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Cozia Monastery - Romania
Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea cel Bătrân in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania.
Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozia_Monastery
Interesting te read:
www.romanianmonasteries.org/other-monasteries/cozia-monas...
"We are a cloistered, contemplative community of women, totally consecrated to Jesus Christ."
From the Carmelite Sisters by-the-Sea web site
Calaraseuca Monastery - Moldova
Decorations in the Chapel
insideCalaraseuca Monastery is a monastery in the north of Moldova, located on the right a river Nistru. It was founded in the eighteenth century. In 1780 the old church could no longer be used, and Hagi Marcu Donici of Movilau, on the left a river Nistru, built a church and a steeple, which was sanctified in 1782 dedicated to the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In 1853 starts the construction of two churches dedicated to St. Mitrofan of Voronejului.
In 1916 the monks go to other monasteries, and nuns are brought Calaraseuca Virov refugees in the monastery, from Poland (located at the time of the Austro-German occupation). In 1961 the communist authorities Calaraseuca monastery transformed into a hospital for mentally disabled children. The church winter was transformed in a club and summer in the hospital warehouse. On 3 May 1991, nuns from the monastery was reopened Calaraseuca.
Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank (Armenian: Հաղպատավանք), is a medieval monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia.
The monastery was founded by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, probably in 976. The nearby monastery at Sanahin was built around the same time.
The location of Haghpat Monastery was chosen so that it overlooks the Debed River in northern Armenia's Lori region. It was built, not on a peak, but halfway up a hillside on a site chosen to afford protection and concealment from prying eyes and also in response to a kind of monastic humility. It is built on a verdant promontory located in the middle of a mountain cirque, which is often wreathed in clouds. A peak on the opposite side of the river is over 2,500 meters high. The monasteries of northern Armenia are not isolated, unlike their counterparts in the country's arid regions. They were built in a village environment and Haghpat is surrounded by many hamlets.
The largest church in the complex, the Cathedral of Surb Nishan, probably begun in 976, was completed in 991 by king Smbat. It is a typical example of tenth century Armenian architecture, its central dome rests on the four imposing pillars of the lateral walls. The outside walls are dotted with triangular recesses. A fresco in the apse depicts Christ Pantocrator. Its donor, the Armenian Prince Khutulukhaga, is depicted in the south transept (a transversal nave intersecting the main nave). The sons of the church's founder, Princes Smbat and Kurike, are shown with Queen Khosravanuysh in a bas-relief on the east gable. Apart from one or two minor restorations carried out in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the church has retained its original character.
There are several other structures at the site as well. There is the small domed Church of Sourb Grigor (St. Gregory ) from 1005. Two side chapels were added to the original church; the larger one built in the beginning of the 13th century and the smaller, known as "Hamazasp House", built in 1257. In 1245, a three-story tall free-standing belltower was constructed. Other 13th century additions include the chapel of Sourb Astvatsatsin, the scriptorium, and a large refectory which is outside the monastery limits.
There are also a number of splendid khachkars (cross-stones) of the 11th-13th centuries standing on the territory of the monastery, the best known among them is the "Amenaprkich" (All-Savior) khachkar which has been standing since 1273.
The monastery has been damaged many times. Sometime around 1130, an earthquake destroyed parts of Haghpat Monastery and it was not restored until fifty years later. It also suffered numerous attacks by armed forces in the many centuries of its existence and from a major earthquake in 1988. Nevertheless, much of the complex is still intact and stands today without substantial alterations.
Repkong - Rongpo Monatery - Temple of Tsongkapa - founder of the gelukspa sect
Meeting with the reincarnation/ rinpoche Trulku
nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinpoche
Rebkong is located in the Golden Valley of the Rongwu Guchu River in Malho prefecture southeast of Qinghai province, The valley is at about 2600m above sea-level, extends from the north to south, and is surrounded by several mountains. Rebkong is also famous for itâs Tibetan traditional arts and cultural preservation. The there are several large monasteries and villages scattering around the Rongwu town which is home to hundreds of artist. The most well known villages and monasteries are Sanggeshung Yago and Sanggeshung Mago(upper and lower Wutun), Gomar Gompa, Nyamtok village.etc. If you are interested in learning Tibetan culture and Tibetan traditional arts, Rebkong will be one of most recommend region.
