Showing posts with label Golden Pagoda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Pagoda. Show all posts

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Wat Phrathat Doi Saket


Name : Wat Phrathat Doi Saket

Location
Wat Phrathat Doi Saket is located in the Doi Saket district, just outside the city of Chiang Mai. Travelling to the temple by motorbike or car will take approximately 30 minutes from the center of Chiang Mai. Doi Saket is located on the road north to Chiang Rai (Highway 118), just before the climb up the mountain on the right hand side. The Doi Saket district is predominantly a rural farming area, with plenty of rice fields in the valley as well as orchards and other farming on the mountainsides. Travelinasia have attached a map to this article showing how to get there from Chiang Mai.


History
The temple at Doi Saket is said to have been built in the year 1112. The legend is that the Lord Buddha had come to Doi Saket for a short time, and was visited by naka whom he offered his hair for the purpose of worship. Shortly after he is said to have dissapeared, and this is the reason for the location of the temple. Thai artist, "Khun Chaiwat Wannanon" began painting the interior of the temple walls with spiritual Buddhist murals in the early 1990s. It took over 4 years for the murals to be completed. This is something that is unique to the temple at Doi Saket. Normally modern art is not featured in Buddhist temples in Thailand, so this is somewhat unique to Doi Saket.

Modern Buddhist Paintings at Wat Phrathat Doi Saket : 
There are lot of beautiful modern paintings in this temple. Ryan Zander who resides in Chian mai describes the paintings in detail in his blog post http://siamandbeyond.com/modern-buddhist-paintings-wat-phrathat-doi-saket/

Description :

The temple at Doi Saket is similar to the Doi Suthep Temple, yet smaller in size. The temple’s chedi, or stupa, glistens in the sunlight with both gold and silver. It is actually composed of a building that you can enter with the dome mounted on top. Inside, you’ll find a passageway to circumambulate the sacred relics kept here.  The entrance to the temple (as is the case at Doi Suthep) has a steep set of stairs leading to the temple. The most prominent feature of the Doi Saket Temple is the giant golden sitting Buddha (Phra Buddha Pathimakorn), visible from the road leading to the temple. The interior walls of the temple are decorated with modern spiritual murals, painted by Khun Chaiwat Wannanon. There is also a monastic school located on the grounds of the temple. There is a Chinese-style pavilion containing a shrine to Guan-Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. As the East Asian version of Avalokiteshvara, Guan-Yin is technically part of the Mahayana pantheon and doesn’t play any official role in traditional Theravada Buddhist practice. Yet, the influence of China upon Southeast Asia is so strong that you’ll find Guan-Yin at many Thai temples, where she’s worshiped just as much for good luck as she is for striving to accumulate virtue. The Chedi features the relics of Buddha and a Golden Umbrella.

Aerial Photos
AERIAL PHOTOS BY HELI-ASIA

Etiquette
When you visit any temple, or government office in Thailand, you are expected to dress appropriately. Proper dress includes wearing long pants or trousers, with a sleeved shirt as apposed to shorts and sleeveless shirts. Women should dress conservative, without displaying skin, short skirts and tank tops are frowned upon. You will also be asked to take off your shoes before entering the temple, you will see hundreds of peoples shoes in a pile at the entrance. Once inside the temple, you should make sure not to offend anyone, keep your voice down and try to not to cause any disruption to other people. There’s a cute little coffee shop near the parking area if you need a refreshment.

Photography
All the photos and video of the temple that you see in this article are taken by "Heli-Asia", using their remote controlled helicopter with remote camera mount. The helicopter traveled to over 100 meters above the highest point of the temple and hovered there using a sophisticated flight control system that allows the helicopter to remain at the same altitude for a long period of time. The camera mount is controlled remotely from the ground, and there is a live video feed showing the viewer of the camera. It takes 2 experienced technicians to operate the helicopter and the camera. Using a series of still photos taken at various different angles, Heli-Asia also created a spherical image of the temple, the temple grounds and the Doi Saket district.


