My Trip to India - Colour &
-
On the bottom right of the statue is a little figure of Ananda who was crying when the Buddha passed on. Notice the original colour of the sandstone.
-
Our Trip brought us from the capital New Delhi to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Bodhgaya in the Bihar State and now to Lumbini in the country Nepal. We had to pay US$30 for a 7 days visa although we were only there for 1 day and 1 night. According to the immigration, entry for less than 3 days were free, we had to do what the Romans in Rome to have a hassle free trip.
Once we cross the 5 metre stretch of no man's land over to this arch, we will be in Nepal - The Land of Yak and Yeti
-
Lumbini - travelling 25km away from the border, we reached the birth place of the Buddha.
Here's a liittle story about the Buddha. One night, Queen Maya had a dream than a six tasked white elephant decended from the sky into her womb. Months later, she became pregant with a child. During the Buddha's time, when a woman going to give birth to a child, she had to go back to her mother's house to do that. So Queen Maya travelled back to her homeland Koliyan Kingdom. On her way to Lumbini, she gave birth to a boy Prince Siddhatta on a full moon night. This day is widely celebrated by Buddhist as Vesak or Wesak Day. It commenerates the Birth, Englightenment and Death of the Buddha.
The little pillar on the left is the Asoka Pillar and the Temple on the right is the MayaDevi Temple.
One interesting story that happened here was a war between the Sakayan and the Koliyan over water because of a drought. The Buddha appeared before the great armies and asked the reasons for the fight. When he was told it was over water, he asked them the value of water and blood. when they told him that blood is more valuable then water, he asked them if it was worth it to shed blood because of water thus averting a war
-
Inside MayaDevi Temple, the archeologist found a stone that indicate the exact spot on where the birthplace was in 1996. A new structure was then construct to place the stone carving representing the childbirth.
Notice the smoothness of this piece of rock? the reasons is it wears off years after years of touching by the women who hoped for a child in the family.
-
Stone encraving the 5 precept for the lay person beside a lake. Note the tranquality of the place
-
On our way back from Nepal, we stopped at the immigration waiting to clear the custom. So we decided to walk around and found this little stall selling betel nut. It's a wonder how his lady can cooped inside this hut for such long hours.
-
It's a wonderful world of colours.
-
It's school assembly time. This is how some of the villages looks like. some had their tables and chairs out in the open. Our guide told us that today, girls had similar opportunities as boys. in order to let the parents send them to school, the Government of India offerred the parents rices and kerosene oil for sending their daughter to school.
-
Kapilavastu was the capital of the Sakya Republic during the 6th century BC. This was said to be where he spent hisi 29 years before renouncing the world. This ruins was where the 1/8 remains of the relics were found.
Some interesting stories that happened here includes the ordaining a low cast barber Upali as a disiciple ahead of the princes so that they had to bow to him as a senior.
-
A big pond with lilies beside the ruins.
-
This two little girls who refused gifts given to them while the others clambered for anything you give out.
-
This is a farmer trying to removed the husk from the rice using the fan.
A teacher from my group gave the lady a face mask after explaining to her that breathing in the dust is bad for health. She tried the mask but finally passed it on to her husband after trying to put the mask on her ear but is blocked by her sari
-
a macro picture of the rice with the husk yet to be removed
-
This photo was taken on a moving bus. Although the picture is blurred, it deserved to be shown. This man was on a drip outside a medical centre outside a town medical centre.
-
Sarvasti - This is the spot of the original edifice all Ghandakuti (Ghanda means perfume and kuti means hut) built by Anthapindika when he laid the Jetavana Monastery. It was said that the Buddha spent 21 years in this place. According to record, there was a sandal wood statue of the Buddha enshirned in a 7 storey wooden structure.
There's a story about this place. It used to belong to a prince and when the Buddha was here, a wealthy man wanted to buy this place for the Buddha and the Sangha but the prince refused to sell. Anthapindika refused to give up and kept persuading the prince to sell. Finally the prince told him that if he could fill every inch of with place with gold, he would sell it to him. it was said that Anthapindika really filled up the land with gold and it was sold to him.
-
Sarvasti - Recent excavation had shown records that this tree was even older than the one in Sri Lanka. It was from the original tree in Bodhgaya some 2500 years ago planted by Venerable Ananda.
-
This picture can show you how peaceful and tranquil the place is. The only noises you hear are chipping birds.
-
Sarvasti - This is located in Maheth and known as Pakki Kuti. It was identified as Stupa of Angulimala.
Story time....
Angulimala was a student of a Brahmin and because of his intelligence and hardworking, he was well like by his guru. This however made the other students jealous and they spread rumours that Angulimala was seducing the guru wife. The jealous guru told Angulimala that his training was over and that he must repay him by giving him a present that is made up of 1000 fingers of 1000 people and made into a necklace. (Anguli means finger and mala means ring or necklace). During that time, a brahmin student was taught that the teacher is alway right and that he had to obey the guru.
So he started to become a highway robber killing people for the finger to be made into a necklace. He was said to be strong and fast that he could kill an elephant and outrun a horse. He was said to have killed 999 people and that the king had send his army to capture him. The Buddha knew that he could now be taught so he appeared before Angulimala. So when Angulimala saw the Buddha, he started to chase him but could never catch up with him. He stood there and shouted to the Buddha to stop but while walking on, the Budhha told him the he had stopped and the Angulimala should stop instead. On further queries, the Buddha told him to stop harming being. Then Angulimala vowed to stop killing and became a disiciple of the Buddha. On the way back, the Buddha met the king who told him that they are looking for the killer Angulimala and when the Buddha showed him Angulimala, they decided to forgive him since he had stopped killing.
-
Agra - The Taj Maha was built by Mongul Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of her Queen Arjumand Banobegum after her death giving birth to his 14th child.
This structure is the building beside the Taj Maha
-
Taj Maha - If there is a Bollywood Romeo and Juliet story, this would probably be it. One thing about this photo is that if you take the two side minaret, you will alway be able to take the whole picture of the Taj Maha.
The Taj Maha is make from marble and it sits on the bank of the River Jamuna at a point where it take a sharp turn and flows eastward. Right in the middle of this Taj Maha lays the tomb od the Queen Arjumand Benobegum and the Emperor Shah Jahan
-
This picture of the Jamuna River that is behind Taj Maha looks ok to me.Originally posted by LOTUSfairy:trying looking at the river behind taj mahal...u will throw up...
the water was soot black, greasy, rubbish...and when i step at the bank, my trekking boots become black and sticky...
-
Delhi - Swaminarayan Akshardham means the eternal abode of Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830 CE). This huge 100 acre cultural complex was built in just 5 years and sits beside the bank of River Jamuna. Unfortunately no photography was allowed. If time wasn't an essence, this place would give Taj Maha a challenge for the 7 wonder of the world.
This is the Hindu sects that fought against the cremation of living widow on the death of their husband.
-
Delhi - Mahatma Gandhi Memorial
I would like to see India free and strong so that
Mahatma Gandhi
she may offer herself as willing and pure sacrifice
for the betterment of the world. the individual,
being pure, sacrifices himself for the family,
the latter for the village, the village for the district,
the district for the province, the province for the nation,
the nation for all. I want Khudai Raj, which is the same
thing as the Kingdom of God on Earth, the establishment
of such Rajya would not only mean welfare of the whole
of the Indian people but of the whole world
-
Finally! It's shopping time. This place is Dilli haat. This is where all the art and handicraft from the whole of Indian continent gathers and show of their arts and wares
clay dolls - note the rich vibrant colour.
-
curtains
