Ghisingh plans Buddha temple in Mirik (India)


SILIGURI: The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council would soon construct a Buddha temple at Mirik in Kurseong sub-division with financial aid from Thailand, Mr Subash Ghisingh, the caretaker chairperson of the hill council, said here today.
Mr Ghisingh, who left for Indonesia from the Bagdogra airport today, was talking to reporters at the Pintail Village near here. He however, did not go into the details of the temple project or specify the exact amount that is coming as aid from Thailand.

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Good Kamakura (Japan)

Richard Tulloch puts in his order for riches and a nice umbrella at a sacred Buddhist site.

Kamakura is no place for the weak-kneed. We clambered up muddy forest paths and climbed a thousand temple steps. Then when my Japanese hosts Takashi and Ayumi suggested we go somewhere and sit down, I thought they meant on a chair. I didn’t realise we’d be on the floor, folded like origami frogs. But the trip was well worth the physiotherapy bill.

The small town of Kamakura, 50 kilometres south of Tokyo, was the Japanese capital from 1185 to 1333. Now it’s a popular day-excursion destination for Tokyo residents and tourists needing a break from karaoke bars and department stores. Kamakura promises temples, forests, hiking trails, craft shops and a view of Mount Fuji from the beach.

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Blast cracks Buddha remains (Bamiyan)

An explosion has cracked historic remains of one of the famed Bamiyan Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban seven years ago.

Nato-led troops destroyed two pieces of unexploded ordnance close to the smaller of the two statues on Thursday, Najibullah Harar, chief of information and culture for Bamiyan, said.

The blast caused cracks in what is left of the 34.5 metre-high statue and its side walls, he said.

UN spokesman Aleem Siddique said there had been a controlled explosion about 100 metres from the statue and the UN was checking into the incident.

He said it was unclear if the Buddha remains were damaged.

Controlled explosions are forbidden in the area of the World Heritage Site, Siddique said.

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Following Buddha’s footsteps

Arts Features By Tony Montague

Shakti Dance Company’s lavish Prince to Buddha is full of the unspoken narrative connections that classical Indian dance creates through hard-won subtle gesture.

Shakti Dance Company’s lavish Prince to Buddha is full of the unspoken narrative connections that classical Indian dance creates through hard-won subtle gesture.

For Viji Prakash, bharata natyam­–the classical dance of southwestern India–knows no cultural boundaries. The director of the U.S.–based Shakti Dance Company has choreographed South Asian takes on Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and Peer Gynt. Five years ago, she was asked to write a piece for the opening of an Asian art exhibition in Los Angeles, and chose as her narrative the life of North Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. The result was Prince to Buddha: The Journey to Enlightenment, the show that Prakash is bringing to New Westminster’s Massey Theatre on Saturday.

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A Zen glass block for the Buddha Lecture Room in Thaichung, Taiwan

A “Zen” glass block for the Buddha Lecture Room in Thaichung, Taiwan
A “Zen” glass block capable of softening direct sunlight while at the same time projecting magical shapes throughout - a myriad of small Buddhas in prayer.This is the latest innovation from Seves glassblock, the world leader in glass block production and manufacturer of 9,700 glass blocks for the new “Buddha Lecture Room”, a religious library in Taichung, Taiwan, designed by architect Daniel Tai. Currently in production, 1,800 glass block pieces customized for the project with an ad hoc design requested by the architect: the image of the Buddha in a meditative position, sitting with legs crossed in a meadow of lotus flowers.

The design is imprinted on the glass block surface during the second phase of manufacturing after it is baked in the kiln. Using a special protective mask, which is applied beforehand, the glass block is dipped in a “bath” of frosting to produce an effect of interplaying contrasts and chiaroscuros between the opaque treated surface and the original transparent surface of the block.

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Antiques, rare artwork on show (Shanghai)

THE first (Shanghai) China Antique and Artwork Exposition opens tomorrow at the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Center.

Organized by Shanghai Yunzhou Antique City, the four-day event features a high-end display section and previews by auction houses.

The display area has 153 booths selling jade, ink-wash paintings, stone carvings, bronze vessels, antique furniture and gilded Buddhas.

The artworks come from all over China, including Beijing, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Some are from private overseas Chinese collectors.

China’s top auction houses, such as Beijing Poly Auction, Shanghai Duoyunxuan and Bogu Zhai and Zhejiang Xilengyingshe Auction House, display some art pieces for preview, not sale. They will go under the hammer soon.

“Our highlight is a scroll of painting created by Badashanren when he was 59. This is the first time it is unveiled to the public,” says Hu Xilin, public relations director of Zhejiang Xilengyingshe Auction House. It will be auctioned in Hangzhou in June. The floor price is around 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million).

