BOROBUDUR, INDONESIA. The magnificent and mysterious Borobudur temple is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, and for good reason. The temple dates back to the eighth and ninth centuries, a whole four centuries before Cambodia's legendary Angkor Wat was constructed and also four centuries before the great cathedrals of Europe were built. There is no written record of who built Borobudur, or of its intended purpose, and little is known of its origin, except that it was most likely founded by a reigning king during the Sailendra dynasty, which was in power around 800 AD. When Borobudur was discovered, it had been buried for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle. When it was uncovered however, it quickly became clear that this was truly one of the wonders of the ancient world.
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| BOROBUDUR |
The temple was built from approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cubic yards) of rock taken from neighbouring rivers. These rocks and stones were then cut to size, transported to the temple site and laid without the aid of mortar. The walls of Borobudur feature bas reliefs which extend for a total length of six kilometres, making the temple the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world. Moreover, each relief scene has been exquisitely carved and is an individual masterpiece. Put all of this together and it's not hard to see why today, Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. Alas, during October and November of 2010, the temple was heavily affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi, and was covered by a 2.5 centimetre layer of ash. An extensive cleanup operation quickly swung into action though, and this justly celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site has now been declared ready to receive visitors once again.
ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA. Angkor Wat, meaning, "City Temple", is aptly named. It is the world's largest religious building and a powerful icon of Cambodian culture and history, even appearing on its national flag. Angkor Wat is also the country's prime tourist attraction.
Historical evidence suggests that the initial contruction of the temple took place sometime during the first half of the twelfth century, during the reign of Suryavarman II. Built primarily as the king's state temple and capital city, the complex was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Angkor Wat has won praise first and foremost for the harmony of its design, which has drawn comparisons with the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, and the temple is the prime example of classical Khmer architecture.
The Khmers used an enormous amount of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) in the temple's contruction. As smooth as polished marble, this primary building material was laid in huge slabs without the aid of mortar, and the blocks fit very tightly and accurately together. The binding agent used to join the blocks has yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested. The monument contains as much sandstone as the famous Pyramid of Khafre in Egypt (over five million tons). Moreover, this huge mass of rock had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry lying approximately 40 kilometres to the northeast of the temple site. The labour force required to extract, transport, carve and then install this much sandstone is thought to have run into many thousands of people, which included many highly skilled artisans.
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| DESTINATIONS |
The skills and techniques required to carve Angkor Wat's extensive decoration (virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels, and even roofs, are carved the gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1,000 square metres of bas reliefs) were developed hundreds of years earlier, and can be seen in unearthed artefacts dating back to the seventh century, before the Khmer rose to power. Some modern estimates suggest that Angkor Wat must have taken at least 300 years to complete, however other sources assert that construction got under way soon after Suryavarman came to the throne, and was finished shortly after his death a period of no more than 40 years.
WAT PHO, THAILAND. Wat Pho, popularly known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is also famed as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage. Prior to the temple's founding, the site was a centre of education for traditional Thai medicine, and statues were created here depicting various yoga positions. As the largest (Wat Pho's covers a total area of around 80,000 square metres, or about 20 acres) and oldest Wat in Bangkok (it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became the Thai Capital), Wat Pho is also, for all intents and purposes, Thailand's first university. Inscribed on the stone walls of Wat Pho is all that was known at that time about the methods and techniques of Thai massage. Dating from the reign of King Rama III, Thailand's rich, famous and powerful are all known to have paid visits here over the years.
Wat Pho is also home to over a thousand images of the Buddha, more than any other temple in the country, as well as one of the largest single Buddha the Reclining Buddha itself. Constructed as a part of the Rama III restoration, the highly impressive Reclining Buddha is 46 metres long and 15 metres high. The Buddha's body is plated with pure gold and his eyes and the soles of his feet are covered in mother of pearl. The Reclining Buddha is also surrounded by 108 scenes that are carved in Chinese and Indian styles.
