Places of Worship

Since today is Easter Sunday, the featured topic is places of worship from around the world. The pictures are presented alphabetically by country.

Since, by necessity, the description of the religious significance of each site is very short, the interested reader is encouraged to research further.

Cambodia

This photo shows the sun rising behind Angkor Wat in Cambodia. During its long history, Hinduism and Buddhism have both been practiced here.

This photo was taken in March, 2013.

Egypt

The Temple of Kom Ombo is located  in Upper Egypt for the worship of two gods: the crocodile god Sobek (god of fertility, who created the world) and the falcon god Horus (son of Isis and Osiris; god of the sky, war and hunting). Images of Hathor, depicted as a cow goddess, are also  prevalent here.

This photo was taken in February, 2013.

France

This photo of the historic Catholic Notre Dame Cathedral was taken in October, 2015.

India

Here are photos of Indian temples for each of three ancient religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism) and two newer religions (Islam and Sikhism).

The Sree Meenakshi Amman Temple is located in Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and named for his wife, the goddess Parvati. Shiva is the destroyer, recycler and regenerator of universe and all life. Parvati is the goddess of love and devotion. Shiva and Parvati are the parents of Ganesha and Kartikeya.

There are 14 towers; the tallest tower is the southern one, at 170 feet.

This photo was taken in March, 2013.

 

This photo shows pillars in the interior of the Jain Temple at Ranakpur, in the city of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan, India.

This photo was taken in October, 2014.

This photo shows the Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath, about 13 kilometers north-east of Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Sarnath is the site of Buddha’s first sermon after his enlightenment.

This photo was taken in October, 2014.

 

This photo shows the Jama Masjid in Old Delhi; it is one of the largest Muslim mosques in India. The photo is taken from a window at the top of one of the towers, a twin to the taller tower reaching above the skyline. The two (shorter) minarets visible in the middle are 130 feet high.

This photo was taken in March, 2013.

This photo is of Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, which is the holiest Gurdwara (place of worship) of Sikhism.  The Golden Temple is located in Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India.

This photo was taken in October, 2014.

Spain

 

This photo shows part of the exterior of the Sagrada Família, a Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudi.

This photo was taken in April, 2015.

Thailand

This photo shows a row of Buddha statues inside Wat Arun in Bangkok, Thailand. The photo was taken in March, 2013, before the restoration of the wall behind the statues.

This photo shows the Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand.

This photo was taken in February, 2016.

Vatican City State

This photo shows part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Roman Catholic Vatican.

This photo was taken in February, 2013.