Calaraseuca Monastery - Moldova
Calaraseuca Monastery is a monastery in the north of Moldova, located on the right a river Nistru. It was founded in the eighteenth century. In 1780 the old church could no longer be used, and Hagi Marcu Donici of Movilau, on the left a river Nistru, built a church and a steeple, which was sanctified in 1782 dedicated to the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In 1853 starts the construction of two churches dedicated to St. Mitrofan of Voronejului.
In 1916 the monks go to other monasteries, and nuns are brought Calaraseuca Virov refugees in the monastery, from Poland (located at the time of the Austro-German occupation). In 1961 the communist authorities Calaraseuca monastery transformed into a hospital for mentally disabled children. The church winter was transformed in a club and summer in the hospital warehouse. On 3 May 1991, nuns from the monastery was reopened Calaraseuca.
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
The issue price of the sheet is Nu 53
MONASTERIES OF BHUTAN
Bhutan Post is pleased to announce a new stamp issue on “Monasteries of Bhutan” celebrating the “Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the King” on November 11, 2005. the cost of the stamp is Nu.53.00 only. Taktsang Monastery: Taktsang (Tiger’s Nest) is one of the most sacred monasteries in Bhutan. It is perched on a rocky cliff at 2600 feet (800 meters) above the Paro Valley and was built by the fourth Druk Desi, Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye in 1692. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche flew on the back of a tigress and meditated in the cave where Taktsang Monastery now stands. The monastery includes ten temples which can all be visited. The monastery suffered several blazes the most recent being in 1998 and present monastery was restored in 2000. Kichu Monastery Kichu Monastery is one of Bhutan’s most sacred monasteries dating from the introduction of Buddhism in the 7th century. Located in Paro, it is the oldest monastery in the country built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 659 A.D. this Monastery is one of the 108 monasteries built miraculously in a single day by the Tibetan King to tame a huge Demons whose body covered all of Tibet and its neighboring areas, which posed a particularly big problem to the spreading of Buddhism. The King thus decided to erect a temple on each of the demon’s joints so that she would no longer be able to move. Songtsen Gampo was said to have magically multiplied himself and to have sent all of his emanations into the various areas so as to erect 108 temples in one day. The demon’s left knee is held by Jambay Monastery in Bumthang and her left sole is fixed by the Kichu Monastery. Kurjey MonasteryLocated in the beautiful valley of Bumthang, Kurjey is a complex of three temples, beneath a giant cypress tree. The main temple was built in 1652 by Minjur Tempa, Trongsa Penlop. This temple houses the cave where Guru Rinpoche had left his body imprint visible on the rock while meditating during the 8th century to subdue the local deities. The middle temple was built by the First King of Bhutan during his tenure as Trongsa Penlop in 1900. The third temple was constructed under patronage of Her Majesty the queen mother Ashi Kesang Wangmo Wangchuck. Jambay Monastery Jambay Monastery is believed to have been built on the same day as the Kichu Monastery in Paro by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 59 A.D. The central figure in the sanctuary is the statue of Jampa, the Buddha of the future. It was here that Guru Rinpoche conducted his first sermon on Tantric Buddhism for the local ruler of Bumthang, King Sendha Gyap, his family and subjects. The Monastery is built over a lake in which Guru Rinpoche is said to have hidden many sacred and religious treasures.
A monastery was built at this 10,000-foot pass as part of a memorial funded by the senior queen mother to the 16 soldiers killed in a 2003 action to eradicate the camps of Assam separatists who were using Bhutan as a base to conduct raids into India -- the modern Bhutanese army's first and only combat mission.
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
This monastery -- Snagov Monastery -- is located about 25 miles north of Bucharest in Ilfov County. (It's close enough that I'm including it as a Bucharest album.)
So what's the deal with Snagov Monastery? Honestly, I don't know. It seems there's no consensus on much of anything here, other than that the monastery exists. Nobody is sure when it was built, exactly, and that may have part to do with the reason it was built...if you choose to believe that, too.
This is (or not?) Vlad Tepes's final resting place. (For sake of argument, I'll say it is, though...who knows?) Vlad's English sobriquet is Vlad the Impaler (Tepes in Romanian), and he was...rather cruel. By the time of his death, he had many enemies, and it seems he was beheaded as his form of demise. This monastery was possibly built Vlad himself (at his orders, that is), or at the request of his grandfather.
