Category Archives: Temples

Ancient Greece, Europe, Greece, Greek Temples, Temples

Sanctuaries of Apollo

Gallery February 21, 2017 Leave a comment

Ancient Greek temples were deliberately placed in the landscape with relation to salient features that were considered holy. The topography of different locales was seen as the manifestation of telluric energies that revealed and reflected the nature and characteristics of the deities that inhabited them. The practice is clearly demonstrated by the contrasting natural settings of the sanctuaries of the god Apollo, corresponding to different aspects of his cult, at the sites of Delos, Delphi and Epidaurus.

Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis on Delos. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Apollo is one of the most important and complex Greek deities. He is a god of the sun and light, prophecy and healing and patron of the arts. He was the son of Zeus born, together with his twin sister the chaste huntress Artemis, on the small, barren island of Delos in the middle of the Cyclades.

Apollo was hailed as Phoebus (‘bright’) and as Apollo Helios he became identified with the sun, (while his sister Artemis was associated with the moon) and on sun-drenched Delos the almost surreal intensity and clarity of the sunlight seems a tangible manifestation of his presence.

Mountain Vert — Extensive ruins of Delos

Apollo represents harmony and balance, clarity, reason, order and restraint. The term “Apollonian” contrasts with the “Dionysian” qualities of the god of wine. As his complementary opposite, Dionysus represents chaos, impulse, excess and ecstasy. He was worshiped by the frenzied maenads dancing wildly in the woods. This dichotomy was perceptively explored by the 19th century German philosopher Nietzche in “The Birth of Tragedy.” The ancient Greeks seem to have recognized the need to integrate these disparate forces, and both deities were worshiped in turn on alternate seasons at Delphi. Inscribed on Apollo’s temple there were the famous maxims: “Know Thyself” and “Nothing in Excess.”

Overview Horiz — Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, offers one of the most striking natural settings in Greece and the dramatic scenery reflects the ancient myths associated with the site. Here Apollo had fought and vanquished the giant snake Python, a powerful earth deity that may represent a primitive cult of the mother Goddess, and established his famous Oracle. A priestess called the Pythia presided at his temple and, in a trance induced by fumes or psychotropic plants, would utter prophecies believed to come from the god himself. The Oracle was consulted before major undertakings such as wars, and its influence spread even beyond Greece. Delphi was considered the cosmic center of the Greek world, symbolized by the ‘omphalus’ or navel stone dropped from the sky by Zeus’ eagles to mark the spot.

Horns & Temple HORIZ — Sacred horned peaks soar above the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Omphalos stone symbolizing Delphi as the center of the Greek world.

The ruins of the temple of Apollo visible today date from the 4th century BCE, superimposed on two earlier buildings. The winding route up the slope to the sanctuary, called The Sacred Way, was lined with votive statues and treasuries built by Greek city states to store the offerings made to Apollo in thanksgiving for his guidance.

Treasury HORIZ — Treasury of the Athenians on the Sacred Way up to the Temple of Apollo.

Museum Charioteer Vert — Bronze “Charioteer of Delphi”

Higher up above the temple, offering a panoramic view of the site, the semi-circular bowl of a theater has been cut into the side of the mountain. This theater and a nearby stadium were locations for the Pythian Games, one of the four Pan-Hellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Apollo every four years and, in contrast to the Olympic Games that honored Zeus, featured art and music as well as athletic competitions.

Apollo was the patron of music and poetry, often portrayed playing a lyre surrounded by the Muses who were personifications of the arts.

Medicine and healing were also associated with Apollo through his son, the famous healer Asclepius, whose snake-entwined staff remains a symbol of medicine to this day. The most famous sanctuary of Asclepius was located at Epidaurus, where pilgrims flocked to be cured of their illnesses. Contrasting with the towering cliffs and chasms of Delphi, Epidaurus lies in a shallow valley enclosed by gentle hills. In keeping with the healing qualities of the god manifested here, the setting is salubrious, calm and protective.

Abaton Closeup Det — Two views of the Abaton at Epidaurus.

Dream Fragment Delos — Fresco depicts a dream scene.

Supplicants would spend the night in the holiest part of the sanctuary, the Abaton. Any dreams or visions were recounted to a priest who would interpret them and prescribe the appro-priate therapy. Surprisingly for the times, medical practices at the Asclepeion seem to recognize a psychological dimension to the treatment of illness.

Theater Gate Vert — Theater of Epidaurus

Likewise, the emotional catharsis produced by dramatic perfor-mances was thought to have therapeutic effects. Theaters are prominently incorporated in many religious sites. Epidaurus boasts a magnificent theater with world-famous acoustics built in the 4th century BCE that holds 14,000 spectators and is still used for performances today.

Religion provided the context for almost all communal activities in ancient Greece. Public spectacles like theatrical performances and athletic contests were held as part of festivals honoring the gods. The ethos that promoted excellence through competition applied to the arts as well as athletics. Plays were presented and judged over the course of five days at the annual spring festival of the Dionysia in Athens. In ancient Athens, drama developed as a public art form that explored before mass audiences ethical issues affecting the individual and the community, reaffirming common values.

Theater of D Horiz — Theater of Dionysus in Athens.

The Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis was the setting for debut performances of the tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides counted among the greatest classics of Western literature. They explore grand themes of pride and downfall, individual responsibility and fate that still engage us to this day.

