Archive for March, 2010

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    The Ajanta Caves Perfectly Exhibits Buddhism
    Located just in the outskirts of the Ajintha village in the Aurangabad District of the Indian state of Maharashtra, the Ajanta caves are rock-cut structures whose construction dates back to the 2nd century BC. They are popular for its spectacular paintings and carvings exemplifying Buddhist religious and universal pictorial art. The caves are now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The purpose of these caves was to act as a residing and meditating site for the Buddhist preachers who had devoted their life towards the aim of spreading the values of Buddhism across the globe. In total, there are 30 caves out of which caves numbered 9, 10, 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas; while the rest are similar to Buddhist monasteries. Based on the time of construction, you can split the caves into two parts. The most ancient of the Ajanta  [...]
    Posted at March 9th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    I was Simply Blessed to Visit the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple
    The Longhua (Luster of the Dragon) temple in Shanghai is the largest and busiest Buddhist temple devoted to the Maitreya Buddha and famous for its graceful pagoda and wonderful peach blooms in spring. Built in 247 AD during the reign of the Three Dynasties, the temple retains its architectural charm of a Song Dynasty monastery in form of the pagoda. Legend Sun Quan, King of the Kingdom of Wu, once gained the Sharira ruins – the remains of the Lord Buddha. The king decided to build 13 pagodas to preserve these sacred relics. One of them is the Longhua Pagoda (Longhua Ta) located in the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple complex. The name of the temple is also given after a local legend that traces the appearance of a dragon on the site. Prime Attractions The layout of the Shanghai-Longhua-Temple is known as the Sangharama Five-Hall Style  [...]
    Posted at March 8th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor
    The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (‘Djeser Djeseru’ meaning Splendor of Splendors) is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari (Northern Monastery) complex of mortuary temples and tombs on the west bank of Nile River near the Valley of Kings in Egypt, opposite to the city of Luxor (Ancient Thebes). The temple, located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, was designed by Senemut, Queen Hatshepushut’s architect and it is dedicated to Sun God Amon-Ra. Statues and sphinxes of the queen lie proliferated throughout the temple campus. Many of these statues have been gradually restored by the excavators. Some of the remains have been presrved in the Cairo Museum whil others have found place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Queen Hatshepsut: Maatkare Hatshepsut (late 16th century BC – 1482 BC) was the  [...]
    Posted at March 5th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Bodhi Tree
    Bodhi tree is located at Sri Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya in Gaya district in the state of Bihar in India. The Bodhi Tree (also called ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’ or ‘Bo’ in Sinhalese) is a large and ancient sacred fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism and later known as Gautama Buddha, achieved enlightenment. In religious belief, the Bodhi tree is recognized by its heart-shaped leaves, which are prominently displayed. The Mahabodhi Temple has been listed under UNESCO World Heritage site. The Bodhi tree of Bodhgaya is a frequently visited pilgrim destinations and is considered the most important of the all Buddhist pilgrimage sites including Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath.  Anandabodhi tree in Sarvasti and Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka also have great significance in the history of Buddhism. History: As  [...]
    Posted at March 4th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Leshan Giant Buddha
    Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world and located at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers near the city of Leshan (meaning ‘Happy Mountain’) in the southern part of Sichuan Province of the People’s Republic of China. Leshan is located about 120 km from Chengdu. The stone sculpture that was built during the Tang dynasty (618-907) faces Mount Emei while the rivers flow below its feet. The giant Buddha was the tallest statue in the world at the time of its construction. The Mount Emei Scenic Area, along with Leshan Giant Buddha, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Spot have several restaurants around it where the tourists can relish local dishes of Leshan City. Dimension of the statute: The statue at Leshan depicts a seated  [...]
    Posted at March 3rd, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Valley of the Kings Egypt – What is the Secret of this Place?
    The Valley of the Kings in Egypt; is a mysterious valley where the burial chambers of the kings and nobles of the New Kingdom were built for nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century B.C. Dedicated to the kings of the 18th to 20th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt, the valley is on the west bank of the Nile off Thebes (Luxor) holding the East Valley of maximum royal tombs and the West Valley (WV). It is now a part of World Heritage Site. As per the excavations, the Valley of Kings the Egypt boasts some 63 tombs and 120 chambers that vary from a small pit to a big complex. In general, the royal tombs are adorned with the episodes of the Egyptian mythology that provide an insight to the viewpoints and funerary rituals. Now-a-days, the valley is in minds of all people because of the discovery of the Tutankhamun tomb along with the gossip  [...]
    Posted at March 2nd, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    The Temple of Karnak is the Biggest Ancient Religious Site on Earth
    The Temple of Karnak is an open-air museum holding a huge complex of ruined temples, chapels, pylons (monumental gateways), and other buildings including the spectacular Temple of Amen and a huge structure initiated by Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1391-1351 BC). Sprinkled close to Luxor at 500 km from Cairo, the region surrounding this complex was once the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (The Most Sacred Places). Regarded as the prime site of worship of the Theban Triad, it belongs to the monumental city of Thebes. After the pyramids, the Temple of Karnak is the mostly visited site in Egypt. The complex holds four main parts (precincts) among which the Precinct of Amun-Re, is the largest and the only structure open to public. The other three are the Precinct of Montu, the Precinct of Mut, and the dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV, are closed  [...]
    Posted at March 1st, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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