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President Patil dedicates Indian-style Buddhist temple to China

May 29, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Luoyang (China), May 29 (IANS) Visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil Saturday dedicated a Buddhist temple, built with Indian assistance, to the Chinese people.

The structure is adjacent to the White Horse Temple (Baima Si) built in the first century A.D. in honour of two Indian monks who travelled on horseback, carrying with them religious texts and an image of the Buddha.

As she entered its premises in this city in Henan province, she was welcomed by Buddhist monks in yellow robes.

The temple has a dome that 63 feet high and 80 feet in diameter and has a 16-feet tall statue of Buddha in a preaching position. Indian officials say it is modelled on lines of the Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh.

The temple is Indian not only in concept and design but also the material that has gone into its construction. A variety of stones in many textures from Kota and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan as well as marbles and granite were carried in 200 containers to China.

The glass roof of the temple allows in a swathe of sunlight that falls on the Buddha statue. The statue is made of Chunar sandstone, the same that was used to make the Buddha idol at Sarnath near Varanasi, a major Buddhist pilgrim centre.

At the entrance to the shrine is the ‘toran’ or the ‘welcome gate’ along with two ‘dwarapals’ (gatekeepers). There is a separate shrine for the ‘paduka’, the Buddha’s feet that are traditionally worshipped. Water bodies and lawns outside complete the exteriors.

The idea of the temple was proposed by China in 2003 when then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Luoyang. He promptly accepted the idea, realising the importance of a Buddhist shrine as a means for people-to-people contact.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit in 2008.

India has provided technical, financial and other support for the temple that stands on a 6,000 square metre plot provided by the Chinese government.

Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh is known for its stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from the 3rd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. The most famous of these monuments, the Sanchi Stupa, was originally built by emperor Asoka.

Patil is on a six-day visit to China. The visit ends May 31.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: atal bihari vajpayee, Buddha Statue, buddhist monks, Buddhist Shrine, Buddhist Temple, INDIAN President, Indian Prime Minister, Luoyang China, Manmohan Singh, memorandum of understanding, Pilgrim Centre, President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Atal, Prime Minister Atal Bihari, prime minister manmohan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Religious Texts, Sanchi Stupa, Welcome Gate, White Horse Temple

‘Door to afterlife’ unearthed at Karnak temple in Egypt

March 30, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Washington, March 30 (ANI): Reports indicate that an Egyptian excavation team has unearthed a 3,500-year-old door to the afterlife from the tomb of a high-ranking Egyptian official near Karnak temple in Luxor.

Engraved with religious texts, the six-foot-tall red granite door belonged to the tomb of User, the chief minister of Queen Hatshepsut, the long-ruling 15th century BC queen from the New Kingdom.

The door, known as a false door, was meant to be a threshold that allowed the deceased and his wife to interact with the world of the living.

This “interaction” was not eternal for User.

More than 1,000 years after his death, during the Roman period, the massive false door was removed from the tomb and used in the wall of a Roman structure.

The uncle of the well-known Rekhmire, who was King Tuthmosis III’s chief minister, User was a powerful man.

He took office in the fifth year of Queen Hatshepsut’s reign, about 1474 B.C.

User held the position of vizier for 20 years, also earning the titles of prince and mayor of the city.

Viziers in ancient Egypt were powerful officials who oversaw the running of the kingdom”s intricate bureaucracy.

A chapel of User was also found at Gebel el-Silsila, a mountain quarry site at Aswan, showing the importance of the post of vizier in ancient Egypt, especially during the 18th Dynasty. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 15th century, 18th Dynasty, ancient egypt, aswan, bureaucracy, Chief Minister, egyptian official, excavation team, Gebel, Karnak Temple, King Tuthmosis, Luxor, Powerful Man, quarry, Queen Hatshepsut, Rekhmire, Religious Texts, Roman Period, Tuthmosis Iii, Vizier

Door to afterlife found in Egypt

March 30, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

A carved stone door which ancient Egyptians believed was the threshold to the afterlife has been discovered in Luxor, Egypt’s culture minister said.

The door belongs to the tomb of User, a powerful adviser to the 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut, Faruk Hosni said in a statement.

Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt between 1479 BC and 1458 BC, was the longest reigning female pharaoh.

The large red granite door is 1.75 metres high and 50 centimetres thick.

It is said to be engraved with religious texts and various titles used by User, including mayor of the city, vizier and prince.

Mansur Boraik, who headed the excavation mission, says the door “was reused during the Roman period”.

“It was removed from the tomb of User and used in the wall of a Roman structure,” he said.