Vlad's "tomb" in the middle of the church floor. Well...as he had a lot of enemies, one thought is that his burial spot was hidden. Some say he was -- and still is -- buried here, but deep under the floor, and animal bones were buried above him to throw off anyone who found the location. Well...the place was excavated, animal bones were found, and (I guess?) they didn't dig deeper. Short answer...nobody knows and it serves tourism's interests not to confirm. I'll leave it at that.
As for the aesthetics of the monastery, it's a standard Greek Orthodox church on the inside. That means...lots of paintings covering 100% of the wall. (This small monastery, though, is not a great example of Romanian churches; the churches up in Transylvania at Maramures are all much better representations. The painted monasteries there are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Having said all of that, if you're in Bucharest, this is worth seeing just for the fun of it. Day trips are cheap and easy.
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
This monastery was built in the 17th century, and is home to monks who sell wine and olive oil, presumably to generate money for the church. The olive oil they sell here is pretty famous, so these guys know what they are doing.
Lhatse - Sakya - Shigatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Narthang Monastery - Sakya Monastery
Narthang Monastery is a monastery located 15 km west of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1153 by one of the disciples of Atisha, Nathang was the fourth great monastery of Tsang with Shalu Monastery, Sakya and Tashilhunpo. Narthang was first famous for its scriptual teaching and monastic discipline. After the fourteenth century it gained great eminence as the oldest of Tibet's three great printing centres (the other being the Potala and the Derge).
The Fifth Panchen Lama took control of the monastery and it continued printing the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur up until 1959. Narrthang's five main buildings and large chanting hall were razed to the ground by the Chinese in 1966. They had contained priceless 14th century murals possibly painted by the artist scholars of nearby Shalu Monastery. Today only the mud-brick foundations can be discerned although parts of the Mongolian styled high-fortress walls are still standing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthang_Monastery
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, It is located within the historical Tsang province of Tibet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
Calaraseuca Monastery - Moldova
Decorations in the Chapel
insideCalaraseuca Monastery is a monastery in the north of Moldova, located on the right a river Nistru. It was founded in the eighteenth century. In 1780 the old church could no longer be used, and Hagi Marcu Donici of Movilau, on the left a river Nistru, built a church and a steeple, which was sanctified in 1782 dedicated to the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In 1853 starts the construction of two churches dedicated to St. Mitrofan of Voronejului.
In 1916 the monks go to other monasteries, and nuns are brought Calaraseuca Virov refugees in the monastery, from Poland (located at the time of the Austro-German occupation). In 1961 the communist authorities Calaraseuca monastery transformed into a hospital for mentally disabled children. The church winter was transformed in a club and summer in the hospital warehouse. On 3 May 1991, nuns from the monastery was reopened Calaraseuca.
Iconostasis Saints
Omodos is located about 42 kilometres north-west of the city of Limassol, in the geographical region of the wine-making villages. It is built near the west bank of the Cha-potami river. It is made up of 100 year old houses, which until this day are kept the same as when they were first built. These old houses themselves are of considerable interest from an architectural point of view, both externally and internally. However, museums explaining the traditional culture of the village are open to the public.
The ornament and true pride & joy of Omodos is the Monastery of the Holy and Life-giving Cross, built at the heart of the community. It rises majestically and with its imposing presence it becomes a significant part of Cyprus's cultural heritage. The Monastery of the Holy Cross is one of the oldest and most historic monasteries of the island. Some believe the village was founded after the building of the monastery.
According to tradition, the Monastery was established before St. Helen's arrival in Cyprus in 327 AD. The exact date of establishment is unknown. Various historians of Cyprus such as Neofytos Rodinos, the Russian monk and traveller Barsky, the Dean Kyprianos and others, refer to St. Helen's visit to Cyprus and to the fact that she left a part of the Holy Rope and the Holy Rood in the Monastery. This rope, with which the Romans bound Christ to the Cross, is described as red coloured and "stained by the blood of Christ".
