Today we visited a 1000 year-old ruin of Buddhist and Hindu temples and pagodas. You have to use your imagination to conjure up an image of what these amazing structures would have looked like so many years ago because they no longer have the roof or walls and the decoration that was once on the columns is now naught. We are currently in an area of Thailand that is close to Cambodia so there is the “Corncob” influence of the Buddist Temples. Depending upon who was king and what their religious belief was, this area switched from Buddhist to Hindu back and forth throughout time, which is why you see holy structures from both religious groups. Even when the other religious group had dominance, the religious structures of the former were not destroyed. A small amount of the remains (ashes) of the Lord Buddha are stored in the top of the Buddha statue’s headpiece. Within the first site we looked it was brought to our attention that the Royal family and their relative’s remains were burried in the pagodas which now look like square blocks of bricks. Amongst the ruins there was a very interesting Buddha that had gold fingernails. I was very intrigued by this.
ELEPHANT TEMPLE
Our last stop was at a Hindu temple that was influenced by the style of “Elephant Temples” that were built in Sri Lanka. There can be 36, 42 or 76 elephants that could surround these temples. This particular temple is 700 years old and it was built by the brother-in-law of the king . These types of temples are called “Changa Rob” which means “elephants around”.
Hi Mrs.Verra,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about why the buddhists and hindus didn't destroy each others religious structures. And what is a Po tree?
-Sarah Kang
Hi Mrs. Verra,
ReplyDeleteDid you take all those pictures yourself? What type of camera?
-Max McNamara
The first three blogs I did while still in Hopkinton, I used google image pictures. All the pictures you see from the time I arrived in Thailand I took myself. I use two different cameras. One is just a small camera that I keep in my pocket for quick pictures when it is difficult to lug a heavier camera. I also use a very nice Nikon that takes better pictures but is heavy. I like to have options when I take pictures. When I show you my Thailand Power Point presentation and there is a special picture that you like a lot, I will make a copy of it for you. I got a new MacBook Air before I came and it has been great because it has a slot that I can just stick in my memory card and my pictures are instantly uploaded. See you in a few days Max. Thanks for your great questions.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Verra,
ReplyDeleteWhen you were in an area near Cambodia, were the Buddhist temples intended to look like corncobs, and if so why?
That is just the style of architecture that the Cambodians like and when some of them migrated to Thailand, they brought a long their temple architectural ideas. Remember when we talk about the Five Themes of Geography and class and we discuss the movement of people and ideas. This is a great example of that.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Verra,
ReplyDeleteI see that elephants are a very important part of the Thai culture. Is this because the population is decreasing? Did people in Thailand ever hunt elephants?
-Emma McNamara
Hi Emma. Yes, elephants are very important to Thai culture. They are a symbol for the country. White elephants are especially rare and there are only 12 in the entire country. Only the king can have white elephants. Elephants played a huge part in Thai history. They have been used in wars, for labor and farming. Elephants were hunted by farmers if they destroyed their fields but now elephants are protected in Thailand. Thanks for your great questions this week Emma. See you in a few days!
ReplyDeleteI did a double take with the po tree. My first thought was, "Oh, those are some pretty cool roots. They remind me of a mangrove." It took a moment to notice the statues nestled in the curves of the root system....a great picture, and thought-provoking.
ReplyDeleteWishing you safe travels, and looking forward to hearing some stories when you return.
Thanks so much! It has been an AMAZING adventure!
ReplyDeleteMrs.Verra I was wondering if woman in Thailand could also be monks or if woman there were not allowed to be as free the men?
ReplyDeleteWomen can't be monks here and monks are very restricted in their interactions with women. Women are not even allowed to hand a monk an offering. A man has to do it or it has to be put in a basket and given to a monk. Overall, women in Thailand seem to have the same rights as men. The current Prime Minister is a woman. Thanks for your great question!
ReplyDeleteMrs.Verra I was wondering why the elephant temple was built? Was it for someone or was it just a place for elephants.
ReplyDeleteThere was a monk who came from the island of Sri Lanka and he influenced the brother-in-law of the king during that time period to build an elephant temple like ones that are built in Sri Lanka. Elephants are very important as a symbol of the king in Thailand.
DeleteMrs. Verra
ReplyDeleteI am curious about how you know all of this information about the history of Sidhartha, the palace and Buddhism and Hindu. Was this information passed down in a religious bible or scrolls? Also, how did the 2 religions, Hindu and Buddhist, not get into conflicts like Israeli-Palestinian? Was everyone okay with switching and not too passionate towards religion?
-Ryan Muldoon
I know a lot about Buddhism because I have also traveled to Nepal and China where this religion has been an important part of their past history. I read a really good book in high school about Sidhartha and have been interested every since ( I have the book if you want to read it). Even though it is written for a high school aged audience, your reading skills are terrific and you could easily comprehend it. There were times when there was some violence between the Hindus and Buddhists but basically whatever side won, they would become the leader and everyone would follow that religion. In most cases the Hindus and Buddhists did not destroy each others temples and statues because they believe in "karma' and were afraid that by doing so , when they were reincarnated after death, they would come back as something less desirable than a human with a good life.
DeleteHello Ms. Verra,
ReplyDeleteI was really captivated by Buddha, especially the fact that he left all his luxuries to discover why there was suffering in the world, and that it was all triggered by him seeing an ailing man. I like some of his quotes. Also, what was the most difficult or most troublesome part of your trip? Did anything go wrong that seems a bit funny now?
~Eva
The toughest part of the trip have been the fast pace and not getting the amount of sleep my body needs. The first two nights were on planes and overnight in an airport. We then were at a hotel for one night and then on an overnight train the next. So , the hardest part has been trying to grab naps now and then on planes, busses and trains and not getting a good nights sleep every night.
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