Showing posts with label Buddha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buddha. Show all posts

Monday, August 17, 2015

Accidental Tourist - 2015 - Asian Civilizations Museum exhibition: Buddhist treasures from the oldest museum in Asia - Indian museum of Kolkata (Calcutta) 亚洲文明博物馆

Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM) of Singapore: Exhibition: Buddhist treasures from Asia's oldest museum - the Indian museum of Kolkata (Calcutta)
亚洲文明博物馆 最新的展: 佛教珍品从亚洲最古老的博物馆-尔各答印度博物 (尔各答)
This museum has been named the top museum in Singapore and ranked 9th in Asia by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards for Museums released in Sept 16 2014.
这个博物馆在 2014 年 9 月 16 日定名为新加坡的顶级博物馆排名第 9 TripAdvisor 的旅客选择亚洲奖博物馆发布
I was fortunate enough to spend an hour walking amongst the Buddhist treasures on loan to ACM from Kolkata Museum, Asia's oldest museum on 13 August 2015. I chanced upon this last guided tour expertly managed by the ACM's volunteer guide and was transported to lands far away in India across centuries of Buddhist art that spans some 2200 years from Gandhara (2nd century), Mathura (1st to 3rd century), Gupta (5th century) to Pala (10th - 11th century).
2015 8 13 我很幸运加入最后一个小时的步行游ACM,运送到很远的印度政局跨越几个世纪的跨越从一些 2200 年的佛教艺术 Gandhara (2nd century), Mathura (1st to 3rd century), Gupta (5th century) to Pala (10th - 11th century).
Singapore's links to Calcutta started during the British rule with Singapore being ruled together with Melaka and Penang by the British based in Kolkata. Founded in 1814 (some 5 years before Sir Stamford Raffles reached Singapore shores), the Indian Museum, Kolkata contains one of the greatest collection of Indian sculptures.
加尔各答,新加坡,马六甲和槟城一起英国统治成立于1814年(5莱佛士爵士成立现代新加坡为英国殖民地),印度馆,加尔各答印度包含雕塑最大的收藏之一
The pieces on display showcase different phases and interpretations of Buddha and his teachings. Buddha (literally the 'enlightened one') was an Indian prince named Siddhatha Gautama born sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. He is sometimes called Shakyamuni which means 'sage of the Shakya clan'. It was a visual treat showcasing centuries old depictions of Buddha's birth, life, enlightenment and death (nirvana) carved out of sandstone, Schist, stucco, bronze, basalt and stone.
展出的作品展示佛陀和他的教导的解释不同的阶段(从字面上开明的人) 是一个名Siddhatha的印度王子6和第4公元前数百年间的某个时候出生的他有时称为释迦牟尼这意味着 '释迦族的圣人。这是一种视觉享受展示百年佛陀的诞生生活启迪和死亡(涅槃)砂岩,片岩,粉刷,铜色,玄武岩石
Here are some of the photographs of the exquisite pieces that were on loan - captured on iPhone
下面是一些租借的精美作品的照片:


Till the next time, onto the world and beyond!
我们在这里告别去环游世界!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Accidental tourist - Vesak Day celebrations in Singapore


For Vesak Day, I took a leap of faith and went to places I never ventured before….together with my friends, we stepped into Chinese temples and I saw a world that's totally alien to me even though it's in my backyard (literally at times). To a certain extent,I was a "fish out of water" as I didn’t know whether the temple devotees will object to my presence holding a camera and taking photos of the religious activities during this special day for them...

In the night before the Vesak holidays, I hopped down to Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (better known to me as “Bright Hill Temple”), one of the largest temples in Singapore and best known for it’s “3 steps 1 bow” ceremony held only during Vesak Day. I am challenged in using my DSLR for the 1st time at night but I do need to “practice, practice, practice”.

The temple’s website showed many many places I didn’t manage to go in my short 2-hours there but here are some photos.


Photo of one of the temple towers in bright lights

Photo of 3-steps-1-bow ceremony

(out of focus) Photo of a man praying before Buddha

On Vesak Day itself, I went down to the other side of Little India at a temple called Sakya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple” or “Temple of 1000 lights”. This is an earmarked historic site by Singapore National Heritage Board. It’s a Thai-Buddhist temple with a 15m Buddha. Again, I have never been anywhere near here all my life (this is becoming a “story of my life” statement) so we decided to drop by there….3 photos showing what we saw:


Photo of 15m Buddha surrounded by hundreds of lights


Photo of worshippers putting down incense sticks outside temple

Photo of devotees placing gold-leaf on statute of Buddha

Of course, I did the thing that most people will do in such places, I did my gold leaf placement and wish for good luck and health as well!!

Opposite this Temple of 1000 lights was another temple called “Leong San Buddhist Temple” or “Dragon Mountain Temple. Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture any nice photos of this place. I totally blame this on my limits as a photographer as it was definitely a shame since as the temple has some lovely sculptures on its roof….

But there was a dragon dance troupe that came by while I was at the location so I will be showing some shots of the dragon & lion dances instead:

Photo of dragon head coming out of temple – it is a bit orange

Photos of the dragon dance troupe hard at work

Photo of the pink lion that followed after the dragon dance

Next was a MRT train ride down to Chinatown for a trip to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Its website is quite impressive so do hop over if you have some time: http://www.btrts.org.sg/. Again 1st time venture in there even though I heard much about the huge complex of some 4-5 floors with a roof top garden coupled with the largest cloisonné Buddha Prayer Wheel in the world. It houses a museum together with a shopping gallery cum library within its premises. During Vesak Day, the priceless tooth relic is displayed for veneration. Here goes the photos:


Photo of the front entrance


Photo of the countless candle tea-lights (again only during Vesak Day)

Photo of girl tying on prayer knot by monk

Personally, I feel that I do not do much justice to this gorgeous place with my 3 photos cos it’s quite beautiful in that place and pretty impressive.

Anyway, till the next time...Onto the unknown and beyond.....