After several miracles by the Cross, the Monastery gained substantial reputation and evolved to a great place of adoration. The historical Monastery of Omodos has gone through various phases as the aeons went by. During the harsh centuries of Turkish domination, the Monastery managed to sustain itself and achieve great things. Around 1700 it secured a sultan's "firman" (decree) of impunity and immunity. In 1757 water was transferred to the monastery and the cistern and fountain, found in the south-west end of the mon
Der Berg Montserrat mit dem Benediktinerkloster Santa Maria de Montserrat liegt etwa 45 km nordwestlich von Barcelona. Schon von weitem bietet der 1.236 Meter hohe Berg einen grandiosen Anblick. Auch von oben können Sie die Fernsicht bis weit in das Hinterland von Katalonien erleben.
Das Kloster von Montserrat selbst ist architektonisch keine besondere Sehenswürdigkeit, hier begeistert die Kulisse, in die die Gemäuer hineingebaut wurden. Viele der Touristen reisen allein wegen der Statue der Schwarzen Madonna, Schutzpatronin Kataloniens, an. Die Figur aus dem 12. Jahrhundert trohnt über dem Hochaltar in der Basilika des Klosters.
The mountain Montserrat with the Benedictine monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat is located about 45 km northwest of Barcelona. Even from afar, the 1,236-metre-high mountain offers a grandiose view. From the top you can also experience the distant view far into the hinterland of Catalonia.
The monastery of Montserrat itself is not a special architectural sight, but it is the scenery into which the walls were built that is impressive. Many of the tourists arrive solely for the statue of the Black Madonna, patron saint of Catalonia. The 12th-century figure is perched above the high altar in the monastery's basilica.
The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos was founded at the end of the 11th century by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118). The monastery lies at an altitude of 1,318 m on the north west face of the Troodos Mountains.
According to legend the hermit monk Isaiah was disturbed in his solitude by the governor of Cyprus, who had strayed from the path while hunting. The monk was maltreated when he refused to show him the way. Upon his return home, the governor, who had fallen ill, begged the monk's forgiveness. The monk healed him at the behest of the Virgin Mary, who appeared to him in a dream, and in return received a miracolous Marian icon, belonging to the Emperor of Constantinople. Over the centuries, the monastery was repeatedly destroyed by fires and earthquakes, so the current complex dates from the 19th and 20th centuries.
For centuries, the locals venerated the icon of the Virgin Mary, that according to Orthodox tradition was painted on a wooden panel by the Evangelist Luke during the Virgin's lifetime. Many miracles are attributed to it and it served as a model for countlessr Madonna images in the Eastern Church. It is covered with silver and gold and set in a precious frame. The always veiled image of Mary cannot be viewed nowadays.
The Virgin of Kykkos was highly venerated by shipowners and sailors. Numerous miracles refer to the salvation of ships and shipwrecked sailors following an invocation to the Virgin for help. A token of their appraction and respect the faithful would dedicate mock up ships and left them in the monastery, near the icon.
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My little fleet of votive ships
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Interior view of the Byzantine Greek Monastery of the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring, Western Sierra foothills. The arches & ceiling have since been frescoed.
The icons are by Michailis Vasilakis. The one in the center left of the Ikonostasion is the Life-Giving Spring & also shown in the Set called Icons.
We were high in the mountains at this monastery and the clouds kept blowing in and out around us. Really very mystical.
At over 3000 meters above sea level, Dochula pass grants one a view of Bhutan in all directions. At one of the viewing points, 108 stupas (chortens) were constructed as a memorial built by the queen, Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, to honor the victory of the Bhutanese army in the 2003 war of Southern Bhutan. Each one contains effigies of Buddha and religious texts. On a slope nearby, there is a large collection of colorful prayer flags and poles.
On a clear day, the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas can be seen. However, the weather was too foggy to see the mountains the day we went through the pass
Lumbinī (Nepali and Sanskrit: लुम्बिनी, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 623 BCE. Gautama, who achieved Enlightenment some time around 588 BCE, became the Gautama Buddha and founded Buddhism. Lumbini is one of many magnets for pilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of Gautama Buddha; other notable pilgrimage sites include Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath.
Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi Temple and several others which are still under construction. Many monuments, monasteries and a museum — the Lumbini International Research Institute — are also located within the holy site. Also located there is the Puskarini or Holy Pond where the Buddha's mother took the ritual dip prior to his birth and where he, too, had his first bath. At other sites near Lumbini, earlier Buddhas were, according to tradition, born, achieved ultimate Enlightenment and finally relinquished their earthly forms.
Lumbini was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1997.
