A unique place to visit in Delhi is Hijron Ka Khanqah, a story of India‘s age-old tolerance to the transgender(ed). Hijron Ka Khanqah is a pre-Mughal, Lodhi period, monument dated to the 15th century known for being the burial place of eunuchs of Delhi during the Lodhi dynasty’s reign. An Islamic monument, a Sufi spiritual […]
09:57In Singapore‘s circa-1820 Chinatown stands the red-and-gold Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, said to house one of Buddha’s teeth. It is claimed that the relic of Buddha from which it gains its name was found in 1980 in a collapsed stupa in Myanmar. The relic can be viewed by the public at the 4th floor of the temple. […]
07:58Uluwatu Temple (Balinese: Pura (Luhur) Uluwatu) is a Balinese sea temple (pura segara) in Uluwatu (Kuta South, Badung). The temple is regarded as one of the sad kahyangan and is dedicated to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in his manifestation as Rudra. The temple (pura in Balinese) is built at the edge (ulu) of a […]
Tirta Empul means Holy Spring in Balinese. A Hindu Balinese water temple located near the town of Tampaksiring, Bali Indonesia. Tirta Empul means Holy Spring in Balinese. The temple compound consists of a petirtaan or bathing structure, famous for its holy spring water, where Balinese Hindus go to for ritual purification. The temple pond has […]
06:31Boudhanath has been an important place of pilgrimage and meditation for Tibetan Buddhists & local Nepalis For centuries. UNESCO World Heritage since 1979. The ancient Buddhist stupa of Boudha dominates the skyline and is the largest in Asia. Throughout the day pilgrims can be seen circumambulating the structure chanting mantras. Maroon clad Tibetan Buddhist monks […]
08:29The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath on the banks of the Bagmati River 5 kilometres north-east of Kathmandu Valley in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. This temple is considered one of the sacred temples of Hindu faith and serves as the seat of the national […]
04:18Swayambhunath is an ancient religious architectural stupa atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. A UNESCO World Heritage since 1979. Each morning before dawn hundreds of Buddhist (Vajrayana) and Hindu pilgrims ascend the 365 steps from the eastern side that lead up the hill, passing the gilded Vajra (Tibetan: Dorje), thunderbolt […]
02:30The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Cathedral of Buenos Aires was rebuilt several times since its humble origins in the 16th century. The present building is a mix of architectural styles, with an 18th-century nave and dome and a severe, […]
07:53The “little town” of Bethlehem, attracts pilgrims worldwide to the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest churches in the world, as the birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem is a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of the Old City of Jerusalem. Revered […]
06:48The Old City of Jerusalem is a holy place to three religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The City of Gold, as it has come to be known in Hebrew. Located in the Judean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, modern Jerusalem has grown far beyond the Old City’s boundaries. The walled area of […]
02:36A little way down Temple Road, not far from Negombo town lies the Angurukaramulla Temple (Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya – මීගමුව බෝධිරාජාරාමය), well known for its Buddha statue standing 6 metres high and its odd and colourful interiors. The massive seated Buddha and the gaping lion’s mouth of some weird creature from the entrance to the temple, a gigantic sculpture […]
08:31Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage, was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka‘s North Central Province, on […]
This is not tea. It is prohibited to sell alcohol on religious days in Sri Lanka . My beer is delivered discretely I wasn’t aware when I entered the restaurant and my driver informed me that it would be unlikely I would get a beer on this particular day. Despite my protest, the waiter […]
05:12The Royal Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1982, is the second most ancient of Sri Lanka‘s kingdoms. Just north of present-day Polonnaruwa town, 140km (90 miles) north of Kandy (216 km/134 miles from Colombo), are the ruins of ancient Polonnaruwa, which date from the late 10th century, when the Chola kings of southern […]
07:29The Ancient City of Sigiriya is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka. The ruins lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180m high, the ‘Lion’s Rock‘, which dominates the jungle from all sides. Sigiriya is an ancient palace located in the central Matale District near the […]