The Tango Buddhist Institute is located 14 kilometres to the north of the capital city of Thimphu in Bhutan. The Tango Buddhist Institute was founded by Lama Gyalwa Lhanampa in the 13th century. The place is renowned for the beautiful monastery set in the backdrop of splendid natural beauty.

An amazing place to go for a hike or meditation, Tango Buddhist institute offers a great view of the surrounding Thimphu valley. It belongs to the Drukpa Kagyu School of Buddhism in Bhutan. The word 'Tango' in Bhutanese language means “horse head”. This name conforms to the main deity Hayagriva (local name Tandin) deified in the near monastery.

Tango Buddhist Institute, Thimphu

One needs to hire a private cab for this trip as the public transportation in this part is rare. But the place is awesome for a medium hike of 1 hour. The path is paved with stone and mostly uphill climb. The route is through the dense forest which makes the way mesmerizing.. The monks here were friend and they welcome visitors in their abode and share information about the culture and religion.

The Tango Buddhist Institute is built in the Dzong fashion, and has a characteristic curved (semi - circular) outside wall and prominent main tower with recesses. It covers the caves where originally meditation and miracles were performed by saints from the 12th century onwards. Behind the series of prayer wheels are engraved slates. Inside the courtyard is a gallery, illustrating the leaders of the Drukpa Kagyupa lineage.

The Yarney ('Yar' means “Summer” and 'Ney' means “To stay”) represents monks' summer retreat time and is an important annual festival. Initiated since 1967, the festival starts from the 15th day of the 6th month of the Bhutanese calendar and concludes on the 30th day of the 7th month.