Welcome back with the appointment of our TOP 10 column that every week proposes the curiosities, beauties, peculiarities, excellences of our wonderful world. In this episode, we had fun searching for the 10 most beautiful temples in the world, symbols of the link between man and the Absolute. Curious to know which are they?
1. White Temple (Chiang Rai – Thailand)
When we saw it, we were breathless. That’s why we place it first in this week’s TOP 10. Pole position for the White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand, a very recent Theravada Buddhist place of worship. It was built, in fact, in 1997 and is made entirely of white plaster and mirrors that reflect the sunlight creating almost unreal reflections. The white, in fact, is meant to represent the purity of the Buddha. But it is the allegory and symbolism that seems to come alive here in the statues and bas-reliefs that leave one astonished.
First and foremost are the dozens of sculpted hands that greet the visitor as he crosses the bridge leading to the temple entrance and emerge from a circular pool. They symbolise desire which, according to Buddhism, is the source of suffering. The entrance then symbolises the passage from the world of temptation to Nirvana.
The path is accompanied by statues of monstrous creatures, but also of Yama, the god of death, and Rahu, the god of darkness, whose task it is to accept or reject the human soul by welcoming it into Nirvana or condemning it to another reincarnation. The interior, however, is a real surprise. Yes, because in addition to murals with traditional Buddhist scenes, there are also apocalyptic scenes from the modern world, such as the Twin Towers bombing. And there are also some cartoon depictions, superheroes and celebrities, including Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
2. Suspended Temple (Datong – China)
Built in 491 AD, it is the only temple in China to be dedicated to three different religions, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, in the same place. 50 metres above the ground! This marvellous marvel of human ingenuity has 40 spaces between pavilions, pagodas and halls and seems to float in the air. But it is so stable that, originally, it was built without the ‘poles’ that can be seen today and that were added later to ‘give courage’ to worshippers and visitors, who did not care to climb for fear that the temple would collapse under their feet!
Instead, the temple is, today as then, very stable and the poles can be removed if necessary. To reach the suspended temple, one crosses a bridge that leads to a staircase carved into the rock. The six main rooms are connected by a maze of corridors, bridges and paths offering breathtaking views.
3. Temple of Abu Simbel (Aswan – Egypt)
Third position for the Temple of Abu Simbel, perhaps the most beautiful temple in Ancient Egypt. It was built in the 13th century B.C. by Ramesses II to celebrate his victory at the Battle of Qadesh and to show his greatness and power to the Nubians. The complex consists of two imposing temples carved out of the rock of the mountain and is decorated, on the enormous 33-metre high and 38-metre wide façade, with four 20-metre high statues of the pharaoh and, on either side of these, two smaller statues of women, the sovereign’s mother, Tuya, and his beloved wife Nefertari, who, according to legend, died at the entrance to the great temple.
The temple of Abu Simbel is also linked to the story of its astonishing rescue. When, in 1960, President Nasser started work on the construction of the Aswan Dam, which envisaged the formation of an artificial basin, which would have submerged the temple. Thanks to UNESCO’s intervention, 113 countries around the world took action to save the monument.
A Swedish project, which proved successful, planned to cut, number and dismantle block by block the sculpted part of the hill and rebuild the temple 65 metres higher and 300 metres further back from the reservoir. The work lasted from 1964 to 1968 and 2000 men worked on it. Forty million dollars were spent.
4. Borobudur Temple (Java – Indonesia)
Built between 750 and 830 B.C., the Borobudur Temple is located in Java, Indonesia, and is one of the best known and most fascinating in the world. Its dimensions are colossal. It measures, in fact, 123 metres x 123 in base, 35 in height and rests on 1.6 million enormous stone blocks. Its walls are covered with 2672 bas-reliefs. A place of worship of Mahāyāna Buddhism, it was built leaving nothing to chance.
Its location is at the confluence of two rivers, reminiscent of the Ganges and the Yumna, while the mountain range recalls the Himalayas. The temple consists of 10 terraces, corresponding to the 10 stages of the spiritual path to perfection, divided into three groups, representing the three realms of Samsara. Along the way, one encounters niches with statues of Buddha inside. As you continue, you reach the summit, symbol of Nirvana.
5. Golden Temple (Amritsar – India)
It is the holiest temple of the Sikh religion and was built in 1588. The faithful are obliged to go there on pilgrimage at least once in their lives, but because of its beauty it has become a worldwide tourist attraction. Anyone can enter the temple from one of its four entrances, which symbolise openness and acceptance, regardless of professed faith and religion, gender or nationality.
It is sufficient, however, that while inside the temple one does not smoke, drink alcohol, eat meat or take drugs. Furthermore, everyone must cover their heads as a sign of respect and wash their feet in the sacred lake that surrounds the temple. Sumptuous to the point of improbability, the temple owes its parts in gold and precious marble to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who donated his wealth to build it.