Badashanren (1626-1705) was a descendant of the imperial clan of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After the Ming Dynasty was overthrown, he became a monk and a Taoist priest. His life had been filled with frustrations, and he expressed his feelings and unyielding characters in paintings.

Badashanren was famous for painting animals with exaggerated details. He drew their eyes with simple circles and dotted them, which distinguished him from his peers.

Date: April 25-28, 9am-5pm

Address: 666 Tianyaoqiao Rd

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The road to Mandalay

Photos by Pim Kemasingki

Arriving in Mandalay is like stepping back 50 years in time: beat up buses trundle along wide boulevards, men in longyis cycle serenely alongside the moat, monks pad silently through dusty courtyards. Despite the conflict that lies at Burma’s political core, 150 year old Mandalay is a peaceful city, studded with pagodas and backed by the green slopes of Mandalay Hill. Perhaps the sense of peace can be attributed to the powerful religious presence in the region - Mandalay is Burma’s sacred centre, home to Burma’s highest concentration of monks and nuns.

Overt military presence, while we were there at least, was surprisingly scarce in Mandalay, though an ominous official sign declaring, ‘It is our mission to expose and expunge any anti-government sentiment’ hints at the fact that spies may be hidden amongst the innocuous masses. Last year’s demonstrations have taken their toll on tourism in Burma: our guide tells us that this high season has been the quietest in many years, a sad reality for locals who rely on the industry for their livelihood. But, on the brighter side, those who do visit during this period will be treated to the peace of wide open spaces and beautiful sights almost entirely devoid of tourists.

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Minister lays foundation for Samadhi Buddha Statue (Sri Lanka)

P.B. Kirindeniya, Nawalapitiya group corr.

Minister of Power Mahindananda Aluthgamage laid the foundation stone for a Samadhi Buddha Statue (18 feet in height) at Siripada Privena in the main entrance to the Railway town of Nawalapitiya in order to commemorate his parents, late Mr. Aluthgamage, former MP for Nawalapitiya and late Mrs Aluthgamage.

The estimated cost of the construction work of the “Samadhi Buddha Prathima” is Rs. 1 million which would be borne by the family members of late Mr. S. Aluthgamage.

Addressing the meeting that followed the laying of the foundation stone Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that according to the agreement, the construction work of the Samadhi Buddha Statue would be completed in six months. It would help adorn the town Kalutara Bodhi and Getambe Viharaya which are at the gateway of the two main towns, Kalutara and Kandy.

He said the Chief Incumbent of the Privena had taken much effort to make the dream a reality. He had been undergoing untold difficulties for a considerable number of years for this purpose.

Aluthgamage said thousands of pilgrims bound to Sri Pada break journey here. This Buddha Statue will be higher than that of Anuradhapura Mahamevuna Uyana Samadhi Pilimaya. This is 18 feet in height. I feel it had been a shortcoming for many years that there had been no such Buddha Statue here. No public or state funds will be utilised.

Ven. Kurunegala Piyarathana Thera, Chief Incumbent made an “Anusasana”.

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Murudeshwar Temple Now Tallest Gopuram in Asia

TOI
Pics: Sahil Online

Murudeshwar, Apr 14: The Murudeshwar temple has another feather to its cap now. It can now boast of having the tallest temple gopuram in Asia with the magnificent Arabian Sea in the backdrop. D Veerendra Heggade, dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala, inaugurated the gopuram on Saturday.

The rajagopuram is 249-feet tall and is taller than the 243-feet gopuram of Sriranganath Swami temple, Srirangam, Trichi and 239-feet long gopuram of Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore.

Heggade lauding the dedication and efforts of R N Shetty, builder of the Murudeshwar temple, said the new rajagoupram is an excellent blend of incredible beauty, magnificence and devotion.

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Happy Thingyan!

By MAUREA SLEESMAN

Published: April 11, 2008

Dr. Kelli Maw, executive medical director of Hernando County Health Department, cleans and re-organizes her home each April, but it is not because of spring cleaning. Next week, Thingyan happens for three days. Thingyan is the New Year’s celebration in her native country, Burma. New Year’s there is a giant water festival, and water symbolizes cleansing and renewal to begin the new year.

More than 200,000 sites came up on the Internet for “New Year’s celebration in Burma,” which this journalist had never heard of until meeting Maw last November. Curious about exploring how Buddhism is honored locally, some questions were put to Maw about her faith and cultural heritage.

Why is New Year’s celebrated in April in Burma (now called Myanmar)?

“The calendar is based on regional ancient lunar and solar configurations, so there are 12 months per year most years, with something like a Leap Year every four years to catch the extra days. This is 1369. April 17 begins 1370. New Year’s is called Atar Thingyan Pwe in Burma and symbolizes annual renewal and rejuvenation.”

