Wonders of the Buddhist World
Lumbinī
(Nepali ), “the lovely”) is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi
District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. It is the place where, according
to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha
Gautama at around 563 BCE. Gautama, who achieved Awakenenment some time
around 528 BCE, became the Buddha and founded Buddhism. Lumbini is one
of many magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the
life of the Buddha.
Lumbini
has a number of older temples, including the Mayadevi Temple, and
various new temples, funded by Buddhist organisations from various
countries, have been completed or are still under construction. Many
monuments, monasteries and a museum, and the Lumbini International
Research Institute are also within the holy site. Also, there is the
Puskarini, or Holy Pond, where the Buddha’s mother took the ritual dip
prior to his birth and where he had his first bath. At other sites near
Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, then
achieved ultimate Awakenment and finally relinquished their earthly
forms.
Sarnath
is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the
confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh,
Prabuddha Bharat. The Deer Park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first
taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence
through the awakenment of Kondanna .
Singhpur,
a village approximately one kilometre away from the site, was the
birthplace of Shreyansanath, the Eleventh Tirthankara of Jainism. A
temple dedicated to him is an important pilgrimage site.
Also
referred to as Isipatana, this city is mentioned by the Buddha as one
of the four places of pilgrimage his devout followers should visit. It
was also the site of the Buddha’s Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which was
his first sermon after attaining awakenment, in which he explained the
four noble truths and the teachings associated with them.
Ramabhar Stupa was built over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes on the spot where he was cremated by the ancient Malla people.
Ramabhar Stupa was built over a portion of the Buddha’s ashes on the spot where he was cremated by the ancient Malla people.
ushinagar is located in Uttar Pradesh
Kushinara
is a town in the Kushinara district of the Prabuddha Bharatian state of
Uttar Pradesh. It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where
Buddhists believe Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinibbana after his
death. It is an international Buddhist pilgrimage centre.
Dr B.R.Ambedkar thundered âMain Bharat Baudhmay karunga.â (I will make this country Buddhist)
All
Aboriginal Awakened Societies Thunder â Hum Prapanch Prabuddha
Prapanchmay karunge.â (We will make the whole world Prabuddha Prapanch
Welcome to
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Worldâs Tallest Buddha Statue & An Academic Upliftment of Buddhists and Poor in India by Mayawatiji
And
now the Maitreya Buddha Statue is to be another gem added to this crow.
The statue is a veritable temple-skyscraper that will contain 17
individual shrine rooms. The highest room at 140 meters high â the
equviliant height of the 40th storey of a standard building. This statue
and complex will be a fusion of Prabuddha Bharatian architectural
styles and will also hold the worldâs largest collection of Lord
Buddhaâs relics.
A
cutaway view of the 152 meter Maitreya statue and throne building
showing the spaces and levels within. Note that the throne itself will
be a 17 storey fully functional temple, with 15 additional shrine rooms
in the the body of the Maitreya statue.
Maitreya Project engineers on-site
Mayawatiji govt in UP is all set to build the worldâs Tallest
Buddha
statue, this is an uplifting project in various means. First it would
help heal the sabotaged buddhists/SC/STs/Ambedkarites, second, it would
bring tourism industry at a big level to UP through which the state can
benefit in economic and social changes, it would help peace and better
living of people in this area by following Buddhaâs pathâŠâŠâŠ.it is a
great idea and project. If done, this would just uplift the BSP itself
and itâs supremo to further higher level in the world of Buddhism and
good humans which is not just a statue but an academy to uplift the
poor, one and all.
Decks are being cleared for the installation of the worldâs tallest Buddha statue in Kushinagar town of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was understood to have directed
officials to speed up the acquisition and transfer of 600 acres of land
required for the Rs.10 billion project to be funded and undertaken by
the global Maitryi group. Proviuion of land is UP governmentâs share in
the project.. The project involves installation of a 152-metre-tall
bronze statue of Lord Buddha along with a giant meditation centre, an
international university, a state-of-art world-class hospital and a
museum. The project also envisages an entertainment complex in the
neighbourhood that would include an amusement park and a five-star
hotel.
UP
Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Misra presided over a high level meeting
of state officials, in which representatives from Maitryi were present
here Monday. A presentation on the project was made. Significantly, the
project was initiated during the previous tenure of Chief Minister
Mayawati in 2003, after which it was put on the backburner during the
Mulayam Singh Yadav regime. âSince then, it had been hanging fire, so we
decided to revive it after Maitryi officials approached us,â Misra told
IANS. He said: âOf the 600 acres required for the project, we need to
acquire only about 300 acres while the rest is government land.
âThe
government had already started the acquisition process. The whole
project would not involve any major displacement of people and not more
than 70-80 farmers would be involved,â he said.
âWe have worked out a handsome rehabilitation package for the farmers who would get displaced on account of the project.â
A view of the temple from the gardens surrounding the site
A View from the Maitreya Project Park
All
of these features will be set in beautifully landscaped parks with
meditation pavilions, beautiful water fountains and tranquil pools. All
of the buildings and outdoor features will contain an extensive
collection of inspiring sacred art.
