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W
at Aru
n (B
ankgko
k, Thailan
d)
Situ
ate
d o
n th
e T
ho
nb
uri s
ide o
f the C
ha
o P
hra
ya R
iver , W
at A
run (“T
em
ple
of D
aw
n”) is
one o
f
the
old
est a
nd
be
st k
no
wn la
nd
mark
s in
Ba
ng
ko
k, T
ha
iland
. The
tem
ple
is a
n a
rchite
ctu
ral
repre
se
nta
tion o
f Mo
unt M
eru
, the c
ente
r of th
e u
niv
ers
e in
Budd
his
t cosm
olo
gy.
P
ha Th
at Luan
g (Laos)
Lo
cated in
Vie
ntia
ne, P
ha T
hat L
uang (“G
reat Stu
pa in
Lao
”) is one o
f the m
ost im
po
rtant m
onu
ment in
Lao
s. The
stup
a has se
vera
l terraces with
each le
vel rep
resentin
g a d
ifferent stag
e of B
udd
hist en
lighten
ment. T
he lo
west le
vel
represen
ts the m
aterial w
orld
; the h
ighest le
vel rep
resents th
e wo
rld o
f no
thin
gness.
Jo
khan
g Tem
ple
(Tibe
t)
The Jo
khang T
em
ple in
Lhasa is th
e mo
st impo
rtant sacred
site in T
ibeta
n B
uddhism
attracting th
ousan
ds o
f pilg
rims
each y
ear. The tem
ple w
as co
nstru
cted b
y K
ing S
ongtsä
n G
am
po
in th
e 7th
centu
ry. T
he M
ongo
ls sack
ed th
e
Jokhang tem
ple se
vera
l times b
ut th
e bu
ildin
g su
rviv
ed.
To
day
the tem
ple co
mp
lex co
vers a
n area o
f abo
ut 2
5,0
00 sq
uare m
eters.
To
daiji Te
mp
le (Jap
an)
To
daiji (“G
reat Eastern
Tem
ple
”) in N
ara is one o
f the m
ost h
istorica
lly sig
nifica
nt an
d fa
mo
us B
uddhist tem
ples
in Jap
an. T
he tem
ple w
as b
uilt in
the 8
th cen
tury
by E
mpero
r Sho
mu as th
e head
tem
ple o
f all p
rovin
cia
l Budd
hist
temp
les of Jap
an. T
od
ay little re
main
s of th
e orig
inal b
uild
ing
s of T
odaiji. T
he D
aib
utsu
den (“G
reat Bud
dha H
all”),
dates fo
r the m
ost p
art from
1709. It h
ouses o
ne o
f the larg
est Budha statu
es in Jap
an an
d is th
e wo
rlds larg
est
woo
den
bu
ildin
g, e
ven th
ough it is o
nly
two
-third
s the size o
f the o
rigin
al stru
cture.
B
ou
dh
an
ath
(Nep
al)
Lo
cated in
a sub
urb
of K
athm
and
u, B
oud
han
ath is o
ne o
f the larg
est stupas in
the w
orld
. It is the cen
ter of
Tib
etan B
ud
dh
ism in
Nep
al and
man
y refu
gees fro
m T
ibet h
ave settled
here in
the last few
decad
es. It is
pro
bab
ly b
est kno
wn
for th
e Budd
ha ey
es that are featu
red o
n all fo
ur sid
es of th
e tow
er. The p
resent stu
pa
is said to
date fro
m th
e 14
th cen
tury
, after the p
revio
us o
ne w
as destro
yed
by M
ugh
al invad
ers.
M
ah
ab
od
hi T
em
ple
(Ind
ia)
The M
ahabo
dhi (G
reat Enlig
hten
ment) T
emp
le is a Buddhist stu
pa lo
cated in
Bo
dh G
aya, In
dia. T
he m
ain
com
ple
x
contain
s a desce
ndant o
f the o
rigin
al B
odhi T
ree under w
hic
h G
auta
ma B
udd
ha g
ain
ed e
nlig
hten
ment an
d is th
e mo
st
sacred p
lace in
Budd
hism
. Abo
ut 2
50 y
ears after th
e Bud
dha attain
ed E
nlig
hten
ment, E
mpero
r Aso
ka b
uilt a tem
ple
at the sp
ot. T
he p
resent te
mp
le dates fro
m th
e 5th
-6th
centu
ry.