6. Taktsang Monastery (Paro – Buthan)
The Taktsang Monastery is a temple complex built in 1692 on a mountain peak in the Paro Valley in Buthan. It is also known as the Tiger’s Den because of a legend that the temple was founded on the site where, in the 8th century, Guru Padmasambhaya arrived here from Tibet on the back of a sacred tiger and then meditated for three months in the cave of Tanksang Senge Samdup. A variant of the legend has it that the tiger was actually an emperor’s wife, a disciple of the guru, who turned herself into a fair to bring her master to this place and thus bring Buddhism to Bhutan.
The monastery is located at an altitude of 3120 metres, overlooking a precipice, but is accessed via a forest path, a mule track and the ‘Thousand Fairies’ path that crosses a rocky plateau. It consists of four main temples and residential buildings, as well as eight caves, including the sacred one into which Guru Padmasambhaya first entered.
7. Angkor Wat (Siem Reap – Cambodia)
The Angkor Wat complex stands 5.5 km from Siem Reap, and is considered the largest religious monument in the world today. Its construction at the instigation of King Suryavarman II took 40 years, from 1112 to 1152 AD. Originally conceived as a Hindu temple, it was converted to a Buddhist place of worship towards the end of the 12th century.
The complex, which means ‘City Temple’ in the Khmer language, is built according to the ‘temple mountain’ concept and stands within a moat, symbolising Mount Meru, the Olympus of Hinduism, and is surrounded by other gallery temples. The main building has the shape of a rectangle 1.5 km long from west to east and 1.3 km from north to south. Inside the moat that completely surrounds the 5.6 km wall are three rectangular galleries, one above the other.
In the centre of the temple stand five towers. It is thought to have originally been the king’s mausoleum. Its bas-reliefs and devatas adorning the walls are also splendid and famous, as is the way nature has appropriated these spaces over time.
8. Uluwatu (Bali – Indonesia)
Pura Uluwatu is a temple that stands where one would never think possible. In fact, it stands poised on a 70-metre high rocky cliff overlooking the sea on the island of Bali, Indonesia and is dedicated to the goddess of water, of which the rocks would be nothing but her petrified vessel. The temple was founded in the 11th century by the Javanese sage Mpu Kuturan and renovated in the 16th century. To reach the temple, a place of Hindu worship, one has to climb a flight of steps overhanging the sea.
One then enters through a finely carved stone portal, which leads to a large central space. Immediately to the left are several shrines dedicated to Nirartha, while in the centre is another stone portal symbolising Mount Meru, the Hindu sacred mountain. Passing through it, one arrives at the innermost part of the temple. On the portal stand three pinnacles and a demon’s head, which is meant to scare away evil spirits, while at the foot is a statue of Ganesh. The surrounding area, inhabited by mischievous monkeys, is splendid. The view, then, is truly breathtaking.
9. Wat Pho (Bangkok – Thailand)
It stands in the centre of Bangkok and is considered one of the most beautiful temples in the world. Built in the 17th century, it is a Buddhist place of worship, best known for its wonderful statue of the Reclining Buddha and the Phra Mhaha Chedi in the courtyards, decorated with precious Chinese ceramics. In 1788, it underwent a major renovation during the reign of Rama I and was further extended during the reign of Rama III. On the latter occasion, 1360 plaques with texts on traditional medicine and Buddhist teachings were added and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. At 80,000 square metres, it is one of the largest and oldest temples in Bangkok.
More than a thousand Buddha images and statues are preserved in the complex. The most famous, that of the Lying Buddha, is located at the north end, near the public entrance. It is a 46-metre long and 15-metre high colossus with a body covered in gold, while the eyes and feet are decorated with mother-of-pearl. On the soles of the feet are 108 scenes decorated with shells, in the Chinese and Indian style. In addition, a school of Thai massage and traditional medicine was founded within the complex in 1955 and is still the most renowned in Thailand.
10. Batu Cave Temple (Selangor – Malaysia)
Not only one of the most unique temples in the world, but also one of the most famous Hindu shrines outside India. The Batu Caves Temple is located inside a karstic cavity on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is dedicated to Murugan, god of war, whose 42.7 metre high golden statue welcomes visitors at the temple entrance and is the tallest in the world dedicated to this deity. The caves were discovered by chance in 1860 by some farmers, but only became famous in 1878, when their location was officially revealed.
The complex consists of three main caves and three smaller ones. The largest is Temple Cave, which features a vaulted ceiling and several shrines. To reach the cave, one has to climb 272 steps. At the base of the hill are two rock temples, adorned with statues and paintings depicting episodes from the life of the god. The caves are home to several rare animals, including spiders and fruit bats. The site is famous for a large colony of macaques.