Surrounding
the Maitreya Buddha statue is a four-storey halo of buildings called
the âLiving Wall.â This ring of buildings contains accomadation for the
complexâs monks and workers as well as rooms for functions ancillary to
the statue and throne building.
The
wall also serves two additional important functions. In light of
cross-border Islamist terrorist attacks against Prabuddha Bharatian holy
sites in Ayodhya, Akshardham and Jama Masjid, the Living
Wall also is designed to be a security cordon eqivalent to a modern
castle wall, staffed with security personnel and designed to withstand an attack from 200 heavily armed raiders.
Prerendering of the Statue showing the location of the living wall, main gate, paths and garden areas
The
final major function it performs is that of the boundary for the
enclosed sanctuary area of landscaped gardens, pools and fountains for
meditation directly surrounding the Maitreya statue.
The entry to the enclosed sanctuary and the Maitreya statue will be serviced by a main gate.
The tree and stupa lined paths to the ceremonial gate, which is the entrance to the sanctuary.
The Statue of the Maitreya Buddha
The
center of the Maitreya Project, of course, is the bronze plate statue
of the Maitreya Buddha itself. Rising 500ft/152m in height, the statue
will sit on a stone throne temple building located in an enclosed
sanctuary park.
Passing the ceremonial gate, landscaped paths allow devotes to do Pradakshina (circumambulation) of the Maitreya Statue.
The terraced circumambulation paths, with the gate in the background.
Within
the sanctuary, the gardens provide a place for relaxing, resting, and
meditating, with educational artwork depicting the Buddhaâs life.
A view towards the statue from one of these stupa lined terraces.
Walking
further inward, the is Maitreya Statue and Throne Temple, surrounded by
tranquil ponds and fountains that will cool the area in the intense
Indian summer.
The Maitreya statue and throne surrounded by the tranquil ponds containing Buddha statues of the meditation sanctuary.
The âseatâ of the statue is itelf a fully functioning 17-storey temple roughly 80m x 50m in size.
The
building will contain two very large prayer halls, as well as
meditation and meeting rooms, a library and facilities to deal with the
anticipated annual influx of 2 million visitors.
The entrance to the throne building with the Maitreya Buddha statue resting upon the lotus on top
Pilgrims
will enter the throne temple through the giant lotus that supports the
Maitreya Buddha statueâs feet. The throne temple contains several
entrance rooms that contain works of art on the Buddhaâs life and
teachings.
The first major prayer hall of throne building, containing works of art on the Buddha.
Continuing
inward is the cavernous main auditorium of the Maitreya Temple
containing the Sanctum Sanctorum which in Prabuddha Bharatian
architectural tradition is the innermost most sacred room where the
actual shrine is held. This Sanctum Sanctorum is unique in that within
it contains two large auditorium temples.
The
first temple in the Sanctum Sanctorum is the Temple of the Maitreya
Buddha, containing a huge, 12 meter tall statue of the Buddha.
Upon entering the Sanctum Sanctorum, the 12 meter tall statue of the Buddha can be glimpsed.
A wall containing 200,000 images of the Buddhas rises up to the throne ceiling over 50 metres above, behind both auditorium
temples.
A glimpse from the ambulatory of the side walls within the Maitreya Temple and the 1,000 paintings of the Buddhas.
The
centerpiece shrine of the Maitreya Temple is the 12 meter tall Maitreya
Buddha. Stairs and elevators lead to viewing platforms around the
Maitreya Temple, allowing views of the entire room
A view of the Maitreya Buddha statue and the wall of the 200,000 images of the Buddha, seen from viewing platforms.
The
next biggest shrine in the Sanctum Sanctorum is the Temple of the
Shakyamuni Buddha which contains a 10 meter statue of the Shakyamuni
(Historical) Buddha.
Behind the shrine is the continuation of the wall of 200,000 Buddhas.
On
a higher level yet again, the Shakyamuni Temple will house a 10 metre
(33 ft.) statue of the historical Buddha. The glass rear wall
will reveal the wall of 200,000 Buddhas within the Maitreya Temple.
Another view of the Shakyamuni Temple.
In
Prabuddha Bharatian architecture, the Sanctum Sanctorum is encircled by
a pathway that allows devotees to do Pradakshina (circumambulation) of
the shrine. The Maitreya Temple, following this tradition, also has this
feature.
The
main throne building and Pradakshina path where visitors may
circumambulate Sanctum Sanctorum of the Maitreya Temple, which can be
seen through the doorways on the right
From
this area, elevators and staircases will carry visitors to the various
other rooms in the 17 storey base, including prayer halls, meditation
halls and libraries. Eventually conveying devotees to a large rooftop
garden terrace upon which the Maitreya Buddha statue actually rests.
