Aja Ney

Aja Ney is a pilgrimage site of sacred caves in the hills of Mongar, in eastern Bhutan, reached on a walk of several days rather than by road. The name refers to the syllable A, which Guru Rinpoche is said to have left inscribed on the rock here a hundred times.

Bhutanese pilgrims come to walk the circuit of caves and shrines, each associated with a guardian deity, and the route is physically demanding: high, remote and without facilities of any kind. It is not a sightseeing destination and is almost never included in a standard itinerary. Those who go are generally making the journey for its own sake.