Fascinating Temples: World's Architectural Wonders

Jan 31st, 2009 by nobertbermosa

Travel the world and see these beautiful and magnificent architectural designs of temples. Religious buildings are often the most decorated, the most beautiful and usually the most lavish structures you will see wherever you go. Travel the world and see these beautiful and magnificent architectural designs of temples. 1. Tirupati Temple: India

Image Source Tirupati Temple is truly unique because it is considered as the most sacred and the richest temple in the world. Tirupati Temple is situated in the town of Tirupati. Also known as Tirupati Balaji Temple, it is a major pilgrimage center of south India. Besides, it is a conglomeration of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam having a height of 853m or 2,800 ft. above the sea level. The temple boasts of a vibrant and colorful culture also speaking volumes about its grand past. It is an important pilgrimage center, where devotees stand for long hours waiting to get a glance of the presiding deity.

2. Hanging Temple: China

Image Source

Image Source If the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had fascinated you even though you have only read about it, you will surely be amaze upon seeing this one-of -a-kind temple - The Hanging Temple. The Hanging Temple is a temple built into a cliff near Mount Heng in the province of Shanxi. The closest city is Datong, 65 kilometers to the northwest. Along with the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. Built more than 1400 years ago, this temple is unique not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it includes Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian elements.

3. Shwedagon Pagoda: Myanmar

Image Source You might ask yourself, where did all those gold came from? That's the fascinating aspect of this temple known as the Shwedagon Pagoda. It is a magnificent temple and the most famous temple in Myanmar. This temple stands about 100 mor 325 ft high and is covered in gold leaf. The Shwedagon Pagoda officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw, also known as the Golden Pagoda, is a 98-meter (approx. 321.5 feet) gilded stupa. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for theBurmese with relics of the past four Buddha's enshrined within, namely the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight hairs of Gautama, the historical Buddha.

4. Angkor Wat: Cambodia

Image Source One of the Wonders of the World is Angkor Wat, a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryayarman II. It is considered the "largest temple complex in the world." The complex was built in the 12th century. It was built by the king as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation-first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist.

5. Lotus Temple: India

Image Source This architectural piece is one of the most unique temples in the world. It's a Baha'i House of Worship located in Delhi, India. The popular name of this religious shrine is the "Lotus Temple". This temple is one of the most prominent attractions in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

6. Borobudur Temple: Indonesia

Image Source Another architectural wonder located in Indonesia (the largest Muslim country in the world) is the Borobudur Temple. It is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, where once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument. Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

7. Temple of Saint Sava: Serbia

Image Source Would you believe that the construction of this religious edifice is financed exclusively by donations? Well, I think almost all houses of worship were built on donations, so that's not amazing. Here's the amazing feature of this architectural structure, this magnificent temple named The Temple of Saint Sava is "the largest Orthodox church in the world". The church is dedicated to Saint Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church and an important figure in medieval Serbia. It is built on the Vracar plateau, on the location where his remains are thought to have been burned in 1595 by the Ottoman Empire's Sinan Pasha. From its location, it dominates Belgrade's cityscape, and is perhaps the most monumental building in the city.

8. Akshardham: India

Image Source India is home to score of temples being the home of some of the greatest religions in the world like Hinduism, Jainism and many others. One architectural wonder you will find in India is the Akshardham, a Hindu temple complex in Delhi. It displays 10,000 years of Indian and Hindu cultural traditions, spirituality and architecture. The building was. inspired and moderated by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Ahshar Purushottam. Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham. The temple, which attracts 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi, was officially opened on November 6, 2005. It sits on the banks of the Yamuna River adjacent to the proposed 2010 Commonwealth Games village. The monument features a large central monument crafted entirely of stone, exhibitions on incidents from the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan and the history of India, a musical fountain, and large landscaped gardens.

9. Salt lake Temple: USA

Image Source One of the most famous and largest temples in the US is the Salt Lake Temple. This temple is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is the best-known Mormon temple. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, it is the centerpiece of the 10 acre (40,000 m) Temple Square. In the Latter Day Saint movement (also known as Mormonism), a temple is a building dedicated to be a house of God and is reserved for special forms of worship. A temple differs from a church meeting place, which is used for weekly worship services. 10. Pagoda of Tianning Temple: China

Image Source

People will always be fascinated with things which are considered the biggest, tallest, largest and many others. The Pagoda of Tianning Temple will surely amaze millions because it is the "tallest Buddhist pagoda in the world". This temple is a modern Chinese pagoda of Jiangsu, China. With 13 stories and a height of 154 m (505 ft), this wooden pagoda is now the tallest Buddhist pagoda in the world. Although the existing pagoda was built by April 2007, the temple grounds and the pagoda have a history of construction and destruction for the past 1,350 years, since the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Building of the pagoda was proposed by the Buddhist Association of China in 2001, yet providing money donations for the temple was an international effort, as leaders of 108 Buddhist associations and temples worldwide attended the opening ceremony at the temple. These are just 10 of the many unique architectural accomplishments of men, plentiful are scattered out there just waiting to be discovered and featured. For spectacular bridges from around the world see 20 World's Most Notable Bridges: Architectural and Engineering Feats 15 World's Most Notable Bridges: Architectural and Engineering Feats-2 For more related articles see The Worlds Most Remarkable Palaces and Their Amazing Features Best-Preserved and Surviving Roman Triumphal Arches Famous Commemorative and Triumphal Arches in the World World's Most Historic and Notable Columns Top 10 Most Famous Tombs in the World The World's Most Spectacular Obelisks Notable Ziggurats of Ancient and Modern Times Fascinating Temples: World's Architectural Wonders Bizarre and Unique Architectural Designs of Houses of Worship 10 Architectural Landmarks: World's Best Tourist Attractions Magnificent Mausoleums From Around the World World's Greatest and Most Remarkable Towers in History Famous Arcitectural Remains of Ancient Rome World's Most Impressive Roadside Attractions
Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/28842_-fascinating-temples-worlds-architectural-wonders-#ixzz0vHfs3gHM