Shwedagon Pagoda (Burma)
The Shwedagon Pagoda (or Golden Pagoda) in Yangon, is the holiest Buddhist shrine in
Burma. The origins of Shwedagon are lost in antiquity but it is estimated that the Pagoda
was first built by the Mon during the Bagan period, sometime between the 6th and 10th
century AD. The temple complex is full of glittering, colorful stupas but the center of
attention is the 99 meter high (326 feet) high main stupa that is completely covered in gold.
Haeinsa Temple (South Korea)
Haeinsa (Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea) is one of the most important
Buddhist temples in South Korea. The temple was first built in 802 and rebuilt in
the 19th century after Haiensa was burned down in a fire in 1817. The temple’s
greatest treasure however, a complete copy of the Buddhist scriptures (he Tripitaka
Koreana) written on 81,258 woodblocks, survived the fire.
Bagan (Myanmar)
Bagan, on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River, is home to the largest
area of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world. It was
the capital of several ancient kings of Burma who built perhaps as many
as 4,400 temples during the height of the kingdom (between 1000 and
1200 AD). In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongols, after refusing to
pay tribute to Kublai Khan and Bagan quickly declined as a political
center, but continued to flourish as a place of Buddhist scholarship.
Borobudur (Indonesia)
Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, the
Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. The Borobudur
was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of
Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It was abandoned in the 14th
century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle
under layers of volcanic ash.
Buddhist Pagodas
A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, built in traditions originating
as stupa in historic South Asia.
Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly
Buddhist, and were often located in or near viharas (monasteries).
The modern pagoda is an evolution of the Stupa which originated in Ancient
India.Stupas are a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept
safe and venerated.
Kek Lok Si pagoda, to the left, has tiers labelled with the architectural
styles from different regions of Asia: where the architectural form has
spread.
Buddhist Pagodas
Wooden five-story pagoda of Hōryū-ji in
Japan, built in the 7th century, one of the
oldest wooden buildings in the world.
The Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng (which is not
made of iron, but named so due to its
rusty colour)), China, built in 1049 CE
Five-story pagoda of Mt. Haguro, Japan
Wooden three-story pagoda of Ichijō-ji in
Japan, built in 1171 CE
Buddhist Temples
Buddhist Temples are public places of worship for lay-Buddhists (serving a similar role as Chuches or
Mosques in Christianity & Islam). Buddhist temples usually contain a statue of The Buddha on an alter
where Buddhists can make offerings.
Buddhist Viharas (Monastaries)
Where monks and nuns train and practise, and lay-Buddhists retreat for periods of intensive
meditation. These are often in remote locations: away from the influences of wider society.
If fortified (walled, with defensive features) it is known as a ‘gompa’,
The Paro Taktsang Palphug Buddhist monastery, also known as the Tiger's Nest, in the Paro district of Bhutan
Throssel Hole Buddhist Monastery in Northern England, close to the border of Scotland.
Buddhist Stuppas
A stupa (Sanskrit: m.,स्तूप "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics
(śarīra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is
used as a place of meditation.
The Sanchi Stupa (India), which contained the relics of Buddha is the oldest known stupa.
Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is the largest brick structure in the world.
Buddhist Stuppas
A stupa (Sanskrit: m.,स्तूप "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics
(śarīra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is
used as a place of meditation.
Built for a variety of reasons, Buddhist stupas are classified based on form and function into five types
• Relic stupa, in which the relics or remains of the Buddha, his disciples and lay saints are interred.
• Object stupa, in which the items interred are objects belonged to the Buddha or his disciples such as a
begging bowl or robe, or important Buddhist scriptures.
• Commemorative stupa, built to commemorate events in the lives of Buddha or his disciples.
• Symbolic stupa, to symbolise aspects of Buddhist theology, for example, Borobuddur is considered to
be the symbol of "the Three Worlds (dhatu) and the spiritual stages (bhumi) in a
Mahayana bodhisattva's character."
• Votive stupa, constructed to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual benefits, usually at the site of
prominent stupas which are regularly visited.