Architecture of Southeast Asia, Buddhism, Buddhist Temples, Southeast Asia, Temples, Thailand

Bangkok’s Historic Temples

Gallery February 15, 2016 Leave a comment

As the historical term Indochina implies, Mainland Southeast Asia was a crucible of cultural influences originating from both India and China. As early as the 1st century CE, an ancient kingdom known as Funan controlled the trade routes of southern Indochina. By the 6th century Funan had split into two successor states: the Cambodian Khmers in the south and the Mon-Dvaravati in the northern region that would eventually become Thailand.

These ancestors of the Thai came to rule a large area of north-western Indochina situated between the Burmese and Khmer empires. Over the centuries, numerous wars were waged by these three rival states, whose territorial boundaries fluctuated as each one gained temporary ascendancy. Monuments were built, perio-dically destroyed by warfare, and rebuilt, resulting in the inter-mingling of regional styles that characterizes Thai architecture.

1 Buddhas Ayutthaya — Remains of Past Glories at Ayutthaya

By the 12th century, the Thai people had established the kingdoms of Sukhotai in the south and Chiang Mai in the north and had developed a distinctive national culture, including the adoption of Theravada Buddhism spread by missionaries from Sri Lanka.

Theravada is one of three branches or schools of Buddhism which claims to be the oldest and most authentic, transmitted from India to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE. Theravada Buddhism is practiced throughout Southeast Asia; in contrast, Mahayana sects predominate in East Asia and the Tibetan-Himalayan region follows the Vajrayana tradition.

1 BuddhaFile — Buddha Images are Often Clothed in the Saffron Color Worn by Thai Monks

In the 14th century a third powerful Thai kingdom arose in the Chao Phraya River basin. For 400 years the empire of Ayutthaya was the leading political and cultural force in the region, absorbing the neighboring kingdom of Sukhotai, defeating the Khmers of Angkor and extending its conquests as far as Burma. Ayutthaya was eventually destroyed in the Burmese Wars of the late 18th century and the Thai capital was moved south to the site of present-day Bangkok.

BK Ayuthaya panorama SMALL — View of Ayutthaya from the River (Wat Chaiwatthanaram)

The ruins of Ayutthaya lie some 80 km. north of Bangkok along the banks of the Chao Phraya, and a journey by boat offers fascina-ting views of daily life along the river. Approaching Ayutthaya, an impressive panorama suddenly unfolds as the tall spires of the old capital come into view. The monuments display the syncretism of Thai architecture that incorporates influences from the Khmers (corncob shaped prang towers), the Shan (elongated spires) and the Burmese (bell-shaped stupa domes). As a result of this cultural mix, Thailand displays the greatest variety of Buddhist stupa styles of any country in Asia.

BK Ayuthaya Monastery — Former Monastic Hall at Ayutthaya

Stupas (called chedi in Thai) originated in India, where the rounded shape of ancient funerary mounds was adopted for Buddhist reli-quary monuments. These mounds were often set atop platforms and topped by elaborate umbrellas. Over time each component part of the stupa was given a symbolic meaning and evolved distinctive regional variations as Buddhism spread across Asia.

1 Ayutthaya temples — Temples of Ayutthaya

Wat is the Thai word for temple. Wat Ratchaburana was built in the mid 15th century by the seventh king of Ayutthaya. It features a tall Khmer-style prang tower over the sanctuary, which is covered with stucco decoration, and three porticoes facing east, north and south, set atop a high platform accessed by steep stairs. The silhouette is reminiscent of the medieval Hindu temples of north-central India.

Ayuthaya indian — View of Wat Ratchaburana

The Thai rulers of Ayutthaya may have also adopted aspects of the royal funerary cult of the Khmers of Angkor and began to erect commemorative stupas to serve as their tombs.

BK Ayuthaya Chedis — Wat Phra Si Sanphet

Wat Phra Si Sanphet, built in 1448, is a large temple complex located within the ancient royal palace precinct. Its three graceful bell shaped stupas were built as memorials to encase the ashes of former kings. They typify the Ayutthaya style, where elongated spires of superimposed rings take up almost half the height of the monument. They correspond to the ceremonial umbrellas that top Indian and Sinhalese stupas.

Thailand’s ruling Chakri dynasty traces its lineage to the founding of Bangkok in 1782. Wat Phra Kaew (also called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) was built inside the royal palace compound by King Rama I to enshrine a precious image of the Buddha which is considered the protector of the country. The temple complex contains many exquisitely ornamented buildings, including three adjacent structures, each one built in a markedly different style: Phra Siratana Chedi, a golden Sinhalese bell-shaped stupa housing Buddhist relics, the Royal Pantheon featuring a Khmer-style prang tower and, between them, the Thai-style Phra Mondop, a library containing sacred Buddhist texts.

BK Royal Palace Styles — Distinctive Architectural Styles

The temple complex is enclosed by a wall with a covered gallery painted with scenes of the Ramakien, Thailand’s national epic, de- rived from the Indian Ramayana. Entrances are protected by fero-cious guardian figures in battle attire similar to the masks, head-dresses and elaborate costumes of classical Thai dance drama. Temple guardian images are found throughout Asia, and depict the demonic spirits of ancient nature cults tamed and converted into defenders of Buddhism.

BK Guardian Spire — Fierce Guardian Figure

Under the Chakri dynasty the Thai kingdom (known in the West as Siam) prospered, avoiding colonization by the European powers and laying the foundations of a modern nation state. During this period, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, older architectural models were reinterpreted with the addition of elaborate surface decoration in glittering gold leaf and mosaics of shell, ceramic and colored glass.

