India. Pali declared as a classical language is celebration of Bharat’s ancient cultural heritage
New Delhi, Oct 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a historic decision, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government has officially recognised Pali, along with Prakrit, Bengali, Marathi and Assamese, as one of the classical languages of India. This recognition, long awaited by scholars and…
A new book. Mandalas: Mapping The Buddhist Art of Tibet
Behrendt, Kurt with essays by Christian Luczanits and Amy Heller and an interview with Tenzing Rigdol, 2024. 256 pages, 175 illustrations, 9.5 x 10.75 in A mandala is a diagram of the universe—a map of true reality intended to provide…
Fabric of Time: The Group Reproducing China’s Ancient Style
A Shanghai lecturer is working with like-minded culture fans to research and replicate traditional Chinese outfits, bringing their beauty into the 21st century. Like most Chinese, Chi Wenhui first learned the classic tale of The Emperor and the Assassin in her…
The story of the Great Stupa of Sanchi from Ashokan times to now
The ornate red sandstone gateway, which was unveiled in December 2022, is a 1:1 reproduction of the original structure standing at almost 10 metres high and 6 metres wide, and weighing roughly 150 tonnes. Recently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar…
Celestial clean: Japanese duo spruce up world’s tallest bronze Buddha
Ushiku (Japan) – Emerging from the head of the world’s tallest bronze Buddha and climbing down to its right ear, two specialist cleaners gave the imposing Japanese statue an annual spruce up Monday to help it look its gleaming best….
Myanmar. PhaungdawU Pagoda’s sacred Buddha images to visit 21 places
In line with the age-old tradition, the revered Buddha images of the Inlay PhaungdawU Pagoda, located in Nyaungshwe Township, Southern Shan State, will visit 21 places from 3 to 30 October. The ceremonial procession will commence on the morning of…
2000-Yr-Old Buddha Statues Submerged In Vadodara Flood waters. India
Over a dozen terracotta statues of Lord Buddha excavated from the ancient Devni Mori site in north Gujarat, have been submerged in floodwaters since the night of Aug 26. The statues, which are over 2,000 years old, were kept in…
TIBETAN BUDDHIST SAND MANDALA
USA. The Venerable Lama Losang Samten visits Villanova University Sept. 9 – 13, 2024 to create a Tibetan sand mandala. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences presents the weeklong event in partnership with the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of…
Who is the ‘Laughing Buddha’? A scholar of East Asian Buddhism explains
With his delighted expression, round belly, bald head and monastic robes, the “Laughing Buddha” is instantly identifiable. However, astute observers might wonder why this buddha does not look like the historical Buddha, who lived in India about 2,500 years ago….