IN BUDDHA´S TIME
In the Buddha's time, Lumbini was situated between Kapilavastu and Devadaha (both in Nepal). It was there, that the Buddha was born. A pillar now marks the spot of Ashoka's visit to Lumbiní. According to an inscription on the pillar, it was placed there by the people then in charge of the park to commemorate Ashoka's visit and gifts. The park was previously known as Rummindei, 3.2 km north of Bhagavanpura.
In the Sutta Nipáta (vs. 683) it is stated that the Buddha was born in a village of the Sákyans in the Lumbineyya Janapada. The Buddha stayed in Lumbinívana during his visit to Devadaha and there preached the Devadaha Sutta.
REDISCOVERY
In 1896, Nepalese archaeologists (led by Khadga Samsher Rana and assisted by Alois Anton Führer) discovered a great stone pillar at Lumbini. Führer postulated that the pillar was placed at the site by Ashoka (emperor of the Maurya Empire) circa 245 BCE. Records made by the Chinese pilgrim Faxian in the early fifth century CE were also used in the process of identifying this religiously acclaimed site.
Recent excavations beneath existing brick structures at the Mayadevi Temple at Lumbini have uncovered evidence for an older timber structure beneath the walls of the newer brick Buddhist shrine, which was constructed during the Ashokan era. The layout of the Ashokan shrine closely follows that of the earlier timber structure, which suggests a continuity of worship at the site. The pre-Mauryan timber structure appears to be an ancient bodhigara (tree shrine), consisting of postholes and a wooden railing surrounding a clay floor containing mineralized tree roots that appears to have been worn smooth by visitors. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the wooden postholes and optically stimulated luminescence dating of elements in the soil suggests human activity (possibly pre-Buddhist tree worship) began at the site around 1000 BCE, followed by the development of a Buddhist monastery-like community by approximately 550 BCE.
PRESENT-DAY
The present-day Lumbini historic site is 4.8 km in length and 1.6 km in width. The holy site of Lumbini is bordered by a large monastic zone in which only monasteries can be built, no shops, hotels or restaurants. It is separated into an eastern and western monastic zone, the eastern having the Theravadin monasteries, the western having Mahayana and Vajrayana monasteries.
The holy site of Lumbini has ruins of ancient monasteries, a sacred Bodhi tree, an ancient bathing pond, the Ashokan pillar and the Mayadevi Temple, where the supposed place of birth of Buddha is located. From early morning to early evening, pilgrims from various countries perform chanting and meditation at the site.
A non-governmental organization named Samriddhi Foundation started in 2013 working extensively in the field of education and health specially in government schools of the area where underprivileged children study. A non-governmental organisation called "Asia Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation" (APECF) backed by chairman of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and then Prime Minister Prachanda, the Chinese government and a UN group called "United Nations Industrial Development Organization" (UNIDO) signed a deal to develop Lumbini into a "special development zone" with funds worth $3 billion. The venture was a China-UN joint project. A broader 'Lumbini Development National Director Committee' under the leadership of Pushpa Kamal Dahal was formed on 17 October 2011. The six-member committee included Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) leader Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, Nepali Congress leader Minendra Rijal, Forest Minister Mohammad Wakil Musalman, among other leaders. The committee was given the authority to "draft a master plan to develop Lumbini as a peaceful and tourism area and table the proposal" and the responsibility to gather international support for the same.
Nipponzan Myohoji decided to build a Peace Pagoda in the park in 2001, which is visited by many different cultures and religions every day.
Hindus regard the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu and thousands of Hindu pilgrims go there on the full moon of the Nepali month of Baisakh (April–May) to worship Queen Mayadevi as Rupa Devi, the mother goddess of Lumbini.
Lumbini was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1997.
ON THE NEPALI RUPEE
Nepal's central bank has introduced a 100-rupee Nepali note featuring Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha. The Nepal Rastra Bank said the new note would be accessible only during the Dashain, Nepal's major festival in October 2013. It displays the portrait of Mayadevi, Gautam Buddha's mother in silver metallic on the front. The note also has a black dot which would help the blind recognise the note. The name of the central bank in Latin script would be printed on the note along with the date of printing in both the Christian Era and the Bikram Era. The new note is being issued following a cabinet decision 27 August.
