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Message: <blockquote data-quote="akilar25" data-source="post: 7880747" data-attributes="member: 167921">Tiger’s Nest Monastery Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a  3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, is one of the holiest places in  Bhutan. Legend has it that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmasambhava" target="_blank">Guru Rinpoche</a>  [wiki], the second Buddha, flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress,  and then meditated in a cave which now exists within the monastery walls.   The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692  and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted  to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to  ordinary tourists.<img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/tigers-nest-monastery.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: <a href="http://www.leopalmerphotography.co.uk/tiger.htm" target="_blank">Leo Palmer  Photography</a> <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/taktshang-monastery.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: Douglas J. McLaughlin [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Taktshang.jpg" target="_blank">wikipedia</a>]Wat Rong Khun Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike any Buddhist temples  in the world. The all-white, highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic  mirrors that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly  contemporary style. It is the brainchild of renowned Thai artist  Chalermchai Kositpipat.  Actually, the temple is still under construction. Chalermchai expects  it will take another 90 years to complete, making it the Buddhist  temple equivalent of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain!<img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/majorbonnet/148796344/" target="_blank">majorbonnet</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Wat Rong Khun, from a distance. Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/logout/1249719833/" target="_blank">AraiGordai</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-roof-details.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Details of the temple roof. Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/logout/1245112265/" target="_blank">AraiGordai</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-arches.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The ornately detailed arches. Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitewizard_studio/565113370/" target="_blank">Alicia  Lim</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-buddha.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Buddha sculpture, gilded with mosaic  mirrors. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/majorbonnet/148808398/" target="_blank">majorbonnet</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/wat-rong-khun-hands-of-hell.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The hands of hell want your change. Image:  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilelovehappiness/838516681/" target="_blank">pim</a>  [Flickr]PrambananPrambanan is a Hindu temple in Central Java, Indonesia.  The temple was built in 850 CE, and is composed of 8 main shrines and  250 surrounding smaller ones. Nearly all the walls of the temple are covered in  exquisite bas relief carvings, which narrate stories of Vishnu’s  incarnations, adventures of Hanuman the Monkey King, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana" target="_blank">Ramayana</a> [wiki] epic  and other legends. Though not the biggest temple in Indonesia (Borobudur is  larger – see below), Prambanan makes up in beauty and grace for what it  lacks in size. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/prambanan-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Prambanan’s main complex. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rosino/114193257/" target="_blank">Rosino</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/prambanan-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Six of Prambanan’s eight main shrines.  Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kashikar/136178466/" target="_blank">kashikar</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/prambanan-at-night.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Prambanan at night. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/tierecke/847734968/" target="_blank">Tierecke</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/prambanan-bas-relief.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Bas-Relief at Prambanan. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jungle_boy/222520322/" target="_blank">Jungle_Boy</a>  [Flickr]Shwedagon PagodaNo one knows exactly when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwedagon_Pagoda" target="_blank">Shwedagon Paya</a>  [wiki] (or Pagoda) in Myanmar was built – legend has it that it is 2,500  years old though archaeologists estimate that it was built between the  6th and 10th century. Now, when people say "golden temple" they usually mean  that the structure is golden in color. But when it comes to the  Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold! In the 15th  century, a queen of the Mon people donated her weight in gold to the  temple. This tradition continues until today, where pilgrims often save  for years to buy small packets of gold leafs to stick to the temple  walls. As if all that gold wasn’t enough, the spire of the  stupa or dome is covered with over 5,000 diamonds and 2,000 rubies  (there’s even a 76 carat diamond at the very tip!). And oh, the temple  housed one of the holiest relics in Buddhism: eight strands of Buddha’s  hair. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/shwedagon-pagoda.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Shwedagon Pagoda and its golden stupa.  Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/fiftyfeet/415814355/" target="_blank">Dust  Mason</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/shwedagon-pagoda-night.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Shwedagon Pagoda at night. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/8024992@N06/474442324/" target="_blank">M.Bob </a>[Flickr]Temple of Heaven<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven" target="_blank">The  Temple of Heaven</a> [wiki] is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital  of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle  of the Ming Dynasty (who also built the Forbidden City) as his personal  temple, where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins  of his people. The Temple’s architecture is quite interesting:  everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas  the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/temple-of-heaven-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest at the  Temple of Heaven, Beijing. Image: Saad Akhtar [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TempleofHeaven-HallofPrayer.jpg" target="_blank">wikipedia</a>] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/temple-of-heaven-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Close up of the Hall of Prayer for Good  Harvest, Temple of Heaven. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/johnjoh/324575370/" target="_blank">star5112</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/temple-of-heaven-details.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Details of the roof of the Hall of Prayer  for Good Harvest. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/werklife/242906500/" target="_blank">werklife</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/imperial-vault-ceiling.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Ceiling of the Imperial Vault, Temple of  Heaven. