Of the pilgrims, there were 11 nationalities, seven Kung Fu nuns, four buses to drop them at the rock and one guru – believed to be a reincarnation of the deity who resides inside the UNESCO world heritage site.

The pilgrims believe they’ve come to the “copper coloured mountain”, the fabled final resting place of their Buddha.

However, nestled in between the Kung Fu nuns, the Buddhists, and the “copper coloured mountain”, their three-day pilgrimage is just the beginning of this story.

While they walk in single file around the rock, chanting prayers and bringing tourism dollars to Yulara, locals are reluctant to talk about the Buddhists.

Many tourists give them a curious look and move on – but an incident from last year involving two Buddhists on a different pilgrimage could hint as to why traditional owners are reluctant to talk, and why Parks Australia don’t want pictures from the latest pilgrimage shown.

Inside a Buddhist pilgrimage to Uluru: Kung Fu nuns, the ‘rupture’, and more

Jigme Gamu is a Kung Fu nun from Nepal, who for three days in July, was in Uluru on the Drukpa Australia pilgrimage to the rock.

It’s her first time at Uluru – and her first visit to Australia – making the trip all the way from the Amitabha Drukpa Nepalese monastery to join the pilgrimage to a “place of blessings”.

“We don’t believe Kung Fu is only for harming or beating someone. We believe that it really helps for our physical and mental health … Kung Fu is very related with our daily life,” she said.

Ms Gamu is a believer in Drukpa Buddhism, a branch of Buddhism, and she’s here to follow her Guru, Gyalwa Dokhampa Rinpoche.

It’s the Guru’s second time around the rock, and he’s come here for a simple reason: Uluru is home to Padmasambhava.

Legend has it Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, fled Tibet and flew to a sacred “copper coloured mountain” in the 8th century.

The exact location of this fabled final resting place has been subject to debate by believers, but Guru Dokhampa Rinpoche said Padmasambhava “lives here somewhere”.

The July pilgrims are not the first Buddhists to undertake a pilgrimage – this masthead understands they’ve been growing in popularity in the last decade – and the Guru isn’t the first high profile Buddhist leader to visit Uluru either.

In 2015, the Dalai Lama himself visited Uluru, meeting with traditional owners and giving a community talk at Yulara oval.

But his holiness was not the one to declare Uluru the final resting place of Padmasambhava – that was done in the 1990s, according to Guru Dokhampa.

Roughly 147km east of Uluru lies Mt Connor – which looks similar to Uluru – but this is not the “copper coloured mountain,” according to the Guru.

This is because “many elders of our tradition” declared Uluru the correct site in the 1990s after they “felt that this was the copper coloured mountain” and Padmasambhava’s presence “was here,” he said.

“We believe that Uluru is a very sacred place and the (Indigenous) people are the carer of that blessing. They are his people now basically, they have adopted him or vice versa.

“So we have a lot of respect for Uluru, the Indigenous culture … when we are coming here I was reminding all my friends that we have come here to respect the Indigenous culture in his form.

“Enlightened being means to us is basically compassion and wisdom. What form it takes, whether it takes in the form of a rock, you know, (or) Indigenous people or Himalayan people, doesn’t matter.”

Attempts to interview a traditional owner, or First Nations ranger or artist by this masthead were knocked back by official channels, who cited the short notice of three to five days in advance as to why.

Mutitjulu, the local community nestled to the east of Uluru, is overseen by the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation, who did not respond to this mastheads' request for an interview. The community can only be entered with a permit.

Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, who own all accommodation at Yulara, directed this masthead to Parks Australia for interviews about the Buddhists.

A Parks Australia spokeswoman, the body who oversee the park, said Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park “is Aboriginal land, and Anangu have lived in the area for many years”.

“Anangu is the term that Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people, from the Western Desert region of Australia, use to refer to themselves,” she said.

“The guiding vision for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is that it is a place where Anangu law and culture (Tjukurpa) is kept strong for future generations.

“It is important to understand that Tjukurpa is not an abstract idea – it lives in the land and the people, and Aṉangu life revolves around keeping it alive and strong.”

Much of Uluru is a sacred site, and cannot be photographed at the request of the traditional owners.

Over the three day pilgrimage, the Buddhists completed a “circumbulation” of the rock each day.

As part of getting a media permit to cover the Buddhists on their pilgrimage to Uluru, Parks Australia had to review all images taken by this masthead and approve their use.

Parks Australia would not allow this masthead to publish a variety of images of the Buddhists next to the rock – in sites which could be photographed – as part of the media guidelines for the park, which specifically prohibit Uluru being used for “for advertising and promotion of religious, protest, political and similar events, activities or groups”.

Was this masthead to breach these guidelines, it would be viewed as an offence under federal law, specifically the 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The few images of the Buddhists published next to the rock from when this masthead came along to a “circumbulation” were the result of a number of negotiations with Parks officials on what could and couldn’t be shown.

Drukpa Buddhism has similar beliefs to what is commonly known about the religion: reincarnation, meditation, achieving positive karma, and reaching enlightenment.

During the pilgrimage, on the first day a “circumbulation” of the Uluru was completed in the morning, followed by prayers in the afternoon.