Websites :

http://hubpages.com/travel/doi-saket

Monday, March 7, 2016

Wat Phra That Mae Yen, Thailand

Name :  Wat Phra That Mae Yen

Location :

This Temple is located atop a hill in Pai, a small town in Northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province. To get there, walk 1km east from the main intersection in town to get to the stairs (353 steps) that lead to the top. Or, if you’ve got wheels, take the 400m sealed road that follows a different route.

Description :

This small temple on a hill 2 km from Pai is especially interesting for its setting and the view overlooking the city you have from it. The 353 steps long staircase to reach the temple is charming even if you can skip it and take the road to access to Wat Phra That Mae Yen. The temple consists of two buildings and a few small golden chedis.


In front of the temple entrance, there is a little market with stalls where you can buy products, mainly hats and scarves knitted by the vendors. They can be very useful because it is cold at night and in the early morning in Pai. There are also two coffee shops. Behind the market, there is another Wihaan housing a reclining Buddha. And over the hill behind it, a large stitting Buddha is under construction and should be visible from far away. If you have the courage and the curiosity, you can already take the small path behind the building of the Reclining Buddha and have a look at the unfinished Big Buddha. Phra That Mae Yen is one of most accessible attraction by bicycle around Pai and a good introduction to your stay in Pai.

Websites :


This small temple on a hill 2 km from Pai is especially interesting for its setting and the view overlooking the city you have from it. The 353 steps long staircase to reach the temple is charming even if you can skip it and take the road to access to Wat Phra That Mae Yen. The temple consists of two buildings and a few small golden chedis. In front of the temple entrance, there is a little market with stalls where you can buy products, mainly hats and scarves knitted by the vendors. They can be

See more at : http://www.thailandee.com/en/visit-thailand/wat-phra-that-mae-yen-pai-161
Copyright © Thailandee.com

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Mount Emei



Name : Mount Emei or Emeishan

Location :

Mt. Emei is located in Leshan City, Sichuan Provincein China. It is towering, beautiful, old and mysterious. Mt. Emei is like a huge green screen standing in the southwest of the Chengdu Plain.

History :

The slopes of Emei Shan have been inhabited since as early as 10,000 years ago. It was originally a Taoist retreat, but became the location of the first Buddhist temple built in China in the 1rd century AD.

Pugong, a medicinal plant farmer, built the Puguang Hall on the Golden Summit in the 1st century AD. In the 3rd century, the Puxian form of Buddhism (which centers on devotion to the Bodhisattva Puxian, or Samantabhadra) became dominant on Emei and the Chinese monk Huichi built the Puxian Temple (now the Wannian Temple) at the foot of the Guanxinpo Terrace.

In the mid-9th century, the Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin sent a Buddhist mission headed by Master Jiye to India. On his return he was authorized to build temples on Mount Emei, where he preached and translated the Indian Buddhist texts. He was also authorized to cast a Puxian bronze statue, 62 tonnes in weight and 7.85 m high, now in the Wannian Temple.

Ever since, Mount Emei has been one of the most holy places of Buddhism. Extensive rebuilding during the Ming dynasty finally converted most of Emei's Taoist temples to Buddhism.

The natural beauty and sacred significance of Emei Shan has been drawing pilgrims and tourists for 2,000 years.

Description :

Emei Shan literally means "Delicate Eyebrow Mountain" - it derives its name from two peaks which face each other and look like the delicate eyebrows of a girl. Mt.Emei is sacred to the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra.



Mt.Emei is the highest one among all the famous sight-seeing mountains in China.
Mt. Emei is one of the 4 sacred mountains in China and it is more than 1,000m higher than the other three Buddhist sacred mountains.

In Mt. Emei there are four scenic regions:
1) Baoguo Temple - starting place
2) Wannian Temple
3) Qingyin Pavilion and
4) Golden Summit

Its main peak, the Golden Summit, is 3,099 meters (10,167 feet) above the sea level, seemingly reaching the sky. Standing on the top of it, you can enjoy the snowy mountains in the west and the vast plain in the east. In addition in Golden Summit there are four spectacles:
1) Clouds Sea
2) Sunrise
3) Buddha rays and
4) Saint lamps.



In 1996 Mt. Emei was enlisted in the world natural and cultural heritage by the UNESCO.



There are many monkeys, who are accustomed to tourists and assertive; they aren't dangerous but will beg for food and grab at bags as hikers walk along the trails. Many hikers carry walking sticks to shoo them away.