The characteristic Thai roof profile also emerged at this time, featuring sloping tiled surfaces with high gables and overhanging eaves enhanced by long pointed finials marking the ends of the ridge poles. The exaggerated effect is reminiscent of southern Chinese architecture which may have inspired it.

Phra Mondop, the sumptuous library building within the Grand Palace’s Wat Phra Kaew temple complex, was built by king Rama I in the late 18th century. It epitomizes the Thai style, with its super-imposed roof structures and overlapping eaves, dramatic upturned finials and richly decorated surfaces.

1 ROOFLINE REV — Typical Thai Roof Profile

Wat Pho is one of the oldest and largest wats in Bangkok and contains many historic Buddha images, including a huge gilded reclining Buddha. The 46 m. long statue depicts Buddha’s entry into Nirvana at the end of his earthly incarnations. The soles of his feet show auspicious symbols and chakras, or energy points. Interestingly, Wat Pho is a center for the study of traditional medicine and Thai massage which, like acupuncture, focuses on pressure points affecting the flow of energy in the body.

BK Bangkok Chinese Spires SKY — Chedis of Wat Pho

Chinese influence is more explicit in the use of porcelain mosaics to decorate the surface of chedis at Wat Pho and at Wat Arun, the famous “Temple of the Dawn.” Construction of this magnificent structure was begun by king Rama II over an existing foundation and completed by his successor, Rama III, in the 1840’s. The Khmer-style prang tower is the tallest in the country.

BK Wat Arun Front — Front View of Wat Arun

The brick core is covered with plaster and embedded with multi-colored porcelain shards from the ballast carried by Chinese trading ships. The zig-zagging glistening surfaces impart a sense of rhythmic movement to the structure which follows a complex mandala plan. The grouping of five towers represents Mount Meru, the central mountain of Buddhist cosmology, encircled by the guardians of the four directions.

Set in a prominent riverside location, Wat Arun is a distin-ctive beloved Bangkok land-mark. Many of Bangkok’s most famous temples and historical monuments lie on the banks of the Chao Phraya River which winds through the city and the best way to visit them is by a long-tailed motor boat. These water taxis offer a refreshing alternative to the modern city’s notoriously congested traffic.

Bangkok’s fascinating temples are a welcome respite from frenetic modernity; places of quiet meditation where history comes alive and time seems to stand still.

Architecture of Mesoamerica, Maya Civilization, Maya Temples, Mesoamerica, Mexico & Guatemala

The Majesty of Tikal

Gallery October 10, 2015 Leave a comment

From the highlands of Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico the terrain gradually descends towards the Guatemalan region of the Peten, traversed by great rivers like the Usumacinta and covered by dense tropical jungle. Yet this region, which today appears so wild and inhospitable, was for over a thousand years the heartland of Maya culture which reached its apogee during the Classic period from 250 to 900 CE. The tops of the temples at Tikal soar high above the treetops seemingly floating over an endless ocean of green. Tikal is the largest known Maya center. This great city, which in its hey-day covered over 16 square kilometers, built the tallest and most impressive monuments of the Maya world.

TIKAL roofs over jungle close — Roofs Above the Jungle Canopy — (click photos to enlarge)

TIKAL temple short TREES — Approaching the Great Plaza

The architects of Tikal developed one of the most characteristic elements of the classic Maya temple, the ornamental projections called roof combs which are used to extend the height of buildings. Another important structural innovation was the corbel-vaulted ceiling. The Mayas combined these two elements to build impres-sively tall structures; but the massive walls needed to support the weight of the roofs resulted in very limited interior spaces.

TIKAL plaza temples — The Great Plaza of Tikal and Pyramids in the Distance

Two great pyramids face each other, as if in dialogue, across the great ceremonial plaza. The tallest is the temple of the Great Jaguar built in the early 8th century CE. Its slender silhouette is made up of nine levels, a number sacred to the Maya, crowned by a tall roof comb that extends the building’s height to an impressive 155 ft. The sculptures covering the roof comb represented a king seated on his throne. He has been identified as Jasaw Chan K’awill, one of the most powerful of Tikal’s rulers whose tomb this was. The pyramids of Tikal most clearly embody the concept of the Maya temple; a sacred space poised between heaven and earth, surrounded by clouds of incense atop a magic mountain where only priests and royalty could step.

TIKAL temple tall VERT — Temple of the Great Jaguar

TIKAL Pyramic Up — Ascending the Pyramid

The central plaza is bounded by the buildings of the north acropolis containing the tombs of the ruling families of Tikal. From the begin-ning of the Classic period the Maya erected dated commemorative stone altars and stelae, and a collection of these monuments adorns the plaza. In recent decades, great advances in deciphering Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions and their iconography have revealed that these sculptures represented a cult of the rulers. They memorial-ized their accession to the throne and recorded the alliances, wars and victories of the great dynasties that ruled the Maya city-states.

