W

at Aru

n (B

ankgko

k, Thailan

d)

Situ

ate

d o

n th

e T

ho

nb

uri s

ide o

f the C

ha

o P

hra

ya R

iver , W

at A

run (“T

em

ple

of D

aw

n”) is

one o

f

the

old

est a

nd

be

st k

no

wn la

nd

mark

s in

Ba

ng

ko

k, T

ha

iland

. The

tem

ple

is a

n a

rchite

ctu

ral

repre

se

nta

tion o

f Mo

unt M

eru

, the c

ente

r of th

e u

niv

ers

e in

Budd

his

t cosm

olo

gy.

P

ha Th

at Luan

g (Laos)

Lo

cated in

Vie

ntia

ne, P

ha T

hat L

uang (“G

reat Stu

pa in

Lao

”) is one o

f the m

ost im

po

rtant m

onu

ment in

Lao

s. The

stup

a has se

vera

l terraces with

each le

vel rep

resentin

g a d

ifferent stag

e of B

udd

hist en

lighten

ment. T

he lo

west le

vel

represen

ts the m

aterial w

orld

; the h

ighest le

vel rep

resents th

e wo

rld o

f no

thin

gness.

Jo

khan

g Tem

ple

(Tibe

t)

The Jo

khang T

em

ple in

Lhasa is th

e mo

st impo

rtant sacred

site in T

ibeta

n B

uddhism

attracting th

ousan

ds o

f pilg

rims

each y

ear. The tem

ple w

as co

nstru

cted b

y K

ing S

ongtsä

n G

am

po

in th

e 7th

centu

ry. T

he M

ongo

ls sack

ed th

e

Jokhang tem

ple se

vera

l times b

ut th

e bu

ildin

g su

rviv

ed.

To

day

the tem

ple co

mp

lex co

vers a

n area o

f abo

ut 2

5,0

00 sq

uare m

eters.

To

daiji Te

mp

le (Jap

an)

To

daiji (“G

reat Eastern

Tem

ple

”) in N

ara is one o

f the m

ost h

istorica

lly sig

nifica

nt an

d fa

mo

us B

uddhist tem

ples

in Jap

an. T

he tem

ple w

as b

uilt in

the 8

th cen

tury

by E

mpero

r Sho

mu as th

e head

tem

ple o

f all p

rovin

cia

l Budd

hist

temp

les of Jap

an. T

od

ay little re

main

s of th

e orig

inal b

uild

ing

s of T

odaiji. T

he D

aib

utsu

den (“G

reat Bud

dha H

all”),

dates fo

r the m

ost p

art from

1709. It h

ouses o

ne o

f the larg

est Budha statu

es in Jap

an an

d is th

e wo

rlds larg

est

woo

den

bu

ildin

g, e

ven th

ough it is o

nly

two

-third

s the size o

f the o

rigin

al stru

cture.

B

ou

dh

an

ath

(Nep

al)

Lo

cated in

a sub

urb

of K

athm

and

u, B

oud

han

ath is o

ne o

f the larg

est stupas in

the w

orld

. It is the cen

ter of

Tib

etan B

ud

dh

ism in

Nep

al and

man

y refu

gees fro

m T

ibet h

ave settled

here in

the last few

decad

es. It is

pro

bab

ly b

est kno

wn

for th

e Budd

ha ey

es that are featu

red o

n all fo

ur sid

es of th

e tow

er. The p

resent stu

pa

is said to

date fro

m th

e 14

th cen

tury

, after the p

revio

us o

ne w

as destro

yed

by M

ugh

al invad

ers.

M

ah

ab

od

hi T

em

ple

(Ind

ia)

The M

ahabo

dhi (G

reat Enlig

hten

ment) T

emp

le is a Buddhist stu

pa lo

cated in

Bo

dh G

aya, In

dia. T

he m

ain

com

ple

x

contain

s a desce

ndant o

f the o

rigin

al B

odhi T

ree under w

hic

h G

auta

ma B

udd

ha g

ain

ed e

nlig

hten

ment an

d is th

e mo

st

sacred p

lace in

Budd

hism

. Abo

ut 2

50 y

ears after th

e Bud

dha attain

ed E

nlig

hten

ment, E

mpero

r Aso

ka b

uilt a tem

ple

at the sp

ot. T

he p

resent te

mp

le dates fro

m th

e 5th

-6th

centu

ry.

