- Address: Lalitpur 44600, Nepal
- Year of construction: 1585
Almost in the center of Nepalese city Lalitpur (Patan) there is a monumental building - a temple of Thousand Buddhas, the prototype of which was the Mahabodhi temple in India. Its name was given to the sanctuary due to the fact that on each of its bricks the image of Buddha is engraved.
History of the construction of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas
Abhay Raj priest worked on the creation of the Mahabuddha terracotta sanctuary in Patan. For this, he chose a place in which, according to legend, Gautama Siddhartha reached his enlightenment and was reborn in the Buddha. During the construction of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas, Abhay Raj was inspired by the same Hindu sanctuary built in the city of Bodhgaya in India.
In 1933, a strong earthquake occurred in Nepal , as a result of which the facility was completely destroyed. After that, the same sanctuary was built, which became the main attraction of the city. At the moment, the Temple of Thousand Buddhas is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Features of the Temple of Thousand Buddhas
This cult building is rightly considered the most unique terracotta monument in the world. Each brick of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas was made according to a special recipe, which included a mixture of clay and special herbs. This composition has given the tile not only a characteristic reddish color, but also cleanliness and durability.
The height of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas is 18 m. To get to it, you need to overcome the narrow passage between tall houses. Wooden supporting structures were created according to Nepalese traditions . At the same time, the very form of the sanctuary is more like Indian religious buildings, but not pagodas.
The foundation of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas is made up of stone columns. Here below you can see the altar, which is decorated with golden Buddha images. When the stupa was erected, bricks with images of Buddha Shakyamuni were also used. Other ornaments of the temple of the Thousand Buddhas are:
- sculpture of the mother of Gautama;
- The sculpture of a small Buddha (at that time still a prince);
- prints of the first seven steps of the little prince Gautam;
- bronze vazhdra with metal candlesticks, in which candles are always lit.
The terracotta temple of Mahabuddha in Patan is a kind of treasury of Nepalese art and an important religious structure. Every day thousands of Buddhas come to the temple of the followers of this religion from all over the world, wishing to bow to their teacher and feel the peace and eternal peace.
How to get to the temple of the Thousand Buddhas?
This cult building is located in the second largest city of Nepal - Lalitpur , or Patana. To see the temple of the Thousand Buddhas, one must head towards the Palace Square. He is in a small alley almost at the intersection of Nugah lumhiti and Cakarbahila-mahabaudhda. On foot from the center of the city you can walk along Karuna street, and by car - along the streets of Mahalaxmisthan or Kumaripati. In both cases, the road to the temple of the Thousand Buddhas will take approximately 10-20 minutes.