There are over 30 Buddhist temples on Emei Shan, 10 of which are large and very old. They are considered masterpieces of creative ingenuity in the way they adapt to the natural enviroment and beauty of the holy mountain.



Further up the mountain lies the Crouching Tiger Monastery (Fuhu Si), Emei's largest temple. Once associated with the Taoist martial-arts master Zhang Sanfeng, today it is a Guanyin nunnery. Notable features include the 16th-century, 7m-high bronze Huayan Pagoda, which is engraved with 4700 Buddha images.



A few hours' walk or a cable car ride leads to the Golden Summit (Jinding), at 3077m. There are two temples here (the friendly Woyun Nunnery and the large Huazang Si) and thousands of padlocks inscribed with couples' names to symbolize eternal love. Jinding is the best place to experience the Four Wonders of Mt. Emei: the Buddha's Halo (rainbow-like rings that surround and move with your shadow), the Sea of Clouds, the Holy Lamp (or Divine Lights) and the Golden Summit Sunrise.



From the Golden Summit you can ride a monorail along the ridge to Wanfoding (Ten Thousand Buddha Summit), the true summit of Emei Shan.

The largest surviving building is Baoguo Monastery, at the mountain base. Built in the 16th century, Baoguo is the usual starting point for any serious exploration. The monastery includes a library of sutras and a huge porcelain Buddha. Further up the mountain lies the Monastery of Hufu, which features a lovely seven-meter high copper pagoda.

Getting there :

Mt. Emei lies 150 km away from Chengdu, 130 km from the Shuangliu International Airport and only 28 km from Leshan city. Access to the mountain is via Emei Shan town, 7km from the base. Minibuses and public buses leave from Emei's main street depot to the trailhead at Baoguo.



It is five kilometers to the top of Emei Shan, much of it consisting of stone stairs. If you walk it all, plan for a full day up and a full day down (around 10 hours on foot). Monasteries along the way offer reasonably-priced lodging, and there are several comfortable lodges on the summit. Dress in layers - a 20° variance between base and summit is normal.

Minibuses and cable cars can take tourists most of the way up the mountain. Most opt for tours from Chengdu, about three hours to the mountain base, then another two hours to Jieyin Dien, where you already feel the air at 2,540 meters.



A Swiss-style cable car soars over pines to Jinding, and a final hike of about an hour, huffing and puffing in the high altitude, to the peak. Some spend the night to see the sunrise, others quickly turn around and head back.

Websites :

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/china/emei-shan

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/leshan/mt_emei.htm

http://www.chinamaps.info/Mt.%20Emei/Index.htm

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claudia0105/1/1275887900/tpod.html#_

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Shwedagon Pagoda



Name : The Shwedagon Pagoda officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw ([ʃwèdəɡòun zèdìdɔ̀]), also known as the Golden Pagoda.

Location :

This is a 98-metre (approx. 321.5 feet) gilded stupa located in Yangon, Burma. The pagoda lies to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on Singuttara Hill, thus dominating the skyline of the city.

Legend :

According to legend, the Shwedagon Pagoda is 2500 years old. Archaeologists believe the stupa was actually built sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries by the Mon, but this is a very controversial issue because according to the records by Buddhist monks it was built before Lord Buddha died in 486 BC. The story of Shwedagon Pagoda begins with two merchant brothers, Taphussa and Bhallika, from the land of Ramanya, meeting the Lord Gautama Buddha and receiving eight of the Buddha's hairs to be enshrined in Burma. The two brothers made their way to Burma and with the help of the local king, King Okkalapa, found Singuttara Hill, where relics of other Buddhas preceding Gautama Buddha had been enshrined. When the hairs were taken from their golden casket to be enshrined some incredible things happened:

" There was a tumult among men and spirits ... rays emitted by the Hairs penetrated up to the heavens above and down to hell ... the blind beheld objects ... the deaf heard sounds ... the dumb spoke distinctly ... the earth quaked ... the winds of the ocean blew ... Mount Meru shook ... lightning flashed ... gems rained down until they were knee deep ... all trees of the Himalayas, though not in season, bore blossoms and fruit "

History :

The stupa fell into disrepair until the 14th century when the Mon king Binnya U of Bago had the stupa rebuilt to a height of 18 meters (60 ft). It was rebuilt several times and reached its current height of 98 meters (320 ft) in the 18th century. The Mon kingdom possessed two great pagodas of especial sanctity, the Shwemawdaw at Bago and the Shwedagon.

