Tango Monastery
Tango Monastery if a 17th Century Buddhist Institute, the founding of which dates back to the 13th century. It is the highest institute of Buddhist Learning in Bhutan. Located at an altitude of approximately 2850 meters above the sea level,Tango is about an hour hike up the hill from it's base which is another 45 minutes or so drive North of Thimphu City
History
Known as 'TaGo' literally translated to 'hearing a horse neigh' and sometimes as 'TanGo' meaning head of a horse; legend has it that in 1222 when Phajo Druggom Zhigpo was meditating at a nearby cave he heard a horse neigh following the sound he saw the flaming Cliff of 'Yidam Tandrin' or Hayagriva, after which he founded a small temple and named it TaGo.
1st Enlightenment stupa of Khandum Sonam Pelden
This stupa was constructed in the year 1251 in the location where Khandum Sonam Pelden attained enlightenment.
2nd Walking Stick of Phajo in the form of Cypress beside the Main Monastery
3rd
Tango Cave, the cave where Phajo Druggom Zhigpo meditated. This cave is enshrined with the statues of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, Guru Padmasambhava, Yidam Trandrin and of Phajo Druggom Zhigpo himself.
4th Cremation Cave/ Ground of Yab Tenpai Nima the father of Zhabdrung Ngawang namgyel
5th Horse Shaped Cliff of Yidm Tandrin
6th Kudung Chorten of Gyalsey Tenzin Rabgay who is credited to have built the Monastery as it is today.
The Temples in The Monastery
The Monastery in its current form was built in the year 1689 AD by the 4th Druk Desi Gyalsey Tenzin Rabgay establishing it as a center of Advanced Vajrayana Institute. In 1986 it was renovated by the 4th Druk Gyalpo and it was renovated once more in 2018 by the Department of Culture.
There are 6 temples in the Monastery which is highly revered. The first 3 are located in the Utse or Central tower; the features of all are discussed below:-