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/carolsawada/191759591/" target="_blank">Carol^-^</a>  [Flickr]Chion-in Temple<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chionin_Temple" target="_blank">Chion-in  Temple</a> [wiki] was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo  (Pure Land) Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the  very spot. At one point in time, the complex had 21 buildings but due to  earthquakes and fire, the oldest surviving building is from the 17th  century. Visitors to the Chion-in Temple must first pass through  the largest gate in Japan: the two-story San-mon Gate. The temple bell  is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it  during the New Year celebrations. Another interesting feature of the Chion-in Temple is  the "singing" floor of the Assembly Hall. Called a uguisu-bari  or nightingale floor, the wooden planks were designed to creak at every  footstep to alert the monks of intruders! <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/chionin-main-gate.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Chion-in Temple’s Main Gate. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/tgamblin/76947788/" target="_blank">tgamblin</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/chionin-temple-snow.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> A building in the Chion-in Temple complex  in winter time. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/lou/84721000/" target="_blank">psychofish</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/chionin-temple-roof-details.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Details of the Chion-in Temple roof.  Notice a feudal family’s crest stamped on the roof tiles, as a symbol of  their patronage. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kuribo/269984965/" target="_blank">kuribo</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/chionin-bell.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Chion-in’s Temple Bell. Image: <a href="http://www.richard-seaman.com/" target="_blank">Richard Seaman</a> <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/chionin-nightingale-singing-floor.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The Nightingale Floor construction. Image:  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90687772@N00/14313593/" target="_blank">rygriffin333</a>  [Flickr]BorobudurIn the 19th century, Dutch occupiers of Indonesia found a  massive ancient ruin deep in the jungles of Java. What they discovered  was the complex of Borobudur, a gigantic structure built with nearly 2  million cubic feet (55,000 m³) of stones. The temple has nearly 2,700  relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Until today, no one knows for sure when and why it was  built, nor the reason for its complete abandonment hundreds of years  ago. Some scholars believe that Borobudur is actually a giant textbook  of Buddhism, as its bas reliefs tell the story of the life of Buddha and  the principles of his teachings. To "read," a pilgrim must make his way  through nine platforms and walk a distance of over 2 miles. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-aerial-view.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Aerial view of Borobudur. Image: <a href="http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/links260.htm" target="_blank">Kenyon  College </a> <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-3.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/91401835@N00/188043705/" target="_blank">hceebee</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/elbisreverri/39410423/" target="_blank">elbisreverri</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/webersweb/155961691/" target="_blank">susan catherine</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-top.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The upper level of Borobudur. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/kashikar/268391215/" target="_blank">kashikar</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-stupa.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Inside each of the lattice stupa is a  Buddha statue. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/jin_aili/187487493/" target="_blank">Jin Aili</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/borobudur-bas-relief.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> A bas relief in Borobudur. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/lizamber/173816612/" target="_blank">lizamber</a>  [Flickr]Golden TempleThe Harmandir Sahib (meaning The Abode of God)  or simply the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Temple" target="_blank">Golden  Temple</a> [wiki] in Punjab, India is the most sacred shrine of  Sikhism. For the Sikhs, the Golden Temple symbolizes infinite freedom  and spiritual independence. The site of the Temple began with a small lake that was  so peaceful that even Buddha came there to meditate. Thousands of years  later, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism also lived and meditate by the  lake. Construction of the Golden Temple began in the 1500s,  when the fourth Guru of Sikhism enlarged the lake that became Amritsar  or Pool of the Nectar of Immortality, around which the temple  and the city grew. The Temple itself is decorated with marble  sculptures, gilded in gold, and covered in precious stones. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/golden-temple-2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Golden Temple, from a distance. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/342095840/" target="_blank">Saurabh C</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/golden-temple.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The Golden Temple of Amristar. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/342094735/" target="_blank">Saurabh C</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/golden-temple-night.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The Golden Temple of Amritsar at night.  Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/342106109/in/set-72157594453586350/" target="_blank">Saurabh  C</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/golden-temple-white-building.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/krsaurabh/342093754/" target="_blank">Saurabh C</a>  [Flickr]Vishnu Temple of SrirangamThe Temple of Srirangam (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Ranganathaswamy_Temple_%28Srirangam%29" target="_blank">Sri  Ranganathaswamy Temple</a> [wiki]), in the Indian city of  Tiruchirapalli (or Trichy), is the largest functioning Hindu temple in  the world (Ankor Wat is the largest of all temple, but it is currently  non-functioning as a temple – see below). The temple is dedicated to Vishnu, one of three Gods in  Hinduism. Legend has it that a long time ago, a sage rested and put down  a statue of Vishnu reclining on a great serpent. When he was ready to  resume his journey, he discovered that the statue couldn’t be moved, so a  small temple was built over it. Over centuries, the temple "grew" as  larger ones were built over the existing buildings. The temple complex is massive: it encompasses an area of  over 150 acres (63 hectares) with seven concentric walls, the outermost  being about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long! The walls demarcate  enclosures within enclosures, each more sacred than the next, with the  inner-most enclosure is forbidden to non-Hindus. The Temple of Srirangam is famous for its gopurams  or entrances beneath colorful pyramids. The temple has 21 gopurams  total, with the largest one having 15 stories and is nearly 200 feet (60  m) tall. <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/temple-of-srirangam.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Temple of Srirangam, with its colorful  gopurams. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/fotgrafias/275209417/" target="_blank">licinivs</a>  [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/srirangam-temple-gopuram.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The largest gopuram of the Temple of  Srirangam. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/csubash/281020017/" target="_blank">Subash  Chandran</a> [Flickr] <img src="http://static.neatorama.com/images/2007-09/srirangam-temple-pillars.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The carved pillars in the Srirangam Temple  complex. Image: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/appaji/241504781/" target="_blank">appaji</a>  [Flickr]r]</blockquote>

Verification: Winadiyakata thappara keeyak tibeda?

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