Originally only twenty-seven feet high, it was raised to a height of sixty-six feet in 1362 by King Binnya U as an act of special piety. Dhammazedi's immediate predecessor, his mother-in-law Queen Shinsawbu (1453–72), raised its height to 40 meters (129 ft). She terraced the hill on which it stands, paved the top terrace with flagstones, and assigned land and hereditary slaves for its maintenance.

When in 1472 she yielded up the throne to Dhammazedi, she retired to Dagon, and during her last illness had her bed placed so that she could rest her dying eyes upon the gilded dome of the sacred fane. The Mon face of the Shwe Dagon inscription catalogues a list of repairs beginning in 1436 and finishing during Dhammazedi's reign. It mentions Queen Shinsawbu under a terrific Pali name of sixty-six letters. By the beginning of the 16th century the pagoda had become the most famous place of pilgrimage in Burma.

Description :

It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within, namely the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Koṇāgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight hairs of Gautama, the historical Buddha.

A series of earthquakes caused damage to the Pagoda. The worst damage came from a 1768 earthquake that brought down the top of the stupa and it was raised to its current state by King Hsinbyushin (lit. Lord of the White Elephant) of Konbaung Dynasty. A new crown umbrella called hti was donated by King Mindon Min in 1871 after the annexation of Lower Burma by the British.



An earthquake of moderate intensity in October 1970 put the shaft of the hti visibly out of alignment. A scaffold was erected and extensive repairs to the hti were made.

The pagoda is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List.

Design :

There are four entrances to the Paya that lead up a flight of steps to the platform on Singuttara Hill. The eastern and southern approaches have vendors selling books, good luck charms, Buddha images, candles, gold leaf, incense sticks, prayer flags, streamers, miniature umbrellas and flowers. A pair of giant leogryphs called chinthe (mythical lions) guard the entrances and the image in the shrine at the top of the steps from the south is that of the second Buddha, Konagamana.



The base or plinth of the stupa is made of bricks covered with gold plates. Above the base are terraces that only monks and men can access. Next is the bell-shaped part of the stupa. Above that is the turban, then the inverted alms bowl, inverted and upright lotus petals , the banana bud and then the crown. The crown or umbrella is tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies. Immediately before the diamond bud is a flag-shaped vane. The very top, the diamond bud is tipped with a 76 carat (15 g) diamond.

The gold seen on the stupa is made of genuine gold plates, covering the brick structure attached by traditional rivets. Myanmar people all over the country, as well as monarchs in its history, have donated gold to the pagoda to maintain it. It was started in the 15th century by the Mon Queen Shin Sawbu who gave her weight in gold and continues to this day.

Great Bell of Dhammazedi, Singu Min Bell and Maha Tissada (three-toned) Gandha Bell :

In 1608 the Portuguese adventurer Philip de Brito e Nicote, known as Nga Zinka to the Burmese, plundered the Shwedagon Pagoda. His men took the 300-ton Great Bell of Dhammazedi, donated in 1485 by King Dhammazedi who succeeded Shin Sawbu. De Brito's intention was to melt the bell down to make cannons, but when he carried it across the Bago River it fell into the river. To this date, it has not been recovered.



