The Demon Subjugated Cheri Monastery

After driving up Wang Chhu valley from Thimpu, we reached the trail head of the walk up to Cheri Monastery at the end of the valley. This was our first full day in the country so our legs were still pretty fresh. Reaching Cheri monastery took around half hour.

Cheri Monastery was founded around 1620. Like many monasteries, Cheri offers ample opportunities for people to go into retreat.

Once on top of the building, we had a great view of the surrounding area and Wang Chhu valley below. What was interesting was also a sign saying that the demons threatening this monastery had been subjugated. That made me feel a lot safer and relieved.

Overall, the sacred atmosphere of Cheri monastery gave us a very good feeling of our visit to Bhutan.

Tiger's nest (Taktsang ) monastery

I have had this awesome sight memorized by heart. I had seen it so many times in pictures or powerpoints, but never even dreamed I would some day make it there.

Hung far up on a cliff overlooking a spectacular valley, it is the place where Padmasambava landed when he brought Buddhism to Bhutan in the seventh century. He arrived on a flying tiger which had recently been his Tibetan concubine. 

Now, I did not have a concubine (flying or pedestrian), so the two and a half hour climb from the valley floor was the only option. Short on breath because of the altitude, I kept going as the monastery appeared and disappeared in and out of the trees. At the last part, the cliff drops a couple of thousand feet in front of you and in it are steps carved into its exposed face. No handrails. I stood in awe, soaked in the spirituality and took hundreds of images, knowing that deciding on the best one is going to be excruciating! Seeing it in person is more moving than I had anticipated, due to the cliff’s sheer danger and high altitude.

On the return journey I knew I had to leave Bhutan right after. Nothing else could even come close to matching this experience.

A different kind of blessing

As I said, the favorite saint here is the Divine Madman, also known as the "fertility saint". Women from all around the world visit his monastery to seek his blessing.

Walking to the monastery you will, what else then thousand of painted or carved phallus. Everything is about it here.

The monk on call blesses you by touching you with a phallus. I was not particularly excited about getting hit in the head with a wooden penis, but when in Rome do what the Romans do, right? Plus you do not want to make the Mad monk even madder, right?