Here,
rising into the upper legs of the main statue, is the Merit Field Hall
with a 10 meter, 3-dimensional depiction of over 390 Buddhas and
Buddhist masters at itâs center. Surrounding this will be 12 individual
shrine rooms devoted to particular deities in the Hindu-Buddhist
pantheon.
The Merit Field Hall with its 10m, 3-D depiction.
From
the garden terrace, another bank of elevators will whisk pilgrims to
the higher shrine rooms contained in the statueâs torso and head.
The
statue will contain 15 individual shrine rooms and have a total height
of 152 meters, with the highest shrine room in the statueâs head, at
over 140 meters up. This is roughly equivalent in height to a 40-storey
skyscraper.
A cutaway diagram of the statue-tower.
The
statue is itself an engineering marvel. Rather than simply be designed
in its massive size, the statue of the Maitreya Buddha was actually
reversed-designed from a carved statue only a meter and half in height
and the structureâs engineering extrapolated into its current form.
The
original statue from which the Maitreya Buddha statue tower is
extrapolated from was hand carved, and is in the Indian Gupta style.
Moreover,
the statue is designed to stand for at least 1,000 years, supporting
the Projectâs spiritual and social work for at least a millennium. Due
to the statueâs millenia-passing lifespan, the huge structure is
designed to withstand high winds, extreme temperature changes, seasonal
rains, possible earthquakes and floods and environmental pollution.
Extensive
research has gone into developing âNikaliumâ, the special
nickel-aluminum bronze alloy to be used for the outer âskinâ of the
statue designed to withstand the most challenging conditions that could
conceivably arise.
As
the bronze âskinâ will expand and contract dramatically due to daily
temperature changes, the statue will require special expansion joints
that were designed to be not only invisible to
the
observer, but also in such a way as to protect the internal supports of
the statue from water leakage, erosion and corrosion.
The
material and structural components of the statue are meant to be able
to withstand potential unforseen disasters like earthquakes and monsoon
flooding.
The engineering process of the Buddha statue.
Construction Status â June, 2007
The
Maitreya Project recently passed its first major milestone this month,
when, in compliance with the Indian Land Acquistion Act, the State
Government of Uttar Pradesh has completed the necessary legal
requirements for the acquisition of the 750 acre land site to be made
available to the Project.
While
there are still permissions and clearances to be obtained, it has now
officially given the green light and the full support of the government.
It
is expected that the Project will formally break ground either later
this year or early 2008, with an expected construction time of five
years. The project will employ more than a thousand skilled and
semi-skilled workers in the construction phase.
Wonders of the Buddhist world
Mahabodhi Temple, Prabuddha Bharat
One
of the earliest Buddhist temples built in brick that still survives
today, the Mahabodhi Temple is home to a colossal image of a seated
Buddha touching the earth with his right hand. The Temple is said to be
the most sacred site in Buddhism as it is the supposed site where Buddha
found awakenment under the Bodhi tree.
Built
in the 14th Century, this temple is an important place of pilgrimage
and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists and local Nepalis. There are four
Buddhas on each corner of the temple, with one also in the centre; these
Buddhas represent the five elements. There are also 13 rings from the
base to the pinnacle which represent the path to awakenment.
Temple of Tooth, Sri Lanka
Located
in Kandy, this temple has long been a centre of Buddhist faith. The
Temple of Tooth is said to house the left upper canine tooth of the Lord
Buddha. According to legend, the tooth was taken from Buddha on his
death bed and smuggled to Sri Lanka in the hair of a princess in 313AD.
The relic of the tooth is kept in a two-story inner shrine fronted by
two large elephant tusks and rests on a solid gold lotus flower.
Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Thailand
Wat
Pho is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Bangkok and is home to
more images of Buddha than any other Bangkok temple. Thailand’s
largest Buddha, the Reclining Buddha is sheltered within Wat Pho â it is
46 meters long, 15 meters high and is covered in gold plating and
decorated with mother of pearl. There is also a working Buddhist
monastery in the southern walled compound of the complex.
The
city of Angkor was once the capital of the Khmer Empire. The monastery,
Angkor Wat, was built by King Suryavarman II in dedication to Hindu
gods, Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. A new king soon decided that Hinduism
had failed him and the Hindu decorations and deities were replaced by
Buddhist carvings, statues and art when Angkor Wat became a Buddhist
shrine.
The
world’s largest seated Buddha, which is 34 metres tall and 250 tonnes
in weight, took 12 years to create. The bronze statue sits amid lush
mountain scenery on Lantau Island, located at the mouth of the Pearl
River. The statue is called Tian Tan because its base is a replica of
Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The Buddha’s right hand is
raised to remove affliction. His left hand rests on his knee,
representing happiness.
Hsi
Lai, meaning ‘coming to the West’, is a Chinese temple and monastery in
Hacienda Heights. The temple belongs to a new Buddhist order called Fo
Guang Shan which emphasises Buddhist outreach and unity. Hsi Lai is a
working monastery in addition to a temple, with a number of monks and
nuns living in the complex.