Friday, December 10, 2010

CAPTURE 10 : Reclining Buddha Temple - Wat Chayamangkalaram



The serene face..entering state of Mahaparinirvana


33 Meter Reclining Buddha
Every place of worship carries some vibes that gives hope. This inexplicable energy permeates most places of worship. Perhaps the aura of the faithful congregation adds some positive energy, which suffuses the atmosphere there. I have always had similar experiences in the past, irrespective of which house of worship I entered. This time around, I went to a Buddhist Temple, which is famous for the 33 meter gold-plated reclining Buddha. This temple is located in Lorong Burmah, Pulau Tikus and opens from 6:00am till 5:00 pm. This statue of reclining Buddha is the 14th largest in the world and with its mystifying aura, it is attracting countless numbers of devotees and visitors from all over the world. This temple is officially known as Wat Chayamangkalaram and was built on a piece of land donated by the then Queen Victoria to the local Thai community. A monk from Thailand mooted the construction of this temple in the year 1845.

Temple Stupa

Mythical Dragon Headed Serpent



This reclining Buddha statue shows Lord Buddha sleeping by turning his body towards the right side, placing the left leg over the right leg as he passed into state of nirvana. While, his head resting in the palm of his right hand to the North. This reclining Buddha statue represents Shakyamuni Buddha and this position is called Mahaparinirvana pose. Mahaparinirvana refers to the state of enlightenment.





Apart from reclining Buddha statue, there are many statues of Buddha in different posture as well as mudras. A mudra is a symbolic representation of self-expression used in meditation, yoga practices and also as part of healing therapy. Each mudra creates a reflex reaction in certain part of the brain, thus locks and guide energy flow in the brain.








The Guard at the entrance
In the temple courtyard one can see two guards, green in colour standing at the entrance to the temple, and two mythical dragon-head serpents.
Lotus design on floor tiles


Episodes depicting certain famous events in the life of Lord Buddha


The local Thai community celebrates traditional Buddhist festivals such as Sonkran and the Loy Krathong at Wat Chayamangkalaram.











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10 comments:

venuss66 said...

Amazing pictures and very informative article.

yuthika said...

The shots are adorable. Looks like you taken some of the shots from very good angles.

Hold my hand: a social worker's blog said...

Those photos are magnificent. What a rich culture. And what an interesting observation you made about the reverence that any place of worship seems to have. I have noticed that as well. The power of faith and prayer is the same, regardless of the religion.

Thanks for your recent visit to my blog and your sweet comment. I appreciate it.

Doris

Barbara said...

It's all very ornamental and colourful.

sage said...

very beautiful!

Bhavesh Chhatbar said...

It seems to be a "must visit" place. And the perspective in some photos is neat!

Linhy said...

Interesting blog and thoughts you got going on there!! Check out my blog sometimes when you get a chance. If you like my writing and what’s on there become my follower!
http://lifemadness-linhy.blogspot.com


Enjoyed the pictures and I love temples!!

Linhy said...

Are you a Buddhist or you like taking pictures of temples?

cyclopseven said...

Well Linhy, am not a Buddhist. But, I enjoy visiting places of worship and take pictures pertaining to them.:)

Linhy said...

Pictures looks good!!! become my follower!!!