The Asura cave, at Pharping, Nepal is said to be a place where the great tantric master Padmasambhava stayed and meditated. Because of the attainments he is thought to have achieved here (and in a linked sister cave called Yangleshö), many Tibetan Buddhists consider this the most sacred site associated with Guru Rinpoche outside of Tibet proper. For this reason, it is an important pilgrimage site. Visitors to the cave frequently engage in rituals and make offerings, including khata (prayer scarves), which you can see hanging on the wall inside the cave in this 3D model above. If you have a VR headset and want to experience this in VR, click the model above and then click again on the VR headset on the lower right.

For another rendering of the cave that offers a fuller-immersion sensory experience of “being there” and also allows you to hear the sound of a pilgrimage group talking and performing a ritual while you “walk around” inside the cave, click on the link below. Be aware that you may have to adjust the scale and view a bit to get the right perspective. It’s best if you acquaint yourself with the general inside of the cave using the model above and then when you get inside this model, you will know what you are looking for.

This is the cave entrance viewed from the outside. A hand print that many people associate with Guru Rinpoche can be seen imprinted in the rock to the left of the door to the cave.

Pilgrims often press their hands into the print as a way of connecting to the Guru.