Few unique temples outside India

1. Wat Rong Khun, Thailand

A contemporary temple, Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai is better known as the White Temple. A Buddhist place of worship, it has made it to our list of funky temples because of its unconventional exterior. It is completely white, and each form it highlighted with mosaic glass and mirrors, making it sparkle in the sunlight. Privately owned; it is a work in progress, not expected to be completed for many years to come. Thailand’s very own Sagrada Familia!

2. Haeinsa , South Korea

One of South Korea’s most important Buddhist temples, Haiensa in South Gyeongsang Province was initially built in 802. It was rebuilt in 1818 after a fire gutted it the year before. The most amazing bit about this temple is the fact that it is home to a complete copy of Buddhist Scriptures which have been written on 81,350 printing blocks made of wood – all of which survived the devastating fire!
 





















 

3. Po Lin Monastery , Hong Kong

This Buddhist monastery on Lantau Island was started in 1906, but continuous additions and extensions have been made to it over the years. A very notable extension - and the one that resulted in putting this monastery on our list – was the construction of the Tian Tan Buddha, in 1993. This statue, made of 202 bronze pieces, is 112 feet tall. On a clear day, the statue is visible across the bay from as far as Macau. It also holds the record of being the world’s tallest, outdoor, seated Buddha.


































 

4. Borobudur Temple,  Indonesia

Borobudur in Java is the largest and one of the most famous Buddhist temples around the world. Built in the 9th century, it was abandoned in the 14th for not so clear reasons. Made of over 2 million blocks of stone, this huge monument lay hidden for centuries under volcanic ash and jungle growth only to be rediscovered in the 19th century. Since then several restorations have given it back some of its past glory.
 

5. Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, Malaysia

One of Malaysia’s oldest and now a major Hindu temple, this sparkler started off as an ordinary little hut. That is, till the chairman of the temple decided it was time the humble place of worship got a make over fit for a disco. So now Malaysia has its first and only glass temple in Tebrau. Light from crystal chandeliers bounces off every surface, from doors and walls to pillars and ceilings which are decorated with 300,000 tiny mosaic pieces of coloured glass. It is quite a bright blaze in there!

6. Hanging Temple, China

Hanging precariously on a cliff side in the mountains near Datong, is the Hanging Temple. Built about 1,500 years ago, this monastery is the only existing place of worship which is a combination of three traditional Chinese religions – Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Another claim to fame is that it has made the list of the world’s top ten most odd dangerous buildings!
 

7. Chion-in Temple, Japan

Kyoto’s Chion-in temple is the headquarters of the Jodo sect, the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan. A 17th century structure, it has a huge two storey tall gate which is the largest existing structure of its type in Japan. Another completely bizarre feature is the floor – the wooden boards have these metal ends that are attached to metal joints – giving off a piercing squeaky sound when someone walks over them. The purpose of this musical floor was to keep a track on intruders. Chion-in also has a giant bell in the main hall – it weighs some 70 tonnes and needs 17 strapping monks to ring it!
 

8. Jetavanaramaya, Sri Lanka

Jetavanaramaya is a 4th century stupa in the sacred city Anuradhapura. It makes our list for the incredible number of firsts in figures – it is 400 feet tall, placing it on top of the tallest stupa in the ancient world list. It is also the largest structure in the ancient world with a base area of 2,508,000 square feet. Another funky figure is an unbelievable 93.3 million baked bricks that were used as construction material for this colossal structure.

 





















 

9. The Golden Rock, Myanmar

The Golden Rock on Mt Kyaiktiyo in Mon State is probably the most dramatic mounument on our list. A popular destination for Buddhist pilgrimage, it is a visual delight – imagine a small pagoda built on top of a granite boulder which defies all known laws of gravity and is strangely perched on a mountain side. If that is not cool enough, add to it gold leaves pasted on the boulder by the faithful. A beautiful sight, especially in the evening;  when the rays of the setting sun seem to set the gold leaf on fire.
 

