Margaret’s Birthday Outing

Every year for Margaret’s Birthday we take a special walk. This may have been the most special. Tandin Nye is the most holy spot in the Thimphu Valley. High on a cliff side across the river valley from our apartment, we can easily see the small temple from our window. We started from home and walked the entire way rather than taking the recommended cab to where the road ends and the trail begins.

At an elevation of 2600 meters to the lower temple, it’s quite a hike, the trail a bit sketchy along the cliffside. We’re much better with altitude though than we were only three weeks ago.

Removing our shoes and leaving our belongings behind, we were ushered by the monk into the temple room, only about 12 x 12 ft, with an elaborate and beautiful altar to Sakyamuni Budda on one side and another to Guru Rinpoche opposite. First blessed with an offering of holy water to drink and touch our foreheads with, we sat before the Buddha, meditating as the monk sat behind us beside the figure of Guru Rinpoche, reciting Sutras on our behalf.

Read below to learn of the temple’s history.

In many areas around the temple there are arrays of small conical clay mounds, called tsatsas (tsha tsha). These are often engraved with a sacred Buddhist symbol and sometimes contain human ash or bone. These distinctive little sculptures are offerings that are made as part of religious practices, and they can be dedicated to either the living or dead. Their power may be proportionate to the holiness of the site

Going down to again go up, we started up the even steeper slope in search of the upper temple. We passed innumerable pray flags, ruins of ancient hermitages and the primitive quarters of a nun and two monks.

Trekking ever more steeply upward in search of the upper temple through a confounding maze of narrow paths, nearing a ridge top awash in flags but with no temple in sight, with the sun setting and the weather turning we decided to head for home, resolving to enlist a guide when the time came to complete this particular pilgrimage.

Then off to town for ice cream at the Cloud 9 Cafe.