many restrictions, I know that the visa costs a disproportionate amount, beautiful monastery nestled in the mountains, almost inaccessible, beautiful light and beautiful colors and nice POV showing us all very well...have a good day...
Valter

ChrisJ (172466) 2012-03-27 21:47

Hello Rosemary

Looks like the Meteora of Asia. Stunning cliff-side location of these Bhutanese temples, with a superb high pov & excellent sharpness. Good colour & saturation also, and unusual to see buildings higher than the treetops of the pines lower right. Tfs!

annjackman (23019) 2012-03-27 23:24

Hello Rosemary,
Every part of this image flawless. It may be an older photo but it is a magnificent one. It always amazes me how such buildings that are perched on rocky outcrops are actually built - it cannot be without its dangers.
Congratulations on a super picture.
Best wishes, Ann

Wanda1 (15142) 2012-03-28 0:42

Hi Rosemary,
You make me jealous with this picture, this is one place that I would like to visit in my lifetime. What a spectacular setting nestled on the edge of the cliff like that. Lovely clear image from a good vantage point to show us all the wonderful details of the monastery.
Regards
Wanda

patdeph (35750) 2012-03-28 1:59

hello Rosemary
woooow, magnificent architecture, built in an incredible and spectacular place!I wonder from where you took the photo, it seems that you are flying.Fantastic, wonderful picture!
Regards
Pascale

danyy (0) 2012-03-28 2:46

Bonjour Rosemary,
je suis impressionn� par l'endroit qui n'est pas fait pour des gens qui sont sujets au vertiges. Une prise de vue qui pr駸ente beaucoup de relief et d'une grande finesse dans les d騁ails.
Un angle de prise de vue judicieusement choisi.
Mes compliments.
Daniel.

timecapturer (49288) 2012-03-28 6:17

Hi Rosemary
a beautiful shot of this amazing monastery so aptly named. Immaculate detail and light management make this an attractive and stand out image. Stunning!

Brian.
PS - thanks for the poem yesterday, I had forgotten how wonderful those words are! B.

vasilpro (41801) 2012-03-28 9:54

Hello Rosemary,
Wonderful composition, beautiful Monastery with interesting architecture in a unique place, lovely light and colors, excellent clarity and sharpness, very nice POV and framework, TfS!
Greetings, Vasilis.

Royaldevon (86598) 2012-03-28 13:02

Hello Rosemary,

This site is truly breathtaking! You wonder, if you were intent on building a habitation, whether you would choose such a precarious and difficult to access location! Having said that, you would definitely be proud of what you had achieved and ... the view!
The f/g branches, the sheer nature of the cliff and the b/g trees produce that sense of depth and perilious isolation that makes us take in a rapid breath.
The title 'Nest' suits it perfectly!
Your shot is really sharp and contains those fine details which allow us to realise the utter beauty of this most unusual building.
What an adventure!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

i9l2y1m8a8t3 (4814) 2012-03-28 21:13

Rosemary! Wow! this is stunning! Clear and sharp! The colors are well exposed! Exellent note as well. I just love this one! Hope to see more of your Bhutan pics! Sounds an exotic destination to me! TFS

warm regards from rainy manila
Matt

delpeoples (60342) 2012-03-29 4:14

Hi Rosemary

Raiding your archives has produced a real treasure. I love the strong colours, sharpness and composition. And aboveall it's your exquisite subject, shot from an amazing Point of View that wins the day here. Congratulations.

Warm regards
Lisa

dkmurphys (79209) 2012-03-29 4:15

Hi Rosemary,
Lovely shot of that monastery. Picturesque place, very beautiful composition.

Daniel

federico (6109) 2012-03-29 4:55

hi rosemary, great picture from this lovely place
good POV and nice composition
well done
fred

wolf38 (30) 2012-03-30 9:52

Hi Rosemary. A photo from a far away country. Buthan is really a special country with a diverse culture, religion and tradition. The photo is masterful and full of beauty. Best text. Compliment. Rgds, Wolfgang.

adores (46979) 2012-03-30 18:25

Hi Rosemary!
You have been there:)! This is a place I would really like to visit, maybe in a near future! This monastery is really magnificent and it seems you had a very nice day. Sometimes these places are not that easy, but here it seems so clear and with good colours. Very well framed also. With this pov, you give a good idea of the place!

Cricri (176) 2012-03-30 22:38

Hi Harriet
Magnifique l'architecture et les couleurs du monast鑽e construit sur le rocher , impressionnant et a la fois magnifique, excellent POV et pr駸entation
Belle journ馥
cricri

UlfE (14641) 2012-03-31 4:32

Hi Rosemary,

It is always a pleasure to visit your gallery and perhaps I should have commented your absolutely fantastic latest post rather than this post, but this post caught my attention for other reasons that absolute top quality. I agree with all the others that it is a beautiful and really well-composed photo, but I also think you are right when you in your reply to John indicate that the image could have been a little bit better. I also believe that your thinking about this photo might be that when you visit a place once in a lifetime you would like to take an absolutely perfect photo. When comes to the photo itself I note that the buildings partly are slightly over-exposed. I guess that this might be the result of automatic camera settings and that the silly camera did not understand what was the main subject of the photo. Personally, I always try to take several photos with different settings and check the result when I visit 登nce in a lifetime places�. Many thanks for sharing this photo with all photo information, your excellent note and your comments. Have nice weekend!

Kindest regards,

Ulf

Silvio1953 (223141) 2012-03-31 5:48

Ciao Rosemary, great view of fantastic monastery in amazing position, fascinating composition with lovely natural ambientation, excellent clarity, splendid light and colors, very well done, my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

kennyblack (4207) 2012-03-31 11:41

Hi Rosemary
Fantastic view of this unusual construction for has
placed on the rock. Very picturesque and shooting from a high angle. Congratulations to the 'great job. Greetings and best wishes for good weekend Marino

muratcaloglu (2) 2012-04-02 0:56

Hello Rosemary,
I liked your POV. It's a great photo sample of architecture and nature.
TFS
murat

emka (158988) 2012-04-02 15:27

Hi, I saw already the photos of this monastery but this is the best shot. Spectacular view with fine colours, excellent sharpness and well composed. So many lovely details - the trees, the towers, beautiful window. perfect presentation of this unusual place. But with those precipices it is not a place for me. Interesting not as well. magic place.

Warm regrads

MAlgo

Angshu (56760) 2012-04-03 1:49

Hello Rosemary!
yes a famous site from Bhutan & one I hope can see with my own eyes sometime in the future. This is the most used POV & possibly the only one to capture the monastery perched on top of the cliff in its entirety. A fine shot with excellent framing!
Best Regards
Angshu

ahmet54 (3600) 2012-05-03 11:43

Hello Rosemary,
that is simply breathtaking. I like the combination of architecture and nature in your picture.
Kind regards,
Roland

No_One (4) 2012-05-16 9:01

Hi Rosemary,
This is a beautifully unique shot of a beautifully unique place. I love the detail in the builings you have captured, and the sense of the height that these buildings stand at. Stunning! Thanks for sharing.
Best wishes
Noel