10. Ta Prohm, Cambodia

One of the very few temples in the Angkor region of Siem Reap that has been left in its original form, Ta Prohm is as dramatic as they come. A simple structure, its beauty is in the fact that large roots of various trees have grown over and above the temple structure, binding it in a sort of an unearthly and pretty scary looking grip. Made famous by the Tomb Raider movie that was filmed here, it is one of Cambodia’s most visited sites.
 





















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Millennium-Old Hindu Temple Discovered in Bangladesh

Archaeologists have discovered a millennium-old Hindu temple in northwestern Bangladesh believed to be established during the Pala dynasty, experts here said today.

"We found the temple, excavating an area in Bochaganj area of Dinajpur," leader of the excavation campaign Professor Swadhin Sen of Jahangirnagar University said.

He added the temple was believed to be built in between 8th and 9th century in this area which is now called Meherpur village of the Bochaganj sub-district.

The surprise discovery came as farmers found some archaeological relics like old time bricks whir preparing a piece of land for cultivation, the Daily Star newspaper reported.

Officials said the state-owned piece of land was leased out to local farmers for cultivation, who informed the university's archaeology team which was engaged in another excavation in a nearby area.

Sen said they found some terracotta plaques from a trench while the solid objects on the walls surrounding the temple were overly burnt.

Another member of the excavation team, Sohag Ali said they had detected idols and staircase of the temple and "we are working to dig those out".

The discovery came months after the same team unearthed a Buddhist temple, built around the same time at nearby Basudevpur village, the central edifice of which was built on a platform of 45 metres.

The Dhakeshwari Temple, the national temple of Bangladesh and one of the oldest in the country, was built in the 12th century by Ballal Sen during the Sen Dynasty which ruled the region after Pala kings and in popular notion the country's capital Dhaka was named after this temple.

WARANGAL TEMPLE RUINS ... ANDHRA PRADESH

Q. WHAT WAS ISLAMIC INVADERS CONTRIBUTION TO HINDU CULTURES ?
A. EVIDENT HERE .... !!!

WARANGAL TEMPLE RUINS ... ANDHRA PRADESH
Gateway & part of temple ruins @ Warangal
Unknown Photographer .....Date: 1875

Photograph of the gateway and temple ruins at Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, from the Lee-Warner Collection: 'Bombay Presidency. William Lee Warner C.S.', taken by an unkown photographer in the 1870s.

Warangal was the capital of the Kakatiya rulers in the 12th-13th centuries and together with Hanamkonda nearby, they were important political and artistic centres of the eastern Deccan. The circular city of Warangal was founded in the 12th century by the Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva and was occupied by the Muslims in later times. There are two concentric circles of fortifications. The outer circuit is an earthern rampart entered through four arched gateways. The inner circuit is of stone and has four gateways. In the centre of the city there is a ruined temple dedicated to Shiva Svayambhu and another smaller one also dedicated to Shiva which dates from 14th century.

The Thousand Pillar Temple was built during the period of the Kakatiya dynasty, probably in 1163 CE by order of the then king, Rudra Deva. It stands out to be a masterpiece and achieved major heights in terms of architectural skills by the ancient Kakatiya vishwakarma sthapathis.

It was destroyed by the Tughlaq dynasty during their invasion of the Deccan. It consists one temple and other buildings. There were 1,000 pillars in the structures, but no pillar obstructs a person in any point of the temple to see the god in the other temple.

Modern engineers have removed all the pillars. After they lifted all the pillars they encountered a huge mass of sand. It took nearly two weeks for them to take away all the sand. It was wet sand, because of a pipe connection from the nearby water body named Bhadrakali Cheruvu.

The Thousand Pillar Temple with its ruins lies near the Hanamkonda-Warangal Highway in Telangana State, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) from the city of Hyderabad.

The temple is star-shaped with several shrines and lingams. There are three shrines inside the temple called the Trikutalayam, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. The temple is surrounded by a big garden in which many small lingam shrines can be seen. There is a carving of a Nandi bull in the form of a highly-polished black basalt monolith.

