Monday, September 19, 2005

Global Common 1 (Bhutan and India)

I am back from summer vacation and this is my 100th posting. Yay !

Buddhism is the state religion of Bhutan and this religion plays an important part in the nation's politics.
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Inside the colorful Bhutan Pavilion, a 6-feet Buddha statue seated on a lotus throne made of clay.
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The Buddha of the Present Age, Sakyamuni is always pictured sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower throne. His hair dark blue and there is a halo of enlightenment around his head. The Buddha is recognised by 32 marks on his body.
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Prayer flags that are believed to purify the air and pacify the gods. These flags can be seen everywhere in Bhutan for good fortune, well-being, happiness and world peace.
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A closer look at the wood carvings splashed with colorful patterns.
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Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the former and present Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas, most notably Bhutan. Dzongs are set in commanding positions on hilltops or at the confluence of rivers and serve as the religious, military, administrative and social centers of each district.
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Bhutan remains one of the most secluded nations in the world, and foreigners are not permitted to travel to many of its areas to minimise the effects of tourism on the local culture. Bhutan ... I want to go !
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To enable visitors understand the country better, the India Pavilion displays two well-known symbols - the Bodhi Tree (a respect for nature by the Indian people and the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment) and the Dharmachakra (Wheel of Truth).
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India is the historical seat of Buddhism as well as home to both the Theravada and Mahayana sects.
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A corner for Indian clothings and other accessories that gives one the latest from the Indian fashion industry - scarfs, sarees, kurthas, sherwanis and many more.
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The pavilion also showcases large collections (song and dance in films) from the Bollywood, the popular Mumbai-based film industry in India (several are my favorites like Aishwarya Rai, Neha Dhupia and a few more).
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The spiritual art of India - a presentation through a traditional dance (not sure the name of the dance and there weren't much dance movements).

6 comments:

zbjernak said...

love all the picture...
kind of they shifted their whole country to japan for the exhibition.. hehehehe

love bhutan,nepal,tibet...
love the mystique elements...the roughnes....the far-from-the-world environment...and the culture...

but tought trip if to go there...dunno i can survive or not if i really go...

Primrose said...

I love indian bangles. :) And love wearing all 24 of it. Nice pics.

Acrix said...

C0ngrats on ur 100th posting :) Would love to travel around the himalaya area once in a life time with tibet first :P For the meantime back to my books :)

Patrick Leong said...

zbjernak : yes. the items for the decoration of the pavilions were shipped from different countries to japan well before the expo. the expo is a perfect location for visitors to have a glimpse of what is going on around the world and a perfect location for participating countries to convey messages they intend to pass over about themselves (especially those who suffer from the problem of portraying the right image overseas).

primrose : the bangles were beautiful and colorful indeed. but why 24 of it ?

acrix : thanks. yea. me too. i would like to visit tibet and india if there is ever an opportunity. especially northern india - the important religious and sacred sites, the birthplace of the lord buddha.

Primrose said...

A set of indian bangles come in either 12 or 24 (for the clanging sound kua). 6 on each wrists or 12. Nice...!

Bianca M said...

Greatt reading your post