Archive for April, 2010

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    Boudhanath Stupa
    Boudhanath Stupa (also called Boudha, Boudhanath, Bodhnath or the Khâsa Caitya) is one of the holiest Buddhist sites located on the eastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the capital of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. It is in fact the largest stupa in Nepal and the holiest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. Boudhanath Stupa is called Khâsti by Newars and Bauddha or Bodh-nâth by the modern speakers of Nepali. The culture in and around the stupa  remains Himalayan with a strong presence of Tibetans and Sherpas, and this can be found from several restaurants selling Tibetan food like momos and thukpa. History: Some says Boudhanath was founded by the Nepalese Licchavi king Úivadeva while others opine its origin dating back to King Mânadeva (464-505 CE). Tibetan sources claim a mound on the site was excavated in the late 15th or  [...]
    Posted at April 9th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Wat Pho Bangkok
    Wat Pho (official name: Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn), Temple of Reclining Buddha, is the oldest and the biggest temple of Lord Buddha in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. It is located in Phra Nakhon district in Bangkok. It has great many number of Buddha images (more than any other temple in Bangkok) and also houses the largest statue of Buddha in Thailand. History: Wat Pho Bangkok was constructed as a restoration of an earlier temple on the same site called Wat Phodaram. The work began in 1788 and the temple was restored and extended during the reign of King Rama III of Chakri Dynasty. During this time, plaques inscribed with medical texts were set up around the temple. In 1962 a school for traditional Thai medicine and massage was established here (such a centre was there even before the founding of  [...]
    Posted at April 9th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Swayambhunath Stupa
    Swayambhunath Stupa (also Money Temple) is a famous Buddhist shrine located on a hill top at the western edge of Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, the small Hindu nation on the lap of the Himalayas. The all-staring Buddha eyes staring out from the top of the stupa has become a quintessential symbol of Nepal throughout the world. Legend: Swayambhunath Temple was founded about 2,000 years ago. It is held that Kathmandu Valley was filled with a lake and a single lotus grew at its centre. When boddhisatva manjusri drained the lake with a slash of sword, the lotus settled on the hill top and magically transformed itself in to a stupa (hence the name Self-Created or Swayambhu Stupa). History: The earliest written record of the Swayambunath Stupa’s dates back to a 5th-century stone inscription, although historians are the view that there  [...]
    Posted at April 8th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Great Buddha of Kamakura
    The Great Buddha of Kamakura (in Japan) is a monumental outdoor seated bronze statue of Amida Buddha. The statue is located in Kotokuin, a Buddhist temple of the Pure Land sect and is one of the popular symbols of Japan. The Great Buddha of Kamakura (known as Daibutsu in Japanese) is 13.35 metres high and weighs 93 tons and is the second largest Buddha statue in Japan after the one at Todaiji in the city of Nara. The Great Buddha of Kamakura was originally housed inside a temple (the statue dates back to 1252), which was washed away by tsunami in the late 15th century during the Muromachi period. One-Goroemon and Tanji-Hisatomo were the sculptors of the statue. Statue: The Great Buddha is seated in a lotus position with his hands forming Dhyani Mudra, the gesture of meditation. The statute has a tranquil gesture on its face and  [...]
    Posted at April 8th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Shaolin Temples
    There is hardly any Kung Fu movie buff who has not heard about Shaolin and the world famous martial arts related with it. The Shaolin temples are a group of Chinese Buddhist monasteries located in Henan Province in Dengfeng in the People’s Republic of China (on Song Shan m ountain). The Shaolin temples are associated with Chán (Zen) Buddhism. History Shaolin temple was founded during the reign of Northern Wei dynasty in around 497 AD and it is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in China. History claims that the temple was used by an Indian monk named Batuo during the thirty years he spent in China while preaching Nikaya Buddhism. However, the name that is mostly associated with Shaolin is that of Bodhidharma or Tamo, an Indian monk who travelled to China in the 5th century to teach and peach Buddhism. Bodhidharma had introduced  [...]
    Posted at April 7th, 2010 in Buddhist Temples
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    Valley of Kings
    Valley of Kings (‘Wadi el-Muluk’ in Arabic) is a valley in Egypt which is home to tombs of several pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom dating back to Ancient Egypt. The tombs were constructed over 500 years between 16th century to 11th century BC. The valley is located on the West bank of the Nile, across of the modern day Luxor and beneath the peak of the pyramid-shaped mountain Al-Qurn. The widespread Egyptian religious culture of ‘death and the afterlife’ is best reflected by the Valley of Kings and other mausoleums and monuments existing in the necropolis of West Bank. The cemetery and the tombs have been given class security yet the onslaught of grave robbers could not be averted. The site remains open for the public from 6 am to 5 pm during summer and 6 am to 4 pm during winter. History: Valley of the Kings  [...]
    Posted at April 7th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Luxor Temple
    Luxor Temple is an ancient Egyptian temple complex located in the modern day city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) on the eastern bank of River Nile (in Upper Egypt). The temple, which was founded in 1400 BC and was expanded in 1250 BC, is known as ‘ipet resyt’ in Egyptian language (meaning ‘the southern sanctuary’). Luxor Temple is dedicated to the trio of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was built during the New Kingdom. Luxor Temple is among the most famous and popular tourist destinations in Egypt and thousands from across the world pay visit to be a glad witness to this marvel of the ancient age. History: Luxor Temple was built by Amenhotep III. The architect of the construction work of the temple was Amenhotep, the son of Habu. The temple was constructed on the site of a small Temple of Amon. The structure was only 190 metres long  [...]
    Posted at April 6th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Bent Pyramid
    Bent Pyramid is located at Dahsur, the royal necropolis situated about 40 kilometres south of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Bent Pyramid dates back to 2596 BC, the time of the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu and is a spectacular illustration of the early development of the wonder called pyramid. The pyramid gets its name from the sudden change in the angle halfway up. The pyramid is a top tourist attraction in Egypt. It remains open for public viewing from 8 am to 4 pm. ‘Bent’ nature: The lower portion of the pyramid rises at 55 degrees inclination while the top section is built at 43 degree angle, which gives the pyramid a ‘bent’ appearance. The pyramid has a height of 101 metres while its base is 188 metres. According to archaeologists, Bent pyramid marked a transition from step-sided to smooth-sided pyramids. Why bent construction? It  [...]
    Posted at April 6th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Dahshur North Pyramid
    Dahshur North Pyramid, also known as Red Pyramid for its constituent reddish limestone, is the third largest pyramid in Egypt (after Khufu and Khafre Pyramids in Giza) and also one of the few mega structures of the ancient age whose interior is open for public viewing (timing: from 8 am to 4 pm). Local people refer the Red Pyramid as ‘el-haram el-watwat’, meaning the Bat Pyramid. The pyramid, although known as Red, was not always red. It had white Tura limestone, much of which was taken away for other buildings in Cairo during the middle ages, hence revealing the reddish limestone. History: Dahshur North Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Sneferu (2575-2551 BC), father of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, who also built Bent Pyramid at Dahshur (one km north from Red Pyramid) and completed the pyramid at Meidum. Construction  [...]
    Posted at April 5th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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