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Experts study reconstruction of Afghan Bamiyan Buddha statues

04/11/2008

The Buddhas of Bamyan, two momumental statues of standing Buddhas built during the sixth century carved into a side of cliff in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan, were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Buddhas of Bamyan before being destroyed. Photo: EFE

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Buddhas of Bamyan before being destroyed. Photo: EFE

Seven years after the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddha statues, an UNESCO mission working together with Afghan officials has finished gathering the remaining fragments of the monumental statues and is considering beginning the reconstruction works.

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Mughal emperor’s dagger on sale

The international fine art auction house, Bonhams, is to sell a dagger which once belonged to Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

The emperor’s personal dagger dates back to 1629-30 and is expected to fetch $500,000 to $900,000.

It is part of the collection of late Jacques Desenfans who spent five decades collecting Islamic, Indian and south-east Asian art.

Bonhams will also sell other artefacts from his collection.

The auction of the elegant gold-encrusted dagger is set to take place on Thursday in London.

‘Love of stones’

“The inscriptions… on the blade include Shah Jahan’s official titles, date and place of birth and the honorific parasol (an ancient pan-Asian symbol of divinity and royalty) which states that it was the personal dagger of Shah Jahan,” according to a press release issued by London-based Bonhams.

Writing for Bonhams magazine, noted historian William Dalrymple says, “The emperor’s (Shah Jahan’s) love of beautiful and precious objects… was something many visitors commented on.”

The Mughal emperor was “the greatest and richest master of precious stones that inhabited the whole earth,” the Bonhams brochure says, quoting from Edward Terry, the chaplain to the British ambassador.

Shah Jahan built the white marble monument to love, Taj Mahal, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

He also created the world famous peacock throne.

According to the auction house, Jacques Desenfans’ collection was brought to public attention when the last Shah of Iran visited him personally at his home in 1969.

The collection includes arms and armour, early pottery and works of art.

Jacques Desenfans belonged to a wealthy Brussels family who owned textile factories in Lyon, France.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7337978.stm

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Mountain magic (India)

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS: BENOY K. BEHL

In the valleys of the Himalayas, in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal, art and architecture give expression to beauty and joy.



Vishnu, Sri Pratap Singh Museum, Srinagar. This image of Vishnu mounted on Garuda displays the characteristic features of Kashmiri art, including the style of the crown and the depiction of pectoral muscles. It also has the sense of joy that pervades the art of Kashmir.
THE aim of Indian philosophy and art is to awaken true knowledge within one. The sense of natural joy, when the veils of confusion are lifted, is expressed really well in the figures of the Karle caves, of the 2nd century A.D. The art of Amaravati, also of the 2nd century A.D., brings a more inward and contemplative look upon the faces of the figures. By the 5th century, the sense of sublime happiness, which true awareness brings, came to be expressed beautifully in the perfected beings of the art of the northern plains and the Deccan.

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Jwalamukhi temple- a place to be in Navratra’s (India)

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Jwalamukhi-The town was known for centuries as a trade and business centre and now marks its place on the world map with a religious sanctuary. Once part of the famous Nadaun kingdom, it was under the rule of Raja Amar Chand who succeeded his father, Raja Sir Jodhbir Chand, an illegitimate son of Sansar Chand.As per the historical records, the town was established by the Gosains, who were the primary inhabitants of the town. They declined due to their extravagance but left a trail by making the town on of the most important cities commercially. The principal export being opium, was collected from Kullu and sold here. In ancient times, the business was usually associated with Samarkand and Yarkand in Central Asia.

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Rare Buddha-age stone carvings found in Pakistan

Islamabad (PTI): Over a thousand rare stone carvings, sculptures and statues of Lord Buddha have been found at the construction site of a dam in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province.

Following the discovery of these rock carvings at the site of the Diamer Bhasha dam being built on the Indus river, Pakistan’s archaeology department expects more such discoveries when work on the main reservoir begins.

“At least 1,000 to 1,500 different kinds of rock carvings, sculptures and statues have been found during the technical work and the archaeology department expects a huge consignment when full-fledged reservoir building is started,” The News reported on Friday quoting sources.

There are believed to be nearly 30,000 important statues, carvings and sculptures within a radius of 135 km of the dam site.

The archaeology department of the Northern Areas has confirmed the discovery of the Buddha-era stone work. “We believe that nearly 30,000 raw carvings and such invaluable sculptures of the Buddha-age have been found where the Bhasha dam is being built,” said Northern Areas Archaeology Department Secretary Sanaullah.

Water and Power Development Authority Project Director Tariq Masood too confirmed that companies working on a study to ascertain the technical feasibility of the Bhasha dam have found some carvings.

