This small historical and architectural travel to the world Buddhist cotton wool can entertain and help a little to those whom communication of eras and cultures interests.
On this subject there is a lot of scientific literature. But the human eye is so arranged that it would like and to seize-understand-remember, and at the same time to keep feeling of secret.
Probably, the Buddhist architecture not everywhere is homogeneous. The temple of Tooth of the Buddha which I saw on the island Sri Lanka, shakes by the beauty. But it is other beauty, special, unusual at first sight.
Thus there is a certain type of temple constructions which are united by the word "watt".
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Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive -
Galya Konstantinova, personal archive
Watt it is not simple the temple, and the whole complex: the temple, a belltower, a monastery with premises, every possible sculptures. And there can be still shelters for aged, hotels for pilgrims and not only, hospitals and the rehabilitation centers, hospices for lost hope, library, school, arbors for meditations and so on.
Watt – the certain place fenced with walls where there are buildings of different function, but first of all, of course, the cult. This «an earth ogorozhennost» is reflected in the word which has come from a Sanskrit. "Watt" almost equally in different languages also sounds: Thai, Laotian, khmer. Where this type of big cult constructions is widespread.
Watt it is very beautiful. Not casually many of them are under UNESCO protection – Angkor Vat, Ayutthaya.
It is possible to look narrowly closer and to standing close by cotton wool, in literal and figurative sense to walk for a corner – and here it, Wat Suwankiriket – Van Suvan Kiri Ket. He is 150 years old soon, not new affairs, but also not hoary antiquity. And it is possible attentively to consider, try to understand, distinguish, remember everything in the evening.
This watt is walled with snakes. Probably, it is mythological Are nude. If who remembers Nagayna from Kiplingovsky "Ricky-Tikki-Tavi" – so it not casual names Is nude also. Kipling was a good judge of Asia.
Inside – a statue of the Buddha from black sapphire, speak, ancient. On walls – pictures from life of the Buddha before his enlightenment. The temple in which statues of the Buddha are stored, has the name "Ubosot" and is the main construction Buddhist cotton wool.
Nearby – a mortar. This architectural construction is more familiar on випд because they can be met in many countries of the world, including in a large number and in Russia. Write that a mortar – it come from sepulchral barrows, ashes were stored in even dobuddistsky India in them from cremation, in the subsequent mortars began to reflect any important event in the Buddhism. Buddhists say that the mortar bears in itself energy of good.
It is curious that the Sanskrit word "mortar" means «knot from hair», "top", a hill. But in the different countries a mortar are called as the word, in Thailand – "smoke".
In Thailand profess a special form of the Buddhism – Tkheravada’s Buddhism, oldest of the remained schools (all in the world about hundred million followers). In the countries where this doctrine is standard, there is the special architectural form combining a mortar and a pagoda. But it is impossible to forget that the Chinese pagodas can be under construction and as purely secular constructions, but here a mortar is strictly cult.
In Buddhist to cotton wool places for meetings or rest in the form of pavilions are under construction also. Such place is called "fat". And, of course, in cotton wool it is obligatory to eat premises for monks.
High towers cotton wool is temples which are called «прангами». A monastery – «вихара» – the place where wandering monks during a season of rains stopped is primary. Then from вихары could grow up the whole university. There is quite settled point of view that to all of us still while well familiar city of Bukhara is obliged by the name вихаре.
I hope, this small travel to the mysterious world Buddhist cotton wool appeared to someone pleasant and reasonably useful.