Archaeology Cultural Anthropology – The lost temples of India

We paid a visit to the beautiful valley of the Oriental Temples and explored their mysterious surroundings ...

http://suprememastertv.com/ - THE WORLD AROUND US - The Taoist Temples of China (In CHINESE), Episode 675, Air date: 20 - July - 2008

04-13-08-Wanna Get Some Shirley Temples?

Khajuraho, the temple city of central India, is famous throughout the world for its exquisitely carved temples in stones. Thousands of visitors and tourists from all over the world flock together to envisage   more...this immortal saga of Hindu art and culture engraved in stone by shilpies (stone craftsmen) a millenia ago.

Today, apart from the temples, Khajuraho is a small village but a thousand years ago it was a large city of the Chandelas, medieval Rajput kings who ruled over Central India. Khajuraho is 595 km (370 miles) south-east of Delhi and can be visited by air, rail or road. An overnight train journey from Delhi takes the visitor to Jhansi, from where another morning train takes him to Harpalpur 85 km (53 miles) to the east.
The Ancient dynasties are often covered in a veil of mystery, largely because written records are rare and, as is often the case in India, myth and legend weave their way over time into the history of their origin and their reign. And when the dynasty leaves a legacy as contradictory as the Khajuraho temples, with their mix of the religious and the sensuous, the web is woven of brighter threads, the accompanying legends more colourful. Khajuraho or 'Khajur-vahika' (bearer of date palms), also known as 'Khajjurpura' in ancient times, evidently
derives its name from the golden date palms (khajur) that adorned its city gates and, if the different legendary versions are to be believed, it owes its existence to an enchanting maiden named Hemvati.

According to the account of the medieval court poet, Chandbardai, in the Mahoba-khand of his Prithviraj Raso, Hemvati was the beautiful daughter of Hemraj, the royal priest of Kashi (Varanasi). One summer night, while she was bathing in the sparkling waters of
a lotus-filled pond, the Moon god was so awestruck by her beauty that he descended to earth in human form and ravished her. The distressed Hemvati, who was unfortunately a child widow, threatened to curse the god for ruining her life and reputation. To make amends for his folly the Moon god promised that she would become the mother of a valiant son. 'Take him to Khajjurpura', he is believed to have said. 'He will be a great king and build numerous temples surrounded by lakes and gardens. He will also perform a yagya (religious ceremony) through which your sin will be washed away.' Following his instructions, Hemvati left her home to give birth to her son in a tiny village. The child, Chandravarman, was as lustrous as his father, brave and strong. By the time he was 16 years old he could kill tigers or lions with his bare hands. Delighted by his feats, Hemvati invoked the Moon god, who presented their son with a touchstone which could turn iron into gold, and installed him as king at Khajuraho.

Chandravarman achieved a series of brilliant victories and built a mighty fortress at Kalinjar. At his mother's request he began the building of 85 glorious temples with lakes and gardens at Khajuraho and performed the bhandya-yagya which expunged her of her guilt. A variation of the same legend introduces Hemvati as the widowed daughter of Mani Ram, the royal priest of Kalinjar. As a result of a mistake in his calculations the priest informed his king that a particular night was Puranmasi (full moon night) and not the dark night that it actually turned out to be. In her concern for her father's reputation the beautiful Hemvati prayed to the Moon god, who was gracious enough to uphold the word of the priest but, inreturn for his favour, ravished the daughter. The grieving father was so shame-stricken that he cursed himself and turned into a stone, which was later worshipped by the Chandelas as Maniya Dev. Hemvati gave birth to a son, the sage Chandrateya, who was later at the helm of the Chandela clan. Historically speaking, the area and aura around Khajuraho has always been renowned for its cultural achievements.


The Erotic Sculptures

The visitor to Khajuraho cannot but be attracted to the vivid eroti  less

This a nice temple somewhere in Thailand, Cambodia-Khmer style. We are in the region known as "Isan" (or somthing like that ...)

Here is the online video of the wonderful town of Lampang. We first ride the train through beautiful mountain country to Lampang. We then visit wonderful temples and a ceramics factory that Lampang is   more...famous for.  less

Capitol Hill / Capitoline Hill.

Jordan Maxwell brings yet more facts to light.

The Vatican, the Nazis and the USA.

Dome, domus...

This buddhistic complex , built from 780 to 810 in three stages, is 185 m long on 165 m broad and includes 240 similar vaults.
It is organized like a mandala centered around a principal temple.
Candi   more...Sewu is associated to Candi Lor at the north, with Candi Kulon at the west, with Candi Asu at the east, and with Candi Bubrah at the south, all of them built according to the same plan. It is a buddhistic temple built at the end of the 9th century on a plan identical to Candi Sewu. Right from the beginning, this temple was built on a cruciform plan. On the other hand, the windows, rectangular, have thereafter being stopped at the base. The accesses were also transformed. Such as it is presented today, without its superstructure, it has a small air of Borobudur, in much smaller, with its many sculptures of sitted Buddha around. one can see some reliefs and a pediment decorated with celestial creatures. There, on the right side, in a group of houses, one can see some stone lines, as well as marks of foundations of old structures. To go there, for the preceding temple, it is necessary to continue the way until the end then to turn left to return at the level of Candi Sewu.
  less

The ancient ruined city of Tikal is the largest of the Maya civilization. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is now part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park and a popular tourist spot. The lowland rainforest   more...hosts an array of wildlife in addition to the step pyramid temples, some of which tower over 200 feet (60 meters) high.

Tikal trivia: In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Tikal was used as the background of the rebel base on Yavin 4.

Classical Guitarist, Manfred Harter composed and performed “Mystery of Tikal”.  less

Seven Churches, Revelation, Dreams, Visions, Yahshua, Yeshurun,

We spent the day with our friends at Jinshan Park. There were many beautiful statues there and a Buddhist Temple.
Music: "?????" by ??

Climbing to the Top of Ankhor Wat temple in Cambodia. I hate heights, so it was something that was a bit of a mental challenge for me.. Legs were shaking, hands were shaking.. but I did it anyway.. !   more... Climbing down was another adventure..  less

Me playing the bass to the temples of syrinx by Rush

http://www.phuket-boomerang.com - http://www.phuketboomerang.com
Located in the suggestive surroundings of Kata Beach, Phuket, the Boomerang Village Cottages hotel offers a warm welcoming as well as an   more...attentive service to all its guests, so as to make them enjoy a holiday full of emotions and experience unforgettable sights. Externally similar to mountain chalets, the newly built cottages are furnished in Thai style, offering a very congenial and relaxing ambience.  less

Enlightening India. It's not just elephants, snake charmers and desert.