Adjacent to the building housing the Reclining Buddha is a small raised garden. The centrepiece here is a bodhi tree which grew from a scion (cutting) of the original tree in India under which Buddha sat whilst awaiting enlightenment. In 1962, a school for traditional medicine and massage was established here, and if you want to experience traditional Thai massage at its best, then don't miss this great opportunity to be pummelled. Be aware though, that it's not exactly a gentle experience and that traditional Thai massage is more, shall we say, invigorating than relaxing.
PHA THAT LUANG, LAOS. Pha That Luang, or the "Great Stupa", is a large gold covered Buddhist stupa situated in the centre of Vientiane in Laos. The stupa is generally regarded to be the most significant religious and national monument in the country, and is situated on a hilltop five kilometres north of the town. Pha That Luang is believed to have originally been constructed in the third century, and the stupa underwent several reconstructions up until the 1930s, due to the negative effects of various foreign invasions.
Initially covered in gold leaf, the Stupa was repeatedly plundered by the Burmese, Siamese and Chinese and, in 1828, Pha That Luang was trashed by invading Thais, who left the stupa heavily damaged and abandoned. It wasn't until 1900 that the French attempted to restore the stupa to its original glory. This first attempt proved unsuccessful however and was abandoned. The monument was finally reconstructed in the 1930s.
The architecture of Pha That Luang includes many references to Lao national pride. Today, the stupa consists of three levels, each reflecting a part of Buddhist doctrine. The first level is 223 feet by 226 feet, the second is 157 feet along each side and the third level is 98 feet along each side. From ground to peak, Pha That Luang is 147.6 feet high. The encircling walls are roughly 279 feet long on each side and contain a large number of Lao and Khmer sculptures, including one of Jayavarman VII.
DHAMMAYANGYI, MYANMAR. The Dhammayangyi Temple (also known as Dhammayangyi Pahto, or simply Dhammayan) is a huge, square, single storey pyramidal temple featuring six monumental ascending exterior terraces. It is the largest of all the temples in Bagan in Myanmar and is believed to have been built by King Narathu (1167 - 1170), who came to power by murdering his father, King Alaungsithu. The temple was never completed, as King Narathu was killed by a team of assassins sent by a vengeful Indian father.
The story goes that Narathu was displeased with one of his wives (who was also one of his father's wives) for performing a Hindu ritual and had her executed. In revenge, the princess father sent eight men disguised as Brahmans to Bagan. When the king received them, they drew swords and killed him inside the temple, thus earning him the nickname of Kalagya Min, or, "King killed by the Indians"
The Dhammayangyi remains one of the most unique and intriguing constructions on the Bagan plain. Oriented toward the east, the temple's brickwork is the most finely crafted in the area. Narathu oversaw contruction of the Temple himself and it is said that masons working on it were executed if Narathu found that a needle could be pushed between the stones that they had laid.
The temple is approximately 255 feet on each of its four sides, and the interior of the temple includes two ambulatories around a solid, square, central core that is approximately 82 feet on each side. Oddly, almost the entire length of the innermost passage was, centuries ago, intentionally filled with brick rubble. Three out of the four shrines were also filled with rubble, for reasons that remain unclear. The remaining western shrine features two side by side images of Gautama and Maitreya, the historical and future Buddhas.
The interlocking, mortarless brickwork at Dhammayangyi is best appreciated on its upper terraces. Unfortunately, the very highest terraces, along with the hidden stairways leading to them, are now off limits to visitors. The temple is located about a kilometre to the south - east of the city walls.
KEK LOK SI, MALAYSIA. The Kek Lok Si Temple (which is Penang Hokkien for, "Temple of Supreme Bliss" or, "Temple of Sukhavati") is a Buddhist temple situated on a hillside near the village of Air Itam in Penang. The temple is one of the largest and best known temples in Malaysia.
Construction on this huge beast began in 1890, and hasn't stopped to his day !
The temple features an eclectic mix of Chinese, Thai and Burmese architecture and houses many prayer halls, pagodas and bell towers. Two structures dominate the site however, particularly when the temple is viewed from afar.