The Thousand Pillar Temple is constructed on a platform that is raised to a height of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from ground level. Rock-cut elephants and perforated screens in the temple are characteristic of the then prevailing dynasty. Many pilgrims visit. It is also a popular location for shooting films. The Kakatiya festival is held here.

The temple was renovated in 2004 by the Government of India.

Fingerprint Of Gods

Graham Hancock

Chittorgarh Fort

Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort (Hindi/Rajasthani: चित्तौड़ दुर्ग Chittor Durg) is one of the largest forts in India and probably the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. It is a World Heritage Site. The fort, popularly known as Chittor, was the capital of Mewar and is today situated in Chittorgarh City. It was initially ruled by Guhilot and later by Sisodias, the Suryavanshi clans of Chattari Rajputs, from the 7th century, until it was finally abandoned in 1568 after the siege by Emperor Akbar in 1567. It sprawls majestically over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort precinct with an evocative history is studded with a series of historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemoration towers. These monumental ruins have inspired the imagination of tourists and writers for centuries.
The fort was sacked three times between the 15th and 16th centuries; in 1303 Allauddin Khilji defeated Rana Ratan Singh, in 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat defeated Bikramjeet Singh and in 1567 Emperor Akbar defeated Maharana Udai Singh II who left the fort and founded Udaipur. Each time the men fought bravely rushing out of the fort walls charging the enemy but lost every time. Following these defeats, Jauhar was committed thrice by more than 13,000 ladies and children of the Rajput heroes who laid their lives in battles at Chittorgarh Fort, first led by Rani Padmini wife of Rana Rattan Singh who was killed in the battle in 1303, and later by Rani Karnavati in 1537 AD.
Thus, the fort represents the quintessence of tribute to the nationalism, courage, medieval chivalry and sacrifice exhibited by the Mewar rulers of Sisodia and their kinsmen and women and children, between the 7th and 16th centuries. The rulers, their soldiers, the women folk of royalty and the commoners considered death as a better option than dishonor in the face of surrender to the foreign invading armies.
In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Chittorgarh Fort, along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Chittorgarh Fort is considered to be the largest fort of India in terms of area. It is stated that the fort was constructed by the Mauryans during the 7th century AD and hence derives its name after the Mauryan ruler, Chitrangada Mori, as inscribed on coins of the period. Historical records show Chittorgarh fort as the capital of Mewar for 834 years.[citation needed] It was established in 734 AD by Bappa Rawal, founder ruler in the hierarchy of the Sisodia rulers of Mewar. It is also said[by whom?] that the fort was gifted to Bappa Rawal as part of Solanki princess’s dowry in the 8th century.[citation needed] The fort was looted and destroyed at the hands of Emperor Akbar in 1568 AD and subsequently never resettled but only refurbished in 1905 AD. Three important battles were fought for control of the fort; in 1303, Ala-ud-din Khilji besieged the fort; in 1535, Sultan of Gujarat Bahadur Shah besieged the fort; and in 1567, Mughal Emperor Akbar attacked the fort. Not that there were only defeats at the fort. Excluding the periods of siege, the fort had always remained in possession of the Sisodias of the Guhilot (or Gehlot/Guhila) clan of Rajputs, who descended from Bappa Rawal. There were also success stories of establishment of the fort and its reconstruction after every siege, before it was finally abandoned in 1568, all of which are narrated.
Chittor is cited in the Mahabharat epic. It is said that Bhima, the second of the Pandava brothers of Epic Mahabaharata fame, known for his mighty strength gave a powerful hit with his fist to the ground that resulted in water springing up to form a large reservoir. It is called Bhimlat kund, an artificial tank named after Bhima. Folk legend also mentions that Bhima started building the fort.
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Mystery of India

Somnath Temple and Abadhit Samudra Marg, Tirsthambh (Arrow)

Shree Somnath Mahadev and the sacred soil from where Bhagvan Shri Krishna took his last journey to his neejdham. 

