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The
Bhutan Temple in Bodhgaya
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Bhutan Religion |
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Bhutan Information |
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In
the vicinity of the Mahabodhi Temple
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| Bhutanese Temple in Bodhgaya , Bihar, India |
| Apart
from praying and circumambulating the towering structure of the Mahabodhi
temple there are other things one can do while in Bodhgaya - like visiting
the numerous Buddhist temples built by different Buddhist nations in the
vicinity of the spectacular Mahabodhi. As many as 37 different Buddhist
temples dot the sprawling flatlands of the sacred town and are a big attraction
to the thousands that visit Bodhgaya every winter. |
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The Bhutan Templeis popular with tourists and pilgrims. Built in their
own representative architectural style, reflecting the culture and tradition
of each country, the temples lend an international colour to the small
and bustling town where Gautama Buddha gained enlightenment almost 2,500
years ago.
Thus,
there is a Thai temple - like the colourful wats of Thailand, the Japanese
Indosan Nipponji temple with a beautiful image of the Buddha brought all
the way from Japan.There are also Chinese, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Nepalese,
Korean, Taiwanese and Burmese monasteries and the Bhutanese Zangdopelri
referred to as the 'Bhutan Mandir'' by the local people.Aaccording to Bodhgaya
locals, the Bhutanese monastery is popular with both pilgrims and tourists
because of its unique structure and well maintained surrounding.Inside
the temple, the visitor is greeted by a seven-feet statue of the Buddha
flanked by two smaller statues of Guru Rinpoche and Chenrigzee.
Small colourful
and intricate figurines sprout out of inner walls of the temple depicting
the life and times of Lord Buddha. The ceiling is covered by paintings
of the mandala."I myself have never seen such detailed work of art anywhere,"
said Lam Rinchen Dorji, the head abbot of the Bhutan monastery adding that
hundreds of tourists visit the temple everyday."The temple is so peaceful
and unique, this is the best I have seen so far," said an Indian tourist
from Mumbai.
There is also a 40-room guest house for Bhutanese pilgrims
and officials and VIP's within the temple surroundings which remain empty
during the summer months but are booked full during the winter.The construction
of the Zangdopelri was started in October 1983 and took four years to complete.
A serto (golden pinacle) was installed by the dratshang Lhentshog in March
2001.
| This
article was contributed by KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2004 |
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| Information on Bhutan |
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