TIKAL plaza stele — Monuments of the Great Plaza

TIKAL two stele REV — Stelae Depict Tikal’s Rulers

Architecture of Southeast Asia, Buddhist Temples, Hindu Temples, Southeast Asia

Magical Angkor

Gallery September 27, 2015 Leave a comment

The renowned temple complex of Angkor Wat is only one of many impressive monuments spread across 200 sq. km. in northwestern Cambodia. This region was home to several successive capitals of the Khmer empire over a period of 400 years from the 9th to the 13th centuries CE. Many buildings have collapsed or have been covered up by jungle so that today only forty accessible sites remain, known collectively as Angkor. Although the sites have been cleared of vegetation and carefully restored, the humid exuberance of the tropical jungle is overpowering. Some structures have been left purposely untouched still tangled in vines and tree roots fulfilling every traveler’s romantic notion of a mysterious lost world.

Angkor Moat Spires — Angkor Moat and Spires — (click photos to enlarge)

According to legend, an Indian nobleman conquered the land and married a local Naga princess (who was half-human and half-serpent). The ancient tale mythologizes the union of these two cultures and attests to the importance of water in Khmer society. In the 9th century Jayavarman II, who had been educated at the indianized Sailendra kingdom of Java, became ruler of the Khmers and introduced the cult of the devaraja (divine king) which identified the person of the king with the Hindu deities Shiva and Vishnu. The Indian concept of a sacred temple-mountain was also adopted so successfully that it would become synonymous with Khmer monumental architecture.

Angkor Overview LG — Overview of Angkor Wat

Angkor is located in a large basin bounded by the Tonle Sap lake to the south and mountain ranges to the north. The Mekong River and its tributaries traverse Cambodia, flowing from their source in the Himalayas to the South China Sea. After the rainy season, silted channels cannot accommodate the excess water and the river backs up, flooding the Tonle Sap and doubling its size. The flooded area becomes an ideal habitat for fish and rice cultivation. The rulers of Angkor achieved feats of hydraulic engineering to control and manage this water supply as their source of power and prosperity. Two large reservoirs, the East and West Barays, supplied the city’s water. Like the verdant backdrop of vegetation that surrounds it, the reflective expanses of these vast water features greatly enhance Angkor’s aesthetic appeal.

Angkor Moat — The Moat Serves as Water Supply

In the flat landscape of the region several isolated hills stand out and their promontories became the site of the first temples. By the 10th century, the basic design of a single tower atop a stepped platform was expanded into a five-tower design, where a large central tower symbolizing Mount Meru is surrounded by four smaller ones at each corner and stairs at the four cardinal directions in a cruciform plan. These basic elements multiplied throughout the monument form the radiating geometric pattern of a cosmic mandala diagram. Unlike other monuments at Angkor and Hindu temples in general, Angkor Wat faces West, the region of the dead, not East and the rising sun. It may have been built as a funerary monument for Suryavarman II (1113 -1150 CE), one of the greatest Khmer rulers.

PLAN SKETCH Angkor Wat — Plan of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat (wat means temple) is immense, bounded by three con-centric walled enclosures and surrounded by a wide moat. The moat is crossed by a stone causeway leading to a tall gopura or entry tower (derived from South Indian temples). Towers also rise at the corners of the enclosure walls and over each of the four entrances. The walls are not defensive in nature, but rather function as psychological barriers circumscribing a sacred space. Steep stairs lead to the central summit of five towers whose tapering profiles resemble sprouting lotus buds. Only the king and priests were allowed on the top level. Thus at Angkor Wat as one moves inward into the heart of the temple complex one simultaneously ascends, physically enacting the symbolism of climbing a sacred mountain.

ANGKOR door tower — Ascending the Temple Mountain

The central summit, home of the god-king, is ringed by long raised galleries with vaulted stone roofs and colonnades open on one side. The inner walls are covered with exquisite bas reliefs depicting the Hindu Ramayana epic, court processions and battle scenes. The galleries also feature over 1,500 reliefs of apsaras (celestial dancers of Hindu mythology) no two alike. They stand in graceful poses, gorgeously attired and bejeweled, enchanting visitors with their timeless allure. Walking down the deserted corridors and empty galleries, through slanting shafts of light and darkness, one can almost hear their long-vanished whispers and lilting laughter emanating from the walls.

Angkor Dancer — Dancer Resembles Ancient Counterparts

The nearby city of Angkor Thom was built by king Jayavarman VII (1181-1220) in an area slightly to the north of Angkor Wat. The city was laid out in a quadrilateral ground plan and surrounded by an enclosure wall and moat. A bridge leading to the city gates crosses the moat, ornamented on each side with a row of mythological figures holding the body of a giant serpent as the railing. The entryway gopuras feature the distinctive colossal faces looking out toward the four directions. At the very center of the city, Jayavarman VII placed his own temple-mountain, the Bayon, dedicated to the Buddha. His monument evinces the interplay between Hinduism and Buddhism prevalent at that time.

Angkor Bayon towers — Faces on the Towers of the Bayon

Over 200 faces carved on 54 towers give the temple its surreal and enigmatic character. They feature the famous “Smile of Angkor,” downcast eyes and serene expression considered the epitome of Khmer art. They have been interpreted as representing the omni-presence of the king in the guise of his patron deity the Bodhisattva Lokeshvara. Angkor Thom was designed as a microcosm of the universe, a giant mandala divided into four quarters with concentric monuments radiating outward from the central temple-mountain of the Bayon, seat of the powerful god-king and cosmic link between heaven and earth.