Somnath temple stands at the shore of the Arabian ocean on the western corner of Indian subcontinent in Gujarat State. This pilgrimage is one of the oldest and finds its reference in the ancient texts like Skandpuran, Shreemad Bhagavat, Shivpuran etc. The hymn from Rig-Veda quoted below mention the Bhagvan Someshwar along with the great pilgrimage like Gangaji, Yamunaji and Eastward Saraswati. This signifies the ancient value of this Tirthdham.

The Moon God is said to have been relieved from the curse of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati by the blessings of Bhagvan Somnath.  In  the Shiva  Purana  and Nandi  Upapurana, Shiva  said, `I  am  always present everywhere  but  specially  in  12  forms  and places as  the  Jyotirlingas`. Somnath is one of  these 12 holy places. This is the first among the twelve holy Shiva Jyotirlings.

The  shore  temple of Somnath is  believed  to  have  been  built  in  4  phases-in  gold  by  Lord Soma,  in  silver  by  Ravi,  in wood  by  lord  Krishna  and  in  stone  by  King Bhimadeva. 

It has withstood the six-repeated desecration by the Muslim invaders. The very existence of this temple is symbol of reconstructive spirit and cultural unity of our society.

The seventh existing temple is built in the Kailas Mahameru Prasad style. The Iron man of India Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel is the pioneer of the existing temple.

The temple is consisting of Garbhgruh, Sabhamandap and Nrityamandap with a 150 feet high Shikhar. The Kalash at the top of the Shikhar weighs 10 tons and the Dhwajdand is 27 feet tall and 1 foot in circumference. 

The Abadhit Samudra Marg, Tirsthambh (Arrow) indicates the unobstructed sea route to the South Pole.

The nearest land towards South Pole is about 9936 km. away. This is a wonderful indicator of the ancient Indian wisdom of geography and strategic location of the Jyotirling. The temple renovated by Maharani Ahalyabai is adjacent to the main temple complex.

Hari Har Tirthdham is here in Somnath. This is the holy place of Bhagvan Shri Krishna's Neejdham Prasthan Leela. The place where Bhagvan Shri Krishna was hit by an arrow of a poacher is known as Bhalka Tirtha. 

After being hit by the arrow, Bhagvan Shri Krishna arrived at the holy confluence of Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati and their Sangam with the ocean. He performed his divine Neejdham Prasthan Leela at the sacred and peaceful banks of river Hiran. 

The Geetamandir is built here where the divine message of Shrimad Bhagavat Geeta is carved on eighteen marble pillars. Shri Lakshminarayan Mandir is close by. The Balramjiki Gufa is the place from where Bhagvan Shrikrishna's elder brother Balaramji took journey to his nijdham-patal.

Here is the Parshuram Tapobhumi, where Bhagvan Parshuramji carried out penance and he was relieved from the sin of Kshatriya killings. The Pandavas have said to have visited this place and taken holy bath in the Jalprabhas and built five Shiv temples.

हिन्दुओं के प्राचीन 111 मंदिरों की लिस्ट

1. काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर वाराणसी, उत्तरप्रदेश

2. श्रीरामनथा स्वामी मंदिर रामेश्वरम्, तमिलनाडु

3. श्रीजगन्नाथ मंदिर, पुरी, ओडिशा

4. सूर्य मंदिर कोणार्क, ओडिशा

5. श्रीपद्मनाभस्वामी मंदिर तिरूअनंतपुरम, केरल

6. श्रीमहाकालेश्वर मंदिर उज्जैन, मध्यप्रदेश

7. श्रीगंगा सरस्वती मंदिर बसरा, तेलंगाना

8. एकलिंगनाथजी मंदिर, उदयपुर, राजस्थान

9. श्रीद्वारकाधीश, गुजरात

10. श्रीकृष्ण जन्मभूमि मंदिर, मथुरा 

11. श्रीदक्षिणेश्वर मंदिर, कोलकाता

12. श्रीसिद्धिविनायक मंदिर, मुंबई  

13. श्रीवेंकटेश्वर मंदिर, तिरूपति

14. कंधारिया महादेव मंदिर, खजुराहो

15. केदारनाथ, उत्तराखंड 

16. श्रीमुरूदेश्वर स्वामी मंदिर, कर्नाटक

17. पशुपतिनाथ मंदिर, काठमांडू

18. गंगोत्री मंदिर, उत्तराखंड 

19. श्रीनाथजी मंदिर, नाथद्वारा

20. ब्रह्मा मंदिर, पुष्कर :