The first is a seven storey pagoda featuring 10,000 Buddha images, which dates back to the temple's earliest days. The second is a huge bronze statue of the Goddes of Mercy, Kuan Yin, who is a popular deity in Penang. The statue was completed in mid 2003, however the construction of various surrounding structures is still underway. To get a close up view of the Kuan Yin statue, you need to take the so called, "Incline Lift", which is more of a tram really an elevator sized glass box mounted on rails which runs right up to the terrace above the temple on which the goddess stands. Use of the lift costs RM 2 (USD 0.50) each way.
To access the seven storey pagoda, you need to locate a narrow stairway, which is somewhat hidden behind a large Buddha statue and which lies just past the courtyard. Each level of the pagoda is slightly different, and features various styles of Buddha. Among the most interesting of these are the alabaster Buddha images, some of which are quite beautiful. Great views of the temple, as well as of much of Penang below, can be experienced from the upper levels of the pagoda. Visitors are only allowed to climb up to the sixth level though, and the higher levels are currently off limits.
THAP CHAM POSHANU, VIETNAM. Thap Cham Poshanu is a group of towers that are remnants of the ancient kingdom of Champa. The towers are located on Ong Hoang (Mr. Heaven) Hill. The hill itself lies in an area called The Prince's Castle, which contains a group of hills, a beach, the Cham towers themselves, a pagoda, the tomb of the famous poet Nguyen Thong, and the ruins of a large French estate. The hills are situated in the Phu Hai district of Phan Tiet and offer excellent views of the city, rivers, mountains and beaches within the valley. The hill that the towers stand on can be found across the street from the city's main cemetery (a virtual necropolis), where the poet's tomb is located.
The towers, which are actually temples in which the god Shiva, an Indian deity highly venerated by the Cham, is worshiped, were built back in the eighth century employing a style of architecture dubbed Hoa Lai, which is one of the Cham Kingdom's most ancient architectural arts. Although the towers are relatively small in comparison with other mega structures, they still convey the amazing technical prowess and decorative arts of the Cham, and are both majestic and mysterious. In addition to the three towers, there was also once a temple here, but it has been buried for over 300 years. Inside the main tower sits an altar, on which a couple of Liga - Yoni (symbols of Shiva) are worshipped. The towers were repaired and upgraded between 1990 and 2000.
The towers also serve as an important landmark for fishermen and shipping vessels, and fishermen living in the vicinity regularly visit the towers to pray for safe journeys before setting off on their travels. Much local folklore and legend has grown up around the towers since they were first built during the time of the ancient Cham people. It should also be noted that the hill that the Cham temple sits on is also a former military stronghold that was pressed into service by soldiers during a number of more recent wars. The towers themselves are safe to explore, however it is wise to stay away from the nearby fort due to the possibility of stumbling upon some unexploded ordinance !
The towers, which are actually temples in which the god Shiva, an Indian deity highly venerated by the Cham, is worshiped, were built back in the eighth century employing a style of architecture dubbed Hoa Lai, which is one of the Cham Kingdom's most ancient architectural arts. Although the towers are relatively small in comparison with other mega structures, they still convey the amazing technical prowess and decorative arts of the Cham, and are both majestic and mysterious. In addition to the three towers, there was also once a temple here, but it has been buried for over 300 years. Inside the main tower sits an altar, on which a couple of Liga - Yoni (symbols of Shiva) are worshipped. The towers were repaired and upgraded between 1990 and 2000.
The towers also serve as an important landmark for fishermen and shipping vessels, and fishermen living in the vicinity regularly visit the towers to pray for safe journeys before setting off on their travels. Much local folklore and legend has grown up around the towers since they were first built during the time of the ancient Cham people. It should also be noted that the hill that the Cham temple sits on is also a former military stronghold that was pressed into service by soldiers during a number of more recent wars. The towers themselves are safe to explore, however it is wise to stay away from the nearby fort due to the possibility of stumbling upon some unexploded ordinance !
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