Temples

Throughout our Bhutan-India trip, we have had the opportunity to view a variety of temples, of different religions. The temples are all spectacular, while each is distinctive. Of the many temples we have visited, four have stuck out in my mind: Taktsang (a Bhutanese Buddhist monastery), Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir (a Jain temple, New Delhi), the Lotus Temple (a Bahá'í House of Worship, New Delhi), and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib (a Sikh temple, New Delhi). Each temple varies in architecture and level of decoration.

Taktsang, also known as Tiger’s Nest, was the most inaccessible due to the strenuous climb, yet it held the most lavish and ornately decorated temples. Carvings of wood and metal adorned the walls of every temple within the monastery, covering nearly every inch of wall. Depictions of stories and legends were hand-painted on the walls and carvings. Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir rivalled Taktsang in level of decoration but includes the unique aspect of having an avian hospital incorporated into the surrounding area. The walls were carefully hand-painted with the stories of the origin of the Jain religion. The Lotus Temple was the most interesting with regards to architecture as the building is shaped like a lotus flower. The inside was simple, yet elegant with flowers and white drapes as the only adornments at the front of the temple. The last temple we visited was a Sikh temple which had amazing architecture and carved marble stones on the walls. Each temple is beautiful and unique in its own way. Further, as we crisscrossed New Delhi, we saw a variety of Hindu temples, from the elaborate to the simple. At one point, our guide from DelhiByLocals, Pradeep, pointed out a Christian Church, a Hindu Temple, a Sikh Temple, a Muslim Mosque, and a Jain Temple, all on one street across from the magnificent Mughal fortress of Red Fort. This might have been an unusual sight in another country, but not so in India.

Kaley D.