Hindu Temples, Java & Bali, Southeast Asia

Art and Nature in Bali

Gallery September 25, 2015 Leave a comment

The beautiful tropical island of Bali boasts a rich and complex culture belying its small size. For centuries Bali was culturally and politically linked to neighboring Java, home to a powerful maritime empire influential throughout Southeast Asia. After the spread of Islam to the Indonesian archipelago in the 16th century, the Hindu aristocracy of Java with its priests, scholars, artists, dancers and musicians fled to the secluded sanctuary of Bali, adding to the small island’s cultural heritage. Today Bali is the last stronghold of Hinduism in Indonesia. Balinese Hinduism is a fascinating mixture of adopted Indian philosophy and rituals overlaid upon the island’s indigenous animism with its ancestor worship and magical practices. In Balinese cosmology spirits are everywhere, and their propitiation through daily offerings and rituals maintains the cosmic order and the balance between good and evil forces. The famous Balinese dance dramas depict this mythic world of gods and nature spirits, with their flower bedecked and gorgeously costumed dancers gracefully gesturing to the hypnotic music of the gamelan.

Barong Dance — Balinese Dance Drama — (click photos to enlarge)

The range of towering volcanoes at the center of the island is con-sidered to be the realm of the gods, with Gunung Agung, the highest mist shrouded peak being the home of Shiva. Perched on its slopes is Pura Besakih, Bali’s most sacred “Mother Temple” originally dating from the 14th century. It consists of a series of courtyards connected by steep stairways, each containing multi-roofed thatched shrines resembling pagodas. They are called “meru” harking to the Hindu mythical mountain at the center of the universe. Temple courtyards also function as performance spaces for sacred music and dance. They are entered through unusual split gateways with no top lintels and each side ending in a pointed wing-like projection. As the place of transition between secular and sacred space, temple doorways are decorated with protector masks and flanked by guardian figures.

Pura Besakih Climb — Climb to Pura Besakih

PuraBesakih Roofs — Merus at Pura Besakih

Balinese art is imbued with a baroque sensibility inspired by the exuberant tropical environment. The cave of Goa Gajah dates from ca. 1,000 CE. The side of a low hill has been carved with intertwined plants, animals and decorative scrolls which seem to move and writhe as they emerge from the dark depths of the earth, bursting forth in astonishing profusion. They surround a giant stone face whose mouth forms the entrance to a small natural cave. The face is said to represent Bhoma (born of the earth) the son of Vishnu, ruler of the waters, and the earth goddess whose union ensures the fertility of the soil and brings forth vegetation. Nearby is a ritual bathing pool fed by natural springs and decorated with statues of women holding pots from which the water pours into the pool. Thus cave and pool symbolically represent the importance of water in Balinese life.

The spectacular contoured rice terraces that blanket the hillsides of the central highlands depend on an elaborate irrigation system, one of the oldest in continuous use in the world. Water from streams and mountain lakes has been diverted into aqueducts and channels that are maintained through communal work and rituals tied to the social and religious organization of the surrounding farming villages.

The town of Ubud in the central highlands is the cultural heart of the island. Away from the tourist traffic of the beach resorts, it is still possible to experience the unique integration of nature and culture that is traditional Bali: a verdant landscape animated by the spirits of forests, waters and mountains kept in ecological and spiritual balance by the power of rituals and the beauty of art.

Architecture of India, Hindu Temples, Hinduism, India, Temples

The Temples of Khajuraho

Gallery August 25, 2015 1 Comment

The temples of Khajuraho are the most sublime expressions of medieval Hindu architecture. Despite its currently remote location, Khajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela Dynasty which ruled most of central India from the 10th to 12th centuries. There were reputedly over 80 temples of which some 20 have survived scattered over a wide area. The most famous are the Western Group located in a spacious park sprinkled with brightly colored bougainvilleas.

BK Khajuraho Flower NEW — Profile of the Chitragupta Temple — (click photos to enlarge)

BK Khaju Small Temple SQ — Soaring Temple Spires

The elaborately carved sandstone temples are elevated on high platforms like sculptures placed atop pedestals. Often four small shrines are added at each corner of the platform representing the cardinal directions, with the main building centered as the cosmic axis mundi. The interior layouts and famous silhouettes of Khajuraho typify the essential elements of a classical Hindu temple. Aligned on an east-west axis to face the rising sun, there is a covered entrance porch leading to a large pillared hall, followed by a vestibule preceding the sanctuary. The worshipers thus proceed through a series of increasingly sacred spaces, leaving the profane outside world in their symbolic journey to the center.

BK Khajuraho pointy spire REV — Spire and Rear View of Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Khajuraho Sculptures Detai — Closeup View

The sanctuary contains the image of the deity to whom the temple is dedicated, and is customarily small, dark and unadorned, resembling a cave. Contrastingly, the structures above with their sculpted profusion of plants, animals, humans and deities, simulate a vast mountain range that rises to a peak. Each section of the temple has a separate roof structure, from the lowest over the entrance porch to the highest over the sanctuary. While the first three have roughly pyramidal shapes formed by superimposed horizontal tiers, the roof section directly above the sanctuary rises as a tall spire called shikhara (mountain peak); its soaring height emphasized by the repetition of vertical bands and other carved decorations.

BK Khajuraho spire — Peaks of the Sacred Mountain

Khajuraho is especially renowned for the exquisite sculptures that cover the outside of the temples with their graceful elongated forms. Not only deities but beautiful men and women are represented engaged in all the activities of worldly life. Many are shown as amorous couples whose acrobatic postures reflect an esoteric code, for Khajuraho was reputedly a center for Tantra, yogic practices exalting the goddess Shakti. Shakti is the creative life energy of the universe manifesting as the feminine principle, Mother Nature, the Great Goddess. Shakti energy can be expressed as sexuality but it can also be sublimated and channeled as spiritual power, for Tantric philosophy teaches to “use the senses to go beyond the senses.”

