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ABuddhist temple orBuddhist monastery is theplace of worship for adherents ofBuddhism. They include the structures calledvihara,chaitya,stupa,wat,khurul andpagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent thepure land or pure environment of aBuddha. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire both inner and outer peace.[1]
Buddhist temples follow a set of architectural guides adhering toBuddhist architecture principal, with stylistic derivatives seen throughoutSouth Asia,Southeast Asia, andEast Asia.[2]
Its architecture and structure varies from region to region. Usually, the temple consists not only of its buildings, but also the surrounding environment. The Buddhist temples are designed to symbolize five elements: fire, air, water, earth and void (space).[3]
The origins of early Buddhism, the design of temples in India was influenced by the idea of a place of worship as a representation of the universe. For Buddhist temple complexes one tall temple is often centrally located and surrounded by smaller temples and walls. This center surrounded by oceans, lesser mountains and a huge wall.[4]
AChaitya, Chaitya hall or Chaitya-griha refers to a shrine, sanctuary, temple or prayer hall inIndian religions. The term is most common inBuddhism, where it refers to a space with astupa and a roundedapse at the end opposite the entrance, and a high roof with a rounded profile. Strictly speaking, the chaitya is the stupa itself, and the Indian buildings are chaitya halls, but this distinction is often not observed. Many of the early Chaitya wererock-cut, as inKarla caves orAjanta.
Some of the earliest free-standing temples may have been of a circular type.Ashoka also built theMahabodhi Temple inBodh Gaya circa 250 BCE, a circular structure, in order to protect theBodhi tree under which theBuddha had found enlightenment. TheBairat Temple is also a round structure, which can be seen through archaeological remains. Representations of this early temple structure are foundon a 100 BCE relief sculpted on the railing of the stupa atBhārhut, as well as inSanchi.[5] From that period theDiamond throne remains, an almost intact slab ofsandstone decorated with reliefs, which Ashoka had established at the foot of theBodhi tree.[6][7] These circular-type temples were also found in later rock-hewn caves such asTulja Caves orGuntupalli.[8]
![Relief of a multi-storied temple, 2nd century CE, Ghantasala Stupa[9][10]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAndhra_pradesh%2c_santuario_a_pi%25C3%25B9_piani%2c_da_ghantasala%2c_90-110_ca..JPG)
Buddhism is the second oldest religion inIndonesia afterHinduism, which arrived from India around the second century.[11] The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to the history of Hinduism, as a number of empires influenced byIndian culture were established around the same period. The oldest Buddhistarchaeological site in Indonesia is arguably theBatujaya stupas complex inKarawang, West Java. The oldest relic in Batujaya was estimated to originate from the 2nd century, while the latest dated from the 12th century. Subsequently, significant numbers of Buddhist sites were found inJambi,Palembang andRiau provinces in Sumatra, as well as inCentral andEast Java. The Indonesian archipelago has, over the centuries, witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires, such as theSailendra dynasty, theMataram andSrivijaya empires.
According to some Chinese source, a Chinese Buddhist monkI-tsing on his pilgrim journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire ofSrivijaya based onSumatra in the 7th century. A number of Buddhisthistorical heritages can be found in Indonesia, including the 8th centuryBorobudurmandala monument andSewu temple inCentral Java,Batujaya in West Java,Muaro Jambi,Muara Takus andBahal temple in Sumatra, and numerous of statues or inscriptions from the earlier history of Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms.
During the era of theKediri,Singhasari andMajapahit empires, Buddhism—identified asDharma ri Kasogatan—was acknowledged as one of the kingdom's official religions along with Hinduism. Although some of kings might favour Hinduism over another, nevertheless the harmony, toleration and even syncretism were promoted as manifested inBhinneka Tunggal Ika national motto, coined fromKakawin Sutasoma, written by Mpu Tantular to promotes tolerance betweenHindus (Shivaites) andBuddhists.[12] The classical era of ancient Java also had produces some of the exquisite examples ofBuddhist arts, such as the statue ofPrajnaparamita and the statue of Buddha Vairochana and Boddhisttva Padmapani and Vajrapani inMendut temple.
In contemporaryIndonesian Buddhist perspective,Candi refers to a shrine, either ancient or new. Several contemporaryviharas in Indonesia for example, contain the actual-size replica or reconstruction of famous Buddhist temples, such as the replica ofPawon[13] andPlaosan'sperwara (small) temples. In Buddhism, the role of acandi as a shrine is sometimes interchangeable with astupa, a domed structure to store Buddhist relics or the ashes of cremated Buddhist priests, patrons or benefactors.
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Japanese Buddhist temples typically include aMain Hall.
A distinctive feature is thechinjusha, aShinto shrine devoted to the temple'skami. Buddhism co-existed withShinto, but in the 8th century Buddhism became the state religion and Buddhist temples were built. High concentration of importantJapanese Buddhist temples can be found in Japanese culture heartland ofKansai region, especially inNara andKyoto.
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Buddhist temples inThailand are known aswat, from the Pāḷi vāṭa, meaning "enclosure". Wat architecture adheres to consistent principles. A wat, with few exceptions, consists of two parts: thePhutthawat and theSangkhawat. ThePhutthawat (Thai:พุทธาวาส) is the area which is dedicated to Buddha. While theSangkhawat is the area which is dedicated toSangha Buddhistmonastic community.
Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka are known as 'Pansala' or 'Viharaya' inSinhalese.[citation needed] Common features in Sri Lankan temples includeStupa,Bo Tree and Temple Buildings. Sri Lanka has the oldest living human-plantedBodhi Tree in the world,Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi,[14] and some of the largestStupa in the world includingRuwanwelisaya,Jetavanaramaya andAbhayagiri vihāra located in Sri Lankan temples.[citation needed]
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The firstBuryat andKalmyk such wooden and stone temples askhuruls,dugans anddatsans were built with the participation ofRussian masons and carpenters, with the influence of the traditions of Russian church architecture. The buildings were cruciform in plan and many-headed. Thevestibule is a distinctive feature of the temples in Russia. It is designed to cut off cold air.[15]
Since the second half of the 19th century, temples in plan close to a square have been constructed in the form of a stepped pyramid with a Chinese-type roof with curved corners.[15]
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