Though these discoveries are in the knowledge of the administration of the Northern Areas and the federal government, arrangements to preserve these treasures are believed to be inadequate. A German company working on the project has recommended the setting up of a museum to preserve the treasures.

The Diamer Bhasha dam on the Indus river is being built in the region where the Hindu Kush and the Himalayan ranges meet and is to store water to generate 4,500 MW of electricity. The dam’s foundation stone was laid by President Pervez Musharraf amidst protests.

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A Hong Kong temple’s brighter future

Posted by Joyce Hor-Chung Lau in Hong Kong
This long weekend marks Ching Ming, a significant Chinese festival, but one that few tourists would notice unless they happened to see people burning offerings on the sidewalk. It is a private observance held mostly at home shrines, ancestral villages or cemeteries, as the living give gifts of food and fresh flowers to the dead, and sweep and clean their graves. You may also see stands selling paper replicas of everything from yachts and cars to mobiles and MP3 players. In modern, materialistic Hong Kong, these can be burned as offerings, too, in case your ancestor would like having a new Mercedes or Motorola in the afterlife. A traditionalist would warn you against buying one as a kitsch souvenir, though.

The festival’s name — Qingming in Mandarin — can be loosely translated as meaning “clear and light”. Perhaps it is no coincidence that one of Hong Kong’s better known temples, Wong Tai Sin, has chosen this weekend as its last before embarking on a major renovation and expansion to make it shine brighter.

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The Dominican Church in Ayutthaya’s Portuguese settlement, which is now an archaeological site.


Ancient cultural melting potAyutthaya, the old capital of Siam, is not only important as a World Heritage listed by Unesco but is also a testament of old Siam’s rich cultural diversity.

‘’Ayutthaya was full of cultural blends among people of many nations and races,'’ Anek Sihamat, director of the Third Regional Office of Fine Arts, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, said.

According to the director, Ayutthaya was mentioned in Dutch, French and Chinese documents as an inland port city where foreigners could trade with Ayutthaya’s kings via the Phra Khlang department.

Its important exports included forest and wild animal products, deer skins in particular. Outstanding foreign traders included the Dutch United East India Company, or VOC for Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie in Dutch. It brought into Ayutthaya goods, especially pottery, from Japan, China and Europe, and exported Siamese goods from Ayutthaya to Japan, Europe and Batavia.

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Monks battle monkeys to save Buddhism’s holiest tree (Sri Lanka)

ANURADHAPURA, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Buddhism’s holiest tree in Sri Lanka’s ancient capital, tightly guarded by monks and security forces after Tamil rebels attacked it 23 years ago, is under threat again — this time from monkeys.Pilgrims are frisked and scanned by metal detectors before being allowed to worship the “Sri Maha Bodi,” grown from a sapling of a tree in India that sheltered the Buddha when he attained enlightenment more than 2,550 years ago.

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A buff sandstone figure of Buddha from a private Swiss museum has fetched SFr5 million ($5 million) at an auction in New York.

Buddha statue fetches millions

The statue – one of 14 objects from the Coninx Collection to be sold off, is considered the most important Buddhist sculpture worldwide to be auctioned.

The price is seven times the estimate, according to Christie’s auction house.

Critics said the sale is in breach the foundation’s principles, but the board said the money is needed to pay for the ongoing renovation of the Zurich-based museum.

The Coninx Museum’s Collection is among the most comprehensive private art collections in Switzerland.

It combines thousands of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, assembled by Werner Coninx between 1945 and 1980.

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Buddha idol recovered in 2005 handed over to Indian Museum

Kolkata, March 29
The state police officially handed over the six inches-long ancient Buddha idol — deemed a national treasure — to the Indian Museum authorities on Saturday. At present, the police and the Indian Museum authorities are engaged in a debate over the metal used in the idol, which was recovered by the police on July 18, 2005 from smugglers in the Budge Budge area.

According to the police, the statue is made of gold. Museum authorities, however, maintained that bronze was used to create the statue. Professor Gopinath Ghosh, head of the museum’s archaeology department said: “The statue is made of bronze and has a greenish tinge. The police claimed it is made of gold and even produced a certificate given by a local goldsmith. It is probably an idol dating back to the mid 19th century and was made in Nepal. It shows the Buddha in meditation.”

Meanwhile, Gourishanker Kanjilal, IC Budge Budge said, “The idol is a national treasure. We have handed it to the authorities concerned after the Governor’s sanction.”

The idol, weighing 4 kg and 95 gm, was produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate in Alipore and was declared a national treasure on April 9, 2006. According to museum authorities, the idol is being kept in the museum store and will be evaluated by scholars shortly. Thereafter, it will be displayed to the public.

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