At Khajuraho, sculpture and architecture meld together in a harmonious synthesis reminiscent of the great European Gothic cathedrals. With their serene expressions, graceful postures and refined gestures that recall the art of classical Indian dance, the sculptures of Khajuraho illustrate our inherent capacity for trans-cendence, from the human to the divine.

Architecture of Mesoamerica, Maya Civilization, Maya Temples, Mesoamerica, Mexico & Guatemala

Blood of Heroes: Chichen-Itza

Gallery August 5, 2015 Leave a comment

During the Late Classic period Maya society was undergoing significant changes and becoming increasingly militaristic. In 918 CE the Itzas, a Maya-Toltec ethnic group, conquered northern Yucatan. These warriors introduced new elements from central Mexico into Maya culture. The circular shape of the observatory known as El Caracol derives from central Mexican temples dedicated to Ehecatl, god of the winds. This unusual structure consists of two concentric corridors and a spiral staircase which leads to a room with window slits oriented to various astronomical alignments. The Maya were superb astronomers and mathemati-cians who independently developed the concept of zero, performing advanced calculations and devising an accurate calendar spanning millennia. Maya priests observed celestial cycles of the sun, moon, planets and stars to predict future events and determine propitious times for ceremonies and important endeavors.

CHICHEN observatory close — The Observatory — (click photos to enlarge)

The layout of Chichen-Itza also breaks with old traditions. Buildings are no longer grouped together to form quadrangles or an acropolis, but instead stand isolated in the middle of great plazas. The pyramid of El Castillo commands the central plaza with its stepped profile of alternating “tablero” (flat planes) and “talud” (sloping sides). Its design is a representation in stone of the Maya calendar system.

CHICHEN top view to castillo — View of El Castillo

Four stairways ascend to the summit and the 91 steps on each side added to the top platform equal the 365 days of the year. The 9 levels of the pyramid are divided by the stairs into 18 sections, the number of months in the Maya year. The 52 sections of tablero correspond to the number of years in a full cycle of their Calendar Round. The Maya believed in the cyclical nature of time, and this 52 year cycle held special significance for them. The ending of a cycle was an ominous time which could herald the destruction of the world or its renewal, and the dawn of each new cycle was greeted with bonfires and festivities.

CHICHEN kukulcan columns vert — Kukulcan the Feathered Serpent

El Castillo was also designed to produce an astonishing light and shadow display during the spring and autumn equinoxes, as the light of the setting sun slithers down the main stairway, from the temple at the top to the serpent heads at the base, reenacting the descent of Kukulcan from heaven to earth. Kukulcan was the name given by the Maya of Yucatan to Quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent. This bene-volent deity who brought mankind the arts of civilization was widely worshipped throughout Mesoamerica.

CHICHEN temple warriors pillars — Columns with Images of Warriors

The Temple of the Warriors has open pillared halls decorated with reliefs of warriors in Toltec-Mexican attire. Two massive columns in the shape of feathered serpents flank the entrance and the reclining figure of a Chac-mool lies before the sanctuary. This sculpture of Mexican origin is thought to have figured in the sacrificial rituals as a receptacle for human hearts. Although later carried to gory extremes by the Aztecs as a ruthless tool of conquest, the shedding of human blood, as the most precious gift which could be offered to propitiate the gods, was a deeply ingrained belief in ancient Mesoamerica.

CHICHEN chac mool frontal horiz — Chac-mool Statue

CHICHEN ball court Vert — The Great Ball Court

The impressive ball court at Chichen-Itza, measuring 550 ft. in length, is the largest in Mesoamerica. A sculptural relief on its walls depicts the sacrifice by decapitation of a player in the finale of the spectacle which played out there.

Players wearing padded suits could not use their hands or feet to hit the solid rubber ball. More than a mere sporting event, the ritual nature of the ball game can be symbolically interpreted as a match between the cosmic forces of light and darkness. The sun (represented by the ball) made a perilous journey through the dark underworld of night (represented by the court) to be reborn victorious with the dawn. The Maya believed that the blood of sacrificed players contributed to the regeneration of the world.

CHICHEN stair sculpt flowers — View of the Market Area

The Maya were a cultured people, but they were also fierce warriors whose bloody rituals seem horrifying to our modern mindset. Yet, the Maya created one of the most vibrant and long lasting cultures of the Americas. Their impressive architectural achievements are the embodiment in stone of a great civilization, offering insights into a vanished world.

CHICHEN stair sculpt vert — Lasting Image of Chichen-Itza

Architecture of India, Hindu Temples, Hinduism, India, Temples

Temple Towns of South India

Gallery July 29, 2015 Leave a comment

The verdant landscape of the state of Tamil Nadu in the southern tip of India is punctuated by the spectacular towers which rise above the rooftops of its fabled temple towns. The Muslim conquest of the north did not permanently extend into this southernmost region of the subcontinent; thus it was able to preserve intact most of its ancient temple buildings which have functioned uninterruptedly as centers of Tamil cultural life. These great southern temples were maintained, embellished and enlarged through the patronage of powerful ruling dynasties from the 10th to the 17th centuries; from the Pallavas of Kanchipuram to the Cholas of Tanjore the Rayas of Vijayanagar and the Nayaks of Madurai.

