Explore These Eight Extraordinary Temples

[Music] pink towers and giant dragons sounds like a scene from a fairy tale but in this case it's not [Music] in the sampron district sits one of thailand's most unique temples watson-bron is a pink shrine dedicated to the buddhist faith and measures 260 feet or 80 meters high representing the age of buddha when he died while the temple is known for the giant encircling dragon its meaning remains a mystery bavano budo the founder of the temple was inspired to create the hollow dragon building during a seven day fasting meditation construction took only five years visitors can climb the stairs of the 17 story temple to touch the dragon's beard or they can climb inside the belly of the beast this temple is a must visit for people looking to discover something truly one of a kind [Music] this small three acre island is home to one of the most cherished sea temples in bali [Music] tana lot translates to land in the sea in the balinese language which perfectly describes this rock formation and the temple that sits atop it it can be found along the southwest coast of bali and is one of seven ocean temples each of which was built with an eye line of the next [Music] tana lot was built around the 16th century to honor the sea spirits it is believed that is protected by sea serpents the rock base that the temple sits on has been reconstructed over time as the original rock had begun crumbling into the ocean visitors are able to access the island via foot during low tide however non-balinese people are not permitted to enter the temple this is one of the most visited and photographed temples in bali and it is especially busy at sunrise and sunset although if you intend to visit don't bring a date it is believed there is a curse on unmarried couples who visit the temple their relationship is doomed but this view might just be worth the risk this bright colorful temple located in southern india wasn't put on earth just to catch the eye it's also one of the largest hindu houses of worship welcome to the shari ranganathi swami temple [Music] it is dedicated to the hindu god of ranganatha a reclining form of the hindu deity vishnu but this relaxed looking god is one of the highest levels of hindu idols the temple which has over six miles of walls and over a hundred buildings is one of the five important pilgrimage sites along the river cavery for devotees of ranganatha the temple itself is a beacon of the uniquely south indian dravidian style of architecture its temples are adorned with pyramid-shaped towers made from sandstone soapstone or granite the first construction on this site dates back nearly 700 years it grew and grew into the wonder that it is today a site that will surely settle any pilgrim's wandering soul in the northwest region of cambodia there's a site like none other where trees rise from rooftops and roots snake their way through walls this is toprom a 12th century buddhist temple that's become one with the jungle [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] made entirely of wood without a single nail the sanctuary of truth in pattaya thailand is a modern day marvel built using ancient carving techniques this religious shrine has been under construction since 1981 and it isn't scheduled to be completed anytime soon it was commissioned by a thai millionaire who spent his fortune on projects like this he wanted to keep ancient wood building techniques alive the building towers 375 feet and looks out over the coast its four wings are dedicated to thai cambodian chinese and indian iconography a team of 250 woodcarvers have created ornate images of religious and philosophical significance throughout the structure the sanctuary of truth is considered an art installation religious shrine and cultural monument all in one although the creator has passed away and won't have an opportunity to see his celestial masterpiece completed the work continues according to his specific plans the mosquito has always been a spiritual place but has not always been occupied by the same religion nowhere else in the world will you find a cathedral built inside the walls of a mosque originally the site of a temple to the roman god janus the mosquito was built as a mosque after cordoba came under moorish rule in the late 7th century then in 1236 the city of cordoba came under christian rule and the mosquito was converted to a church four centuries later a cathedral was constructed in its center and it became a home for the town's roman catholics while the cathedral is an example of classic catholic baroque architecture the majority of the mosquitoes construction is a result of the work of islamic architects features like 856 columns and symmetrical arches give the illusion of infinite space these elements are examples of why the mosquito is considered one of the greatest accomplishments in islamic architecture in the world today it is a unesco world heritage site over a million people visit every year and after all its history it is now seen as a site of religious significance to both catholics and muslims [Music] to wander this mausoleum in shiraz iran is like stepping into the holiest of light shows the which roughly translates to king of the light in persian is a funerary monument and mosque a beautiful holy place for thousands of muslim worshipers the structure is made of multicolored pieces of tile and glass and is considered to be the third most important pilgrimage site in iran initially started around 900 a.d as a burial site for an important shia muslim figure the mosque continued to be expanded and improved the decision to adorn the mosque with its iconic mirror ball decoration came from queen tashkatun in the 14th century she wanted the mosque to intensify any light a thousand times over in homage to the mosque's name although meant to be a holy shrine an important pilgrimage location for shia muslims people of any faith can marvel at the mosque's immense beauty [Music] [Music] cristo m [Music] [Music] 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Channel: Great Big Story

Views: 48,910

Keywords: great big story, gbs, lag, documentary, docs, great big reels, temples, mosque, buddhist, temple, travel & adventure, human condition, planet earth, new releases

Id: Xzmm86m-vUw

Length: 11min 6sec (666 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 05 2019