Two centuries later when the British landed on May 11, 1824 during the First Anglo-Burmese War, they immediately seized and occupied the Shwedagon Pagoda. They used it as a fortress until they left two years later. There was pillaging and vandalism, and one officer's excuse for digging a tunnel into the depths of the stupa was to find out if it could be used as a gunpowder magazine. The Maha Gandha (lit. great sweet sound) Bell, a 23-ton bronze bell cast in 1779 and donated by King Singu and popularly known as the Singu Min Bell, was carried off with the intention to ship it to Calcutta. It met the same fate as the Dhammazedi Bell and fell into the river. When the British failed in their attempts to recover it, the people offered to help provided it could be restored to the stupa. The British, thinking it would be in vain, agreed, upon which divers went in to tie hundreds of bamboo poles underneath the bell and floated it to the surface. There has been much confusion over this bell and the 42-ton Maha Tissada (three-toned) Gandha Bell donated in 1841 by King Tharrawaddy along with 20 kg of gold plating; this massive ornate bell hangs in its pavilion in the northeast corner of the stupa. A different but less plausible version of the account of the Singu Min Bell was given by Lt. J.E. Alexander in 1827 . This bell can be seen hung in another pavilion in the northwest of the pagoda platform.

The Second Anglo-Burmese War saw the British re-occupation of the Shwedagon in April 1852, only this time the stupa was to remain under their military control for 77 years until 1929, although the people were given access to the Paya.

Rituals :

Visitors must remove their shoes before the first step at any of the entrances. The southern and eastern approaches have traditional shops with wide gradual staircases. In addition these entrances have an elevator and the infrequently used western one is equipped with escalators. Burmese walk around the stupa clockwise (let ya yit).

The day of the week a person is born will determine their planetary post, eight in all as Wednesday is split in two, a.m. and p.m. They are marked by animals that represent the day, galon (garuda) for Sunday (ta nin ganway), tiger for Monday (ta nin la), lion for Tuesday (in ga), tusked elephant for Wednesday a.m.(bouddahu), tuskless elephant for Wednesday p.m. (yahu), mouse for Thursday (kyatha baday), guinea pig for Friday (thaukkya) and naga (mythical dragon/serpent) for Saturday (sanay). Each planetary post has a Buddha image and devotees offer flowers and prayer flags and pour water on the image with a prayer and a wish. At the base of the post behind the image is a guardian angel, and underneath the image can be seen the animal representing the day. The base of the stupa is octagonal and also surrounded by small shrines, eight in number for each day of the week.



Most Myanmar people are Buddhist, at the same time believing astrology which originated from Hindu Brahmanism. It is very important for every Myanmar Buddhist people to recognize the day of their birth, such as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc. Otherwise, he or she may not know which part of pagoda platform to go and make special devotional acts either his or her desire or by the advice of Astrologer.

Myanmar astrology recognizes the seven planets, namely Sun, Mon, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. In addition, it recognizes two other planets, Rahu and Ketu. All the Myanmar names of the planets are borrowed from Hindu astrology, but the Myanmar Rahu and Ketu are different from the Hindu Rahu and Ketu. The Myanmar considers them to be distinct and separate planets, whereas Hindu astrology considers them to be either the Dragon's Head and Tails, or Ascending and Descending Nodes. To the Myanmar people, Ketu is the king of all planets. As with other Nations the Myanmar name the seven days of their week after the seven planets, but Myanmar astrology recognizes an eight days week, Wednesday being divided into two days; until 6 p.m. it is Wednesday, but after 6.pm. to the midnight it is Rahu's day.

Most Myanmar Buddhist approach an astrologer for something or another, whether to go ahead with a move to a new house or get married or pass exams or doing new business. The astrologer would do some calculations according to the magic formulas he alone knows and arrive at a certain conclusion. The astrologer would sometime say that he or she is under the bad influence of a certain planet and to counter this the clients should go to his or her birthday planetary post and pour a certain number of cups of water or place papier mache umbrellas or flowers etc. as "yadaya" or to put it in English, a symbolic counter to avert the bad influences the subject is under currently or looming in the future by using the inherent powers in his or her offering plus some personal wishes.

The pilgrim, on his way up the steps of the pagoda, buys flowers, candles, coloured flags and streamers. They are to be offered in honour of the great stupa wherein are enshrined the relics of Buddha. This act is the act of dana, or giving, an important aspect of Buddhist teaching. The donation boxes around the pagoda receive offerings large and small, given to the pagoda for general purposes. All donations are voluntary, from the smallest coin put into the box to the priceless jewels hung on the top of the pagoda. No fees are ever requested at pagoda for use of the lifts or for the minding of footwear. The pilgrim can make whatever donation he chooses and may even make none if he wishes.

Websites :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwedagon_Pagoda

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