BK Kanchi Water — View of Kanchipuram — (click photos to enlarge)

S Kanchipuram tower — Ekambareswarar Temple

Temple towers of KANCHIPURAM dominate the skyline for miles around. As one of seven sacred cities of India and the capital of several southern dynasties, Kanchi’s ancient temples reflect its historical import-ance. The town is a traditional silk-weaving center famous throughout India. The Ekambareswarar temple dedicated to Shiva comprises five enclosures and a thousand-pillared hall. Its colossal gopura, built by the kings of Vijayanagar in the 16th century, is one of the tallest in India.

The development of the southern temple style reflects the expansion of the temple precinct into the surrounding town and its growing involvement in community life. The original sanctuary eventually became hidden inside a series of concentric walled enclosures (prakara) covering a vast area. These enclosures follow a progressive hierarchy from the outside toward the center, with the holiest and most restricted areas being those closest to the inner shrine housing an image of the deity to whom the temple is dedicated.

PLAN SKETCH Srirangam — Plan of Srirangam Temple

The enclosure walls are topped at each cardinal direction by colossal multi-storied gateway towers (gopura) which can rise to 200 ft. in height but diminish in size as they approach the inner shrine. Gopuram have tapering rectangular profiles capped by huge barrel vaults. The brick cores are covered by thousands of figures from the vast Hindu pantheon molded in stucco and painted in brilliant colors. They depict a vibrant, crowded and colorful celestial realm mirroring the panorama in the streets below.

S SRI Golden Shrine — Golden Roof of Vishnu’s Shrine Within the Enclosures at Srirangam

The town of SRIRANGAM occupies an island in the Kaveri River near the city of Tiruchirapalli. The seven walled enclosures of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple cover 156 acres and extend into the sur-rounding town. The first three enclosures are thronged with shops and houses for the sacred precincts only start at the fourth enclosure where visitors must leave their shoes. Non-Hindus may not proceed beyond the second enclosure surrounding the gold-roofed shrine dedicated to the god Vishnu in a reclining form known as Ranganatha. The temple is a major pilgrimage destination for Vishnu devotees, filled with shrines to his various avatars including Rama and Krishna.

S Kanchi Priest — Rare View Inside the Shrine at Kanchipuram Where the Bronze Image of Shiva Nataraja (Clothed and Garlanded) is Flanked by Those of His Consort Parvati and Their Son Ganesh

Every day a series of rituals is performed by priests to awaken, bathe and clothe the image in the sanctuary, while devotees recite prayers and present offerings of food and flowers (puja) to receive the blessing (darshan) of the deity. Only Hindus are allowed inside the innermost sacred enclosures. In contrast, the outer enclosures are a maze of pilgrim hostels, houses for temple workers, stables for the temple elephants, souvenir shops, food stalls and flower vendors in what amounts to a bustling small city within a city.

S Madurai Tower SIDE — Meenakshi Temple Gopura

MADURAI, of legendary antiquity, is the most famous temple town in Tamil Nadu. The great Meenakshi temple was built over hundreds of years, achieving its present dimen-sions in the 17th century. It is a Shiva temple dedicated to his consort the goddess Parvati, who is worshiped here as her avatar Meenakshi. The temple is entered through twelve gateways topped by astonishing gopuram covered with thousands of painted stucco figures, rising 170 ft. above the town.

S Madurai Tower Frontal — Detail of Gopura

The Meenakshi temple also boasts several exquisitely carved pillared halls; one hall houses a bustling bazaar where merchants ply their trade under the benevolent gaze of the deities. The temple remains the geographic and social center of Madurai, crowded with worshipers and tourists by day; while in the cool of the evening locals congregate around the water tank to socialize, relax, and enjoy the chanting and devotional music.

1 BK Madurai figure horiz jpg — Gopuram of Madurai Are Repainted Every 12 Years

Another architectural feature of southern temples are the so-called “thousand pillared halls” where the supporting stone columns have been carved in the round with figures of deities, mythological beasts and rearing horses. These spacious halls served a variety of purposes, like recitations of Hindu scriptures and epics and performances of sacred music and dance. At the height of their glory the temples of Tamil Nadu were renowned centers of learning and culture maintaining their own corps of scholars, artists, dancers and musicians.

BK Madurai Pillar 1 CROP — The Goddess Meenakshi

BK Madurai Market Vert REVCROP — Crowded Temple Bazaar

BK Madurai PILLAR horse NARROW — Horses and Warriors

Over time, the patron deity of each locality took on the guise and assumed many of the functions of a ruler, such as granting audiences, accepting tribute and presiding over a busy calendar of religious festivals. Temple festivals often include processions where images of the gods are paraded in elaborate chariots (ratha) through the town. Beautiful bronze images were created especially for such festivals. Cast in the lost-wax process they are unique pieces which, like the famed Chola bronzes (c. 850-1250 CE) represent the height of South Indian sculpture. The best known subject to emerge from this tradition of Chola processional bronzes is Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. This graceful yet powerful image synthesizes profound philosophical concepts: the god tramples the demon of ignorance while performing the cosmic dance of creation and destruction within a halo of fire. His serene countenance and hand gesture banishing fear represent the enlightened acceptance and resolution of opposites.

