The Gorgeous White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Photo credit: exquisitevietnam.com
Showing posts with label temples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temples. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Today's Daydream...
The Gorgeous White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Photo credit: exquisitevietnam.com
Friday, July 18, 2014
The Oracle of Delphi (Greece Part 2)
My fascination with Ancient Civilizations continues in Delphi. Legends tell of Delphi's establishment when Zeus released two eagles from the opposite ends of the world; and Delphi was where they crossed paths. Believed to be the naval of the world, it was purposed as a dwelling place of the God Apollo at the end of the 8th century BC. People all over Greece and beyond visited Delphi to consult the God Apollo on the course of action to take in their lives. The Oracle of Delphi was a means where people could hear the God Apollo through the channel of priestess or sibyls. It was believed that the vapors from a crack in the ground at the temple's altar assisted the channel into a trance and answers could be sought.
Like most places left in ruins, walking through Delphi requires the work of one's imagination. The grandeur and importance of Delhpi can definitely be realized from the presence of the different monuments such as the Main Temple Apollo itself, the Athenian Treasury and the presence of a theatre and stadium. Crowds must have come forth in search of answers from the oracle.
The Athenean Treasury.
I felt had affinity with this tree right under the Temple of Apollo.
It may seem so frail and weak, but to me, it has so much strength.
A sweltering hot day it was…
The theatre which overlooks the Temple.
Love the trees in Delphi, they are so ALIVE!
The Delphi museum housing the collection of sculptures and architectural remains of the period is also interesting to see. The main exhibit being the life size bronze statue the "Charioteer".
My own personal favorite at the museum has to be this….
The Magneto Helmet from X-Men!!! (or rather the movie must have got some inspiration from the greeks!) How cool!!
And the others i like….
An overview of what Delphi might have looked like….
And the most endearing Temple cats of Delphi…
Much love….
TBC….
Read The Oia Dream (Greece Part 1)
(Pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera, Samsung S4 and Note 2)
Like most places left in ruins, walking through Delphi requires the work of one's imagination. The grandeur and importance of Delhpi can definitely be realized from the presence of the different monuments such as the Main Temple Apollo itself, the Athenian Treasury and the presence of a theatre and stadium. Crowds must have come forth in search of answers from the oracle.
The Athenean Treasury.
I felt had affinity with this tree right under the Temple of Apollo.
It may seem so frail and weak, but to me, it has so much strength.
A sweltering hot day it was…
The theatre which overlooks the Temple.
Love the trees in Delphi, they are so ALIVE!
The Delphi museum housing the collection of sculptures and architectural remains of the period is also interesting to see. The main exhibit being the life size bronze statue the "Charioteer".
My own personal favorite at the museum has to be this….
The Magneto Helmet from X-Men!!! (or rather the movie must have got some inspiration from the greeks!) How cool!!
And the others i like….
An overview of what Delphi might have looked like….
And the most endearing Temple cats of Delphi…
Much love….
TBC….
Read The Oia Dream (Greece Part 1)
(Pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera, Samsung S4 and Note 2)
Sunday, January 12, 2014
My Hong Kong Top 10 To Dos ! #1
#1: Wong Tai Sin Temple
In the shadows of gleaming glass and steel skyscrapers, thrive temples heavily laden with thick incense smoke.
Beyond all that outward modernisation, Hong Kong is still deep seated in its cultural roots. Religion being one still widely practised by the locals. The Wong Tai Sin temple is a popular one with the locals renowned for having devotees' prayers answered.
My first visit to the temple and I was way too curious. I had to have my fortune told. Having used one of the fortune tossing tool, with a question in mind, I started jossing the container with sticks. Fairly quickly, a stick fell out of the bundle, that very stick is the clue to my fortune (or even future) ! We adjourned to the adjacent building where fortune tellers lined the passageway in small shops awaiting eager fortune seekers. I never really took much to such fortune tellers being a believer that one creates his own destiny. However, the reading was insightful for a mere HK $25. Worth a try for a fortune telling experience !
Pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Camera
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Sunday, October 13, 2013
The Mysteries of Angkor Wat & Beyond (Part 1)
The temples of Angkor have lured travelers to Cambodia for centuries, likewise i found myself in Siam Reap one day.
We arrived to a sunny blue sky, but not for long.
My first meeting with the Angkor Wat wasn't all that pretty with the rain pouring down.
It was the wet season.
While i was feeling grumpy about exploring the wet and cold temple, trudging in puddles of water in potholes; the rain did give the temple a different feel, adding a mystical energy to the Wat.
..
Walking in the temple, i imagined the time of around 800 A.D until the mid 15th century of how Angkor was at the heart of the powerful Khmer empire. Originally built as a shrine to Vishnu, the temple had been replaced by Buddhism and revived in the 13th century to Hinduism and now again back to Buddhism. The temple would have been close to perfection if not for the missing Bodhisattra heads stolen in the early days when the temple was first discovered; now leaving behind only the bodies of the statues.
The temple despite being covered in mould today is still enchanting with its exuberant carvings depicting the great Hindu Epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, standing harmoniously alongside statues of serene Bodhisattvas and Apsaras- the "celestine dancers" of Hindu mythology.
TBC...
pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera.
We arrived to a sunny blue sky, but not for long.
My first meeting with the Angkor Wat wasn't all that pretty with the rain pouring down.
It was the wet season.
While i was feeling grumpy about exploring the wet and cold temple, trudging in puddles of water in potholes; the rain did give the temple a different feel, adding a mystical energy to the Wat.
The children of Angkor, however took this opportunity to have fun, splashing in the puddles of water in pure bliss. That simple joy of the rain connecting them to their innocence was a pure joy to watch.
Despite all that rain, my mood was lifted as I walked through the countless corridors opening up to courtyards in the temple premises.
.. 
The rain was finally over, and everything started to glow...
I call it the "after rain" effect.
Walking in the temple, i imagined the time of around 800 A.D until the mid 15th century of how Angkor was at the heart of the powerful Khmer empire. Originally built as a shrine to Vishnu, the temple had been replaced by Buddhism and revived in the 13th century to Hinduism and now again back to Buddhism. The temple would have been close to perfection if not for the missing Bodhisattra heads stolen in the early days when the temple was first discovered; now leaving behind only the bodies of the statues.
The temple despite being covered in mould today is still enchanting with its exuberant carvings depicting the great Hindu Epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, standing harmoniously alongside statues of serene Bodhisattvas and Apsaras- the "celestine dancers" of Hindu mythology.
TBC...
pics taken with a Panasonic Lumix Camera.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
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