Shwedagon Pagoda (Burma)

The Shwedagon Pagoda (or Golden Pagoda) in Yangon, is the holiest Buddhist shrine in

Burma. The origins of Shwedagon are lost in antiquity but it is estimated that the Pagoda

was first built by the Mon during the Bagan period, sometime between the 6th and 10th

century AD. The temple complex is full of glittering, colorful stupas but the center of

attention is the 99 meter high (326 feet) high main stupa that is completely covered in gold.

Haeinsa Temple (South Korea)

Haeinsa (Temple of Reflection on a Smooth Sea) is one of the most important

Buddhist temples in South Korea. The temple was first built in 802 and rebuilt in

the 19th century after Haiensa was burned down in a fire in 1817. The temple’s

greatest treasure however, a complete copy of the Buddhist scriptures (he Tripitaka

Koreana) written on 81,258 woodblocks, survived the fire.

Bagan (Myanmar)

Bagan, on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River, is home to the largest

area of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world. It was

the capital of several ancient kings of Burma who built perhaps as many

as 4,400 temples during the height of the kingdom (between 1000 and

1200 AD). In 1287, the kingdom fell to the Mongols, after refusing to

pay tribute to Kublai Khan and Bagan quickly declined as a political

center, but continued to flourish as a place of Buddhist scholarship.

Borobudur (Indonesia)

Located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta, the

Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. The Borobudur

was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of

Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It was abandoned in the 14th

century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle

under layers of volcanic ash.

Buddhist Pagodas

A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, built in traditions originating

as stupa in historic South Asia.

Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly

Buddhist, and were often located in or near viharas (monasteries).

The modern pagoda is an evolution of the Stupa which originated in Ancient

India.Stupas are a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept

safe and venerated.

Kek Lok Si pagoda, to the left, has tiers labelled with the architectural

styles from different regions of Asia: where the architectural form has

spread.

Buddhist Pagodas

Wooden five-story pagoda of Hōryū-ji in

Japan, built in the 7th century, one of the

oldest wooden buildings in the world.

The Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng (which is not

made of iron, but named so due to its

rusty colour)), China, built in 1049 CE

Five-story pagoda of Mt. Haguro, Japan

Wooden three-story pagoda of Ichijō-ji in

Japan, built in 1171 CE

Buddhist Temples

Buddhist Temples are public places of worship for lay-Buddhists (serving a similar role as Chuches or

Mosques in Christianity & Islam). Buddhist temples usually contain a statue of The Buddha on an alter

where Buddhists can make offerings.

Buddhist Viharas (Monastaries)

Where monks and nuns train and practise, and lay-Buddhists retreat for periods of intensive

meditation. These are often in remote locations: away from the influences of wider society.

If fortified (walled, with defensive features) it is known as a ‘gompa’,

The Paro Taktsang Palphug Buddhist monastery, also known as the Tiger's Nest, in the Paro district of Bhutan

Throssel Hole Buddhist Monastery in Northern England, close to the border of Scotland.

Buddhist Stuppas

A stupa (Sanskrit: m.,स्तूप "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics

(śarīra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is

used as a place of meditation.

The Sanchi Stupa (India), which contained the relics of Buddha is the oldest known stupa.

Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is the largest brick structure in the world.

Buddhist Stuppas

A stupa (Sanskrit: m.,स्तूप "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics

(śarīra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is

used as a place of meditation.

Built for a variety of reasons, Buddhist stupas are classified based on form and function into five types

• Relic stupa, in which the relics or remains of the Buddha, his disciples and lay saints are interred.

• Object stupa, in which the items interred are objects belonged to the Buddha or his disciples such as a

begging bowl or robe, or important Buddhist scriptures.

• Commemorative stupa, built to commemorate events in the lives of Buddha or his disciples.

• Symbolic stupa, to symbolise aspects of Buddhist theology, for example, Borobuddur is considered to

be the symbol of "the Three Worlds (dhatu) and the spiritual stages (bhumi) in a

Mahayana bodhisattva's character."

• Votive stupa, constructed to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual benefits, usually at the site of

prominent stupas which are regularly visited.