S SRI pavillion 2 — Shrine on the Temple Grounds

SRIRANGAM is the largest temple complex in India and the largest active Hindu temple in the world (only Angkor Wat in Cambodia which no longer functions as a temple surpasses it). Many ruling dynasties of south India contributed to its construction and decoration over the centuries. Most structures date between the 14th and 17th centuries, from its reconstruction after occupation by the Sultans of Delhi in 1371 to its great expansion under the kings of Vijayanagar.

S SRI sculpture women — Fine Ancient Carvings Lie Under the Paint

Srirangam boasts twenty-one huge gopuram covered in brightly painted sculptures. This vast temple is an amazing architectural achievement. Yet, off the beaten path, it is seldom visited by tourists adding to the unsophisticated genuineness of the place. Wandering the labyrinth of shrines, gardens and halls, visitors encounter both the garish and naive, and the refined and exquisitely crafted, in a heady juxtaposition of dazzling color and shadows.

The famous temples of Tamil Nadu with their numerous festivals attract multitudes of visitors, for undertaking pilgrimages to sacred places (tirtha-yatra) is a tradition for devout Hindus. Pilgrimages attest to the enduring power of the spirit of place inherent in all sacred locations, with their unique manifestations of energy capable of profoundly affecting and transforming all who visit them.

WOMEN POTS — Festival Goers in the Countryside

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Architecture of Southeast Asia, Buddhism, Buddhist Temples, Java & Bali, Southeast Asia

Borobodur: Ascending Toward Enlightenment

Gallery July 22, 2015 Leave a comment

In the first centuries of the Common Era, Indian traders began expanding their sphere of influence throughout Southeast Asia, establishing outposts that eventually flourished into independent indianized kingdoms. Their trade routes also spread Indian culture and religious ideas in a syncretic mix of Hinduism and Buddhism (which still coexisted at that time) colored by mystical Tantric elements. This Indo-Javanese period spans from the 7th to the 10th centuries CE, when the Sailendra dynasty ruled Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

Boro Corner View — View of the Galleries — (click photos to enlarge)

The Sailendras were Buddhists, and their greatest achievement was the construction around the year 800 CE of Borobodur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world. This unique structure, built atop a low natural hill in central Java, is a three-dimensional architectural mandala. It is not a building in the normal sense of the word, as it is completely open to the sky and has no interior spaces. Its design incorporates the symbolism of Mount Meru (the sacred mountain at the center of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology), the geometric patterns of a mandala diagram (used to focus psycho-spiritual energies), and bell-shaped stupas (Buddhist monuments housing holy relics).

The scale of Borobodur is impressive: the monument rises up nine levels as a series of receding terraces that form a truncated pyramid. The base platform, shaped as a square with indented corners, measures 370 ft. on each side. It is surmounted by five square terraces and three circular ones, linked by four stairways that rise to the summit, which is topped by a large bell-shaped stupa.

Pilgrims traditionally ascend the eastern stairway to begin their clockwise circumambulation of the monument; a complete circuit of the four square terraces covers a distance of 3/4 of a mile. The square terraces are surrounded by balustrades that create partially enclosed galleries which are open to the sky. The galleries are decorated with over 500 life-sized Buddha images and some 8,202 linear ft. of exquisitely carved relief panels.

Boro Market Relief — Scenes of Daily Life

The entire sculptural program is conceived in didactic progression. Reliefs on the base level offer lively depictions of contemporary life that illustrate the workings of karma, the spiritual law of cause and effect, in human affairs. Most of these carvings were later covered up by the wide platform built in order to stabilize the structure. The relief carvings on the first terrace feature scenes from the life of the historical Buddha and fantastic tales of his earlier incarnations called Jatakas. These panels contain some of the most famous images from Borobodur. The next four terraces depict the education of Sudhana a young man who serves as a model for the spiritual seeker of Buddhism. The imagery of the upper galleries becomes progressively more esoteric as it focuses on the bodhisattvas, transcendent saintly figures of the Mahayana pantheon and their philosophical teachings.

Boro Buddha Relief — Scenes of Buddha’s Life

Boro Buddha Image — One of 500 Buddha Statues

In the upper circular terraces we pass from the world of forms into formlessness; from the wealth of figurative detail which decorates the lower terraces into pure abstraction. Seventy-two hollow stupas are arranged in three concentric circles, each one pierced by small diamond or square shaped openings that allow only partial glimpses of the Buddha images inside, all seated in the pose of preaching the first sermon, called “Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law.”

Boro Ascent 2 SCAN — Buddhas and Stupas of the Upper Levels

The enclosed galleries of the lower terraces obscure the view so a person cannot see very far beyond their immediate surroundings; forcing one, as it were, to focus on the teachings being presented at whichever stage of the journey one is at. But once the topmost circular terraces are reached, suddenly the space opens up offering a magnificent 360-degree view of the light-filled surrounding plain. This exhilarating experience vividly illustrates a spiritual seeker’s progression from the darkness and limitations of ignorance to the clarity and boundless freedom of enlightenment.

Borobodur is a three-dimensional interactive exposition of Buddhist doctrine, capable of transforming consciousness through its very design. The pilgrim gradually ascends the sacred mountain while circumambulating in spiral fashion each level of the mandala, undergoing in the process a symbolic transformation; leading from the depths of ignorance, upward through successive stages of increasing self-awareness and knowledge of the dharma, to the final achievement of the heights of spiritual transcendence in nirvana.