TRANSPORT
Lumbini is a 9-hour drive from Kathmandu and a 30-minute drive from Bhairahawa. The closest airport is Gautam Buddha Airport at Bhairahawa, with flights to and from Kathmandu.
WIKIPEDIA
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Cozia Monastery - Romania
Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea cel Bătrân in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania.
Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozia_Monastery
Interesting te read:
www.romanianmonasteries.org/other-monasteries/cozia-monas...
Deze bisschoppelijke paal heeft in het verre verleden een belangrijke rol gespeeld bij de verkiezing van een nieuwe bisschop. Er was eens.... volgens mondelinge overleveringen, werden alle gewijden rond de paal verzameld. Iemand werd vooropgesteld en na een bede werd gelet op een beweging van de paal... ok of niet... 't Is natuurlijk al héél lang geleden hoor! De bodem was toen ook nog héél zacht...
Meer gegevens over de geschiedenis van Tatev:
clicked by Krisnendu Sar, June 2007. One of the most beautiful monasteries of Ladakh, it belongs to the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism. Sherab Zangpo of Stod got the Thiksey Monastery built for the first time, at Stakmo. However, later Spon Paldan Sherab, the nephew of Sherab Zangpo, reconstructed the monastery in the year 1430 AD. The new monastery was sited on a hilltop, to the north of Indus River. It serves as the residence of approximately eighty monks.
source: www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhist-monastery/ladakh/thikse...
Lhatse - Sakya - Shigatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Narthang Monastery - Sakya Monastery
Narthang Monastery is a monastery located 15 km west of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1153 by one of the disciples of Atisha, Nathang was the fourth great monastery of Tsang with Shalu Monastery, Sakya and Tashilhunpo. Narthang was first famous for its scriptual teaching and monastic discipline. After the fourteenth century it gained great eminence as the oldest of Tibet's three great printing centres (the other being the Potala and the Derge).
The Fifth Panchen Lama took control of the monastery and it continued printing the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur up until 1959. Narrthang's five main buildings and large chanting hall were razed to the ground by the Chinese in 1966. They had contained priceless 14th century murals possibly painted by the artist scholars of nearby Shalu Monastery. Today only the mud-brick foundations can be discerned although parts of the Mongolian styled high-fortress walls are still standing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthang_Monastery
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, It is located within the historical Tsang province of Tibet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave.
For more information:
Noravank (Armenian: Նորավանք, meaning "New Monastery" in Armenian) is a 13th century Armenian monastery.
The gorge where the monastery is located is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.
The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building.
Noravank was founded in 1205. The monastic complex includes the church of S. Karapet, S. Grigor chapel with a vaulted hall, and the church of S. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). Ruins of various civil buildings and khachkars are found both inside and outside of the compound walls.
For more information:
One could reach a state of euphoria , an ultimate state a human can ever reach; meditating in the forest complex of the Arankale Monastary. A good 40 minute drive from the provincial capital Kurunegale via ibbagamuwa .
Built in a timeworn era , strictly for the meditation of Buddhist monks and the cultivation of Medicinal plants , antiquated 800 years back when Maliyadeva , said to be the last Arahat in Sri lanka, meditated in the Arankale premises to reach the goal of Nirvana.
The remains of the archeological site can be dated to 8-10 Century A.D. The site covers an array of pathways, Jantagara, Chankamanagaraya, and Bodigara.
The Monastery is built in a typical Padanagara style (chambers designed for meditation ) surrounded by age old mountains of Dukanda, Dolukana and Mudukanda and, designed around the geology of ancient trees and rocky boulders gives it a sense of peace & tranquility .
Please see Arankale Monastery for more information. Thank you.
Capriana Monastery - Moldova
Căpriana monastery is a monastery in Căpriana, Moldova, located 40 km north-west of Chişinău.
One of the oldest monasteries of Moldova, Căpriana is located 40 km (25 mi) to the north-west of the country's capital Chișinău in a picturesque forested area once called Codrii Lăpușnei.
The first significant reference dates from a document issued in 1429 that gave Căpriana the status of royal monastery on behalf of Alexander the Good. In this deed the holy abode was referred to as "mănăstirea de la Vâșnovăț unde este egumen Chiprian" (the monastery of Vâșnovăț where the hegumen is Chiprian) and was given in the possession of Alexander's wife - princess Marena.