21. बद्रीनारायण मंदिर, उत्तराखंड22.रघुनाथ मंदिर, जम्मू 

23. श्रीसोमेश्वर स्वामी मंदिर, गुजरात 

24. श्री अयप्पा मंदिर, केरल

25. श्री मीनाक्षी मंदिर, मदुरै

26. श्री कृष्ण मंदिर, केरल

27. श्री रंगनाथा स्वामी मंदिर, श्रीरंगम, तमिलनाडु

28. श्री थिल्लई नटराज मंदिर, चिदंबरम, तमिलनाडु

29. श्री कनक दुर्गा देवी मंदिर, विजयवाडा, आंध्रप्रदेश

30. श्री सीता रामचंद्र स्वामी मंदिर, भद्राचलम, तेलंगाना

31. श्री नरसिम्हा मंदिर, अहोबिलम, आंध्र प्रदेश

32. विरूपक्ष मंदिर, हम्पी, कर्नाटक

33. एकमबरेश्वर मंदिर, कांचीपुरम, तमिलनाडु

34. श्री अंबाजी मंदिर, बनासकांठा, गुजरात

35. श्री चामुंडेश्वरी मंदिर, मैसूर, कर्नाटक

36. बृहदीश्वरर मंदिर, थंजावुर, तमिलनाडु

37. होयसेलेश्वरा मंदिर, हलेबिडु, कर्नाटक

38. श्री अरूणाचलेश्वर मंदिर, तिरूवन्नामलाई, तमिलनाडु

39. कंधारिया महादेव मंदिर, खजुराहो, मध्यप्रदेश

40. श्री चतुर्मुख ब्रह्मलिंगेश्वर मंदिर, चेबरोलु, आंध्र प्रदेश

41. एरावटेश्वर मंदिर, दारासुरम, तमिलनाडु

42. श्री मुरूदेश्वर स्वामी मंदिर, भटकल, कर्नाटक

43. शीतला माता मंदिर, गुड़गांव

44. श्री मंजुनाथ मंदिर, कर्नाटक

45. श्री जोगुलंब मंदिर, तेलंगाना

46. मनसा देवी मंदिर, हरिद्वार

47. श्री चेन्नकेश्वर मंदिर, कर्नाटक

48. श्री बैजनाथ मंदिर, हिमाचल

49. कैलाशनाथ मंदिर, तमिलनाडु

50. श्री वीरभद्र मंदिर, आंध्र प्रदेश

51. श्री ग्रश्नेश्वर मंदिर, महाराष्ट्र

52. श्री कृष्ण मंदिर, कर्नाटक

53. श्री मूकम्बिका देवी मंदिर, कोल्लूर, कर्नाटक

44. श्री वरदराजा स्वामी मंदिर, कांचीपुरम, तमिलनाडु

55. श्री वीर वेंकट सत्यनारायण स्वामी मंदिर, अन्नावरम्, आंध्र प्रदेश

56. श्री बैद्यनाथ मंदिर, झारखंड

57. श्री वरह लक्ष्मी नरसिम्हा स्वामी मंदिर, सिम्हाचलम, आंध्र प्रदेश

58. श्री लिंगराज मंदिर, भुवनेश्वर

59. श्री राम लला मंदिर, अयोध्या

60. श्रीमुखलिंगेश्वर मंदिर, श्रीकाकुलम, आंध्र प्रदेश

61. त्रिपुरेश्वरी मंदिर, उदयपुर, त्रिपुरा

62. श्री मुक्तेश्वर मंदिर, भुवनेश्वर

63. यमुनोत्री मंदिर, उत्तराखंड

64. कामाक्षी अम्मन मंदिर, कांचीपुरम, तमिलनाडु

65. वेदनारायण स्वामी मंदिर, चित्तूर, आंध्र प्रदेश

