Traditional Nepalese Buddha sculptures

Last Saturday I visited the International Fair Trade and Gems and Jewelry Show here in Kathmandu. The entrances to these event's venues were decorated with the magnificent sculptures of Buddha. 

Durga riding a lion

I am not sure but I think it IS Hindu goddess Durga because the figure is dressed in a sari and riding a lion. The lion represents power, will and determination. Durga riding the lion symbolizes her mastery over all these qualities. This suggests to the devotee that one has to possess all these qualities to get over the demon of ego. This lovely sculpture decorates one of the houses in Kathmandu. Have you noticed a lamp in the lion's mouth? Cool...

Peacock motif

Peacock window of the Kumari house, Basantapur

I like ancient Hindus' description of peacock, it is precise and witty: "it has the feathers of an angel, the voice of the devil and the walk of a thief". You can see peacock image in so many places here in Kathmandu: it is a popular motif on windows and doors, it is a fashionable jewelry theme, it is a decoration item at weddings. Such popularity comes not only from the bird's beautiful look. In Hindu-Buddhist culture the peacock is viewed as a general symbol of good luck and prosperity.

Sankhu town and its goddess

Sankhu is the ancient Nepalese town which lies beside the holy Salinadi river about 20 km east of Kathmandu. Though it is called "town" but it looks more like a village with typical culture and architecture of a Newar settlement. The town is said to be guarded by Asta matrikas, the eight goddesses. Each of these goddeses has been placed in the eight different directions of Sankhu.
On the northern hill slope from Sankhu there is a temple of one of the important mother goddess, Khadga Jogini. Holding a khadga (scimitar) in her right hand and a flower in her left hand, Khadga Jogini is made of stone. On both sides from the goddess there are her attendants, the deities of super natural power. Not far from this temple there is another one of metal-made gilded Khadga Jogini.

Ganesh shrines of the Kathmandu Valley

Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, is one of the most popular divinities in Hinduism. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati. Accidentally Shiva cut off his head and had to replace it with the head of an elephant. For this misfortune Shiva granted Ganesh the right to be worshiped before any other god at every Hindu ritual. Besides this, Ganesh is considered to possess the power of removing obstacles, curing diseases, helping in completing difficult tasks. Ganesh shrines are numerous all around the Kathmandu Valley. Four shrines are especially sacred: Chandra Binayak, Suriya Binayak, Karya Binayak and Jal Binayak.

Vishnu shrines of the Kathmandu Valley

Vishnu-Narsingh, Bhaktapur

Vishnu is a Hindu god who has so many different names. Besides, he comes in various forms or incarnations. There are many Vishnu temples and shrines within the Kathmandu Valley. One of the most impressive is the Reclining Vishnu at Budhanilkantha. There, Vishnu as Narayan reclines peacefully on a bed made from the coils of a huge snake Ananta. Ananta's eleven hoods form kind of a crown to the god's head. Even while he sleeps, Vishnu's eyes are half-opened. His four arms hold four attributes: the discus - symbol of the cosmic mind; the mace - primeval knowledge;the conch - the symbol of creating universe; and the lotus seed - the symbol for the moving universe and of all things that are good (eternity, prosperity, and purity).

Samyak, the unusual festival of Nepalese Buddhists

There is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated only here in Nepal, it is Samyak. All the three cities in the Kathmandu Valley celebrate the Samyak festival, but at different time intervals. In Kathmandu it is observed once in 12 years; in Patan - once in five years; and in Bhaktapur - every year. The main point of this festival is to honour Buddhas, especially Dipankara Buddha, who predicted Lord Sakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment in a previous lifetime. At this time, Buddhists also honour the Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara, Arya Tara, and so on.

Kailashnath Mahadev, the tallest statue of Shiva

High up on the hill top in Sanga, which is 20 km away from Kathmandu, stands the tallest Shiva sculpture in the world. The statue is 108 feet tall, after the holy number in Hindu mythology. When the foundation of 35 feet is added the total height of the statue comes to be 143 feet. The statue is made of cement, concrete and iron and then is coated with zinc and copper to protect the statue from natural factors like sun, wind, and rain. It It is said that the amount of these metals in the outer cover of the statue is 6000 kg.

Mournful beauty of the Highgate

I can't say that I am such a big lover of walking around cemeteries. And I found myself in the London's Highgate cemetery quite by accident: a friend of mine, a fashion designer, was making a "Gothic" collection. And she wanted to visit the cemetery "for inspiration". She didn't feel like going alone and so, she talked me into accompanying her.
Want to say that the cemetery did not look terrible or ominous (at least for me). Admission was 3 pounds, simbolic fee, rather to ward off vagrants and idlers from the place.

Buddhas of Sri Lanka

Buddha at the entrance to the Kandy museum

I had thought that Sri Lanka is a Hindu country, but no, it turned out that the majority of the population is Buddhists (69%). And even if you have not read the statistics on this subject beforehand, that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country is not difficult to guess just after arriving there - impressive size sculpture of seated Buddha greets you at the airport, and numerous figures of smaller size, enclosed in glass boxes , flash with the regularity at roadsides and crossroads. I've never seen so many images of Buddha: in different sizes - from huge to small, in various poses - sitting, standing, reclining, with different facial expressions and hand positions, made of different materials.

Red-skinned god and sinners in hell

There is a temple in Patan with unpronounceable name Ratomachhendranath. It is dedicated to Machhendra - the god of rain and harvest who for unknown to me reason is redskinned (hence the prefix "Rato" meaning "red"). Interestingly, this Hindu Machhendra revered by Buddhists as Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara so the temple looks like Hindu-Buddhist - with many-armed demons on the friezes of the temple and with Buddhist rotating prayer drums around the perimeter of the building.
The temple is a typical example of Nepalese architecture, it is three-storied pagoda. It was built back in 1673.

Changu Narayan, the oldest temple of the Kathmandu Valley

Changu Narayan is the oldest temple in the Kathmandu Valley and also one of the most interesting ensembles. The temple itself is dedicated to Vishnu (most often called Narayan in Nepal) and stands in a spacious courtyard littered with priceless stone sculptures from the 4th to 9th centuries AD. Especially worth mentioning are the lion-headed Vishnu Narasimha, dismembering the king of the demons; Vishnu with ten heads and ten arms going through the different layers of the universe; Vishnu Vikrantha, a dwarf with six arms. The oldest piece is Garuda, the mythical half-bird half-man, Narayan’s mount which dates back to the 5th century (Changu is one of Garuda names).

Black Bhairab, the terror of dishonest citizens

This is a sculpture of the terrifying six-armed Black Bhairab god in Basantapur. No one knows where it originally came from, the temple or even the town in which it stood. It was found near a royal forest where a Malla king was constructing a garden. The god cloaked in human skins and garlanded with human heads stands upon a demon. This fierce god is admired and revered as a form of Shiva. He is never left without offerings - rice, vermilion, incense, flowers - placed in his skull bowl. People accused of crime used to be brought before the Bhairab to swear their innocence. It was believed that the god would  punish anyone who tells lies in front of him by causing them to bleed to death.