-AFP

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 18th Dynasty, adviser, archaeology, Carved Stone, culture minister, Egypt, Egypt Culture, egyptians, excavation, Female Pharaoh, granite, history, Luxor Egypt, Prince Mansur, Queen Hatshepsut, Religious Texts, Roman Period, threshold, Vizier

Pashupatinath attacks do not affect Nepali students in Varanasi

September 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Varanasi, Sep 19 (ANI): The attacks on Indian priests of Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu failed to disturb the relationship between Nepali and Indian students studying at a temple in Varanasi.

The Nepali students said that they are not concerned about such matters as they are of a political nature. They say their work is just to learn and not be involved in other considerations.

“We are not much concerned about the incident. All of us here study together, be it Indians or Nepalis or anyone, without any differences. Our work is to learn. We do not even know much about it. These are political matters and politics does not concern us much,’ said Medini Prasad, a Nepali student.

Classes are going on as usual, with the temple reverberating with chants and recitations of shlokas, rhymed poetic verse from Hindu religious texts.

Acharya Limbanath, head priest, Nepali Temple, said that there are historical ties between India and Nepal, and these should be respected. And as far as the attacks are concerned they are works of miscreants.

“Indians and Nepalis share solidarity and brotherhood since times immemorial. It is just some miscreants that exist everywhere, who want to create trouble for their own benefit,’ he said.

Teknath Upadhyay, Nepali Priest, felicitated by the temple authorities recently said that, they were respected in India and the Nepal government and people should follow the example.

“They should give respect to all the priests despite any considerations of who they are or where they are. They should give them respect like we are given in India. Even the priests there should be shown respect by the government as well as the people of Nepal,” he added.

Two Indian priests in the Pashupatinath temple were beaten up by Maoists on September 4, demanding important religious jobs be given to Nepalis.

For centuries, the priests of the Pashupatinath Temple were picked by shrine authorities from among high-caste Hindus in India, with the consent of the king of Nepal.

Since Nepal abolished the monarchy and became a republic last year, the government has taken over the task. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: brotherhood, caste hindus, chants, head priest, hindu, hindus in india, indian students, maoists, miscreants, nepal government, nepali, Nepalis, Pashupatinath Temple, people of nepal, poetic verse, political matters, Political Nature, priests, Recitations, Religious Texts, solidarity, temple authorities

Gorakhpur Muslim sings Hindu prayers

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gorakhpur, May 10 (ANI): A Muslim in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur area has acquired big popularity for his inclination to sing praises of Lord Rama from Ramayana, the religious text of Hindus, with utter devotion.

Drawn to study Hindu religious texts since high-school days, 38-year-old Sadiq Ali is presently a charm for people to listen hymns and religious prayers from in public gatherings.

A firm believer in the oneness of God, Sadiq wants to promote humanity and affection among people of all sections, irrespective of religious faiths.

“When I was in High School, my Hindu friends used to take me to the readings of Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I developed an interest in Ramayana Kirtan (singing verses from the Ramayana). Now I am proficient in singing ‘Kirtans’,” he said.

Though initially Sadiq had to bear with the resentment of a few persons of his community, but it only strengthened his faith in bringing Hindus and Muslims close to each other.

He says if all religious have common teachings asking followers to develop goodness in life and live together, why should we allow ourselves to fight each other in the name of religion at all.

“There are problems sometimes. Religious leaders often try to dissuade me but I make them understand. I believe that all religions are equal, and I give equal respect to all religions,” Sadiq said.

“At some places people say that they do not want low caste Hindus and Muslims to sing Kirtans. But we try to make them understand that it is rather commendable that being a Muslim he is singing Ramayana kirtan,” said Radheshyam, a member of Sadiq Ali’s troupe.

Ali is, in his own way, setting an example of communal harmony and endorsing the oneness of God. By Pawan Shah (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: affection, ali, ANI, area, believer, caste, caste hindus, charm, communal harmony, community, devotion, Drawn, example, faith, god, goodness, gorakhpur, harmony, High, high-school, hindu, Hindu Friends, hindu prayers, hindus, hindus and muslims, humanity, inclination, interest, kirtan, kirtans, life, Lord Rama, mahabharata, May, member, Muslim, Muslim Prayers, name, oneness of god, Pawan, popularity, pradesh, Public Gatherings, Radheshyam, Ramayana, religion, religious, religious faiths, religious leaders, Religious Prayers, Religious Text, Religious Texts, resentment, respect, sadiq, school, shah, text, Troupe, uttar, Utter Devotion, way

President Patil dedicates Indian-style Buddhist temple to China

‘Door to afterlife’ unearthed at Karnak temple in Egypt

Door to afterlife found in Egypt

Pashupatinath attacks do not affect Nepali students in Varanasi

Gorakhpur Muslim sings Hindu prayers

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