When this masthead joined on the second day, the plan had flipped: prayers first, Uluru second.

For some of these prayer sessions, only those who’d reached the correct level of enlightenment are allowed inside.

But this masthead got access to the “Uluru meeting place” – a hall in Yulara – the room in the centre of Australia which the Buddhists had transformed into something akin to Tibetan temple.

Inside, the Guru was in the centre, an altar behind him, offerings opposite him.

To his left and right, 375 pilgrims in rows and monks playing instruments, all locked in prayer.

Some had come from as far away as the United States, France, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and India to take part.

In the afternoon when the pilgrims walked – or completed their “circumbulation” – of Uluru, it was a cool July day, the blue sky surrounding Uluru dotted with white clouds.

They were divided into four groups, and completed the Mala base walk in a single file. Prior to beginning the walk, many Buddhists stopped and prayed to the rock.

One pilgrim, originally from Bhutan but now residing in Melbourne, described being in the presence of Uluru as “very spiritual” and said he already had plans to come back with his wife.

As the Buddhists walked, their prayers could be heard when the group was not visible; the soft hum of their prayers breaking the silence of the stillness of the national park.

Estimates would place the single file line at around a kilometre long, with many tourists around Uluru appearing taken aback – or in awe – of what they were witnessing as the Buddhists “circumbulation” slowly passed them.

Bicyclists and segway tours snaked passed them, and tour guides attempted to continue their talks as the group attendees sat with their mouths agape at the pilgrims.

Rangers were set up along the walk – making sure the Buddhists adhered to the rules – and a British family asked one what was happening.

“It’s one of those experiences,” the ranger replied, giving the family his theory how the group believe “one of their ancestors flew in on a magic carpet”.

Close to end of the walk, the group stopped for a prayer in front Uluru which lasted roughly 10 minutes, during which “Rinponche” could be heard.

When they completed the 10km base walk, many pilgrims appeared overjoyed – and exhausted – before heading back into the coach buses to Yulara.

To the organisers, the pilgrimage isn’t all about “circumbulations” and prayers and a Buddha inside an Australian icon.

Drupka Australia Incorporated, a charity organisation based in Perth, organised this pilgrimage, with Bhutanese expat and charity general secretary Sonam Pelden working behind the scenes over the three days to make sure everything runs smoothly.

“We’re very cautious … our international pilgrims, we’ve been sending them letters, notes, and every day there is a briefing to know that you’re here to listen with hearts, minds – all of it,” she said.

She talks of a “rupture” the group is trying to heal in the wake of two Bhutanese citizens damaging the Kulpi Mutitjulu sacred rock art at Uluru in August last year.

The two Bhutanese Buddhists were ejected from the park, fined close to $3000, and barred from returning, this masthead understands.

The two Buddhists were not part of the Drupka Australia organised pilgrimage, who’d last completed a pilgrimage to Uluru in 2023 as a “test run,” Dr Pelden said.

But in the wake of the damage, the Buddhists have lost some privileges: previously, group meditation sessions on park grounds close to Uluru could take place, but this year, the pilgrimage was not authorised to do so.

“We were unfortunately or fortunately the next group, but we also have the opportunity to make amends and we are doing that in every way possible so,” she said.

“I believe the Bhutanese who actually did enact those acts were not fully informed nor fully literate in a sense.

“I have been here for over 13 years now, I’m Australian Bhutanese and even for them to really understand who Indigenous are or how they relate – it’s not yet there, especially if you’ve just arrived as a student; forget the visitors. So I think there are dangers.

“For us, we always put in place risk and safety ahead. Environment is top and when there’s public it is just immense, so touch wood, we’ve done it really well.

“Rinpoche says if you execute, you execute one in three years maximum. We’re not doing anything less.”

The Guru also met with the Mutitjulu community during his trip, this masthead understands. Dr Pelden said she “hoped the rupture had been healed” in the wake of the meeting.

In August, a Bhutanese delegation is set to visit Uluru to formally apologise to the traditional owners for the damage caused last year.

Questions around the Bhutanese delegation visit was directed to the Bhutanese Embassy by Parks Australia. The Embassy did not respond when contacted for comment by this masthead.

But the Embassy has issued an apology for the damage and the “deep offence” caused, a statement released in May said.

“The Embassy is confident that by respecting and honouring the cultural sensitivities of the local community of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, every Bhutanese visitor will have a meaningful and enriching experience at the Park,” the Embassy’s statement said.

“Additionally, we request Bhutanese visitors to cultural and scared sites including protected areas, anywhere in Australia, to be mindful and respectful of local sensitivities and abide by regulations of such sites.”

The Kulpi Mutitjulu rock art sacred site remains closed to visitors while “while security and visitor access are upgraded,” the Parks Australia spokeswoman said.

“These measures aim to provide Aṉangu with the confidence that the remaining rock art will be appropriately protected for future generations,” she said.

The three day pilgrimage wrapped up August 1, and this masthead understands no formal complaints were made about the pilgrims behaviour while inside the Uluru park grounds.

However, regardless of the success of the pilgrimage, the Guru gave a coy answer when asked if he plans to come back to Uluru.

“Not at the moment, you know, because I feel rather than planning for things it is better to see the need of the hour,” he said with a smile.