66. श्रीमुंडेश्वरी मंदिर, बिहार

67. वडक्कमनाथन मंदिर, केरल

68. श्रीमहालसा नारायणी देवी मंदिर, पोंडा, गोवा

69. श्रीसूर्य मंदिर, मोधेरा, गुजरात

70. श्रीमल्लिकार्जुन स्वामी मंदिर, श्रीसैलम, आंध्र प्रदेश

72. कामाख्या मंदिर, गुवाहाटी, असम

73. त्रयम्बकेश्वर मंदिर, महाराष्ट्र

74. रामप्पा मंदिर, तेलंगाना

75. श्रीवैकुंटनाथ स्वामी, श्री वैकुंठम, तमिलनाडु

76. श्रीवैकोम महादेव मंदिर, केरल

77. दन्तेश्वरी मंदिर, छत्तीसगढ़

78. महानन्दीश्वर मंदिर, महानन्दी, आंध्र प्रदेश

79. श्री महालक्ष्मी मंदिर, कोल्हापुर, महाराष्ट्र

80. श्रीवरसिद्धि विनायक मंदिर, कनिपक्कम, आंध्र प्रदेश

81. श्रीमुर्गन मंदिर, तमिलनाडु

82. श्रीथिरूनारायण स्वामी मंदिर, मेलकोट, कर्नाटक

83. श्रीलक्ष्मीनारायण मंदिर, चम्बा, हिमाचल प्रदेश

84. भद्र मारूति मंदिर, महाराष्ट्र

85. तुलजा भवानी मंदिर, महाराष्ट्र

86. श्री सलासर हनुमान मंदिर, सलासर, राजस्‍थान

87. श्रीनैना देवी मंदिर, हिमाचल प्रदेश

88. मन्नारशाला श्रीनागराज मंदिर, अलप्पुझा, केरल

89. श्रीकरमंध मंदिर, श्रीकरमम, आंध्र प्रदेश

90. श्रीशांता दुर्गा मंदिर, कावालेम, गोवा

91. जगद्पिता ब्रह्मा मंदिर, पुष्कर

92. श्रीविष्णुपद मंदिर, गया

93. श्रीबद्रीनारायण मंदिर, बद्रीनाथ

94. श्रीचौंसठ योगिनी मंदिर, ओडिशा

95. श्रीकैलाशनाथ मंदिर, एलोरा 

96. श्रीमेहंदीपुर बालाजी, मेहंदीपुर राजस्थान

98. श्रीलक्ष्मी नरसिम्हा स्वामी मंदिर, यादगिरीगट्टा, तेलंगाना

99. हनुमानधारा, चित्रकुट उत्तर प्रदेश

100. हिंगलाज माता मंदिर, बलूचिस्तान, पाकिस्तान

101. मं‍चमुख हनुमान मंदिर, कराची, पाकिस्तान

102. यशोरेश्वरी, जिला खुलना, बांग्लादेश

103. श्रीसाई बाबा मंदिर, शिरडी, महाराष्ट्र

104. शनि मंदिर, शिंगणापुर, महाराष्ट्र

105. श्रीमहाकालीका मंदिर, पावागढ़, गुजरात

106. कैलाश मानसरोवर, तिब्बत, चीन

107. बाबा अमरनाथ, कश्मीर, जम्मू और कश्मीर

108. श्रीवेष्णोदेवी मंदिर, जम्मू, जम्मू और कश्मीर

109. श्री गजानन महाराज, शेगांव, महाराष्ट्र

110. श्री बाबा रामदेव मंदिर, रुणिचा धाम रामदेवरा, राजस्थान

111. ॐकारेश्वर महादेव मंदिर, ओमकारेश्वर, मध्यप्रदेश