Today our first stop will be at Sakirin Mosque which has recently opened in Istanbul, Turkey.Sakirin Mosque opened in Istanbul, Turkey--It’s the first mosque in the country to have an interior designed by a woman, Zeynep Fadillioglu. An interior designer known for jet setting ways, she nonetheless won a commission to redesign the religious structure in Istanbul. She even recruited women to help in the construction. It's a fairly impressive building, subtly blending modern techniques and materials into what might be the world's most conservative design vernacular. Its walls are almost completely made of glass.The mihrab, which in most Turkish mosques is a modest niche indicating the direction of Mecca, is a dramatic, rounded arch in blue and gold.On a recent day, the main prayer room of the mosque was flooded with sunlight that fell in through the walls. Glass panels with golden etchings from passages of the Quran reinforced the effect of being surrounded by light. The 400 square metres of the prayer room can accommodate about 250 worshippers, with room for an additional 100 people on the spacious balcony, the traditional place for women to pray. Admittedly, I have not been inside a lot of mosques and don’t know much about how light and open space is supposed to work in them, traditionally. I just know that this has a crazy gorgeous interior, with a lovely soaring, open feel to it. It’s got lots of gold in the color scheme, but it manages to be tasteful and elegant, instead of looking like Trump Mosque.The unfinished wood accents contrast nicely. And I love how the “dripping chandelier” catches and magnifies natural light.I know most of you are amazed .It is indeed a very rare combination of visiting a mosque first and then stepping in to a temple during your teerth yatra .But I pray to Goddess Saraswati to give all of us the intellect to understand that our creator- our God- Just created Humans but it is we humans who divided ourselves with the rope of religion , cast , colour and racism.It is we humans who even went far enough to create temples , mosques, churches and gurdwaras thinking that the steps of a temple and the steps of a dargah will lead us to 2 different creators/masters/Lords etc.. When will we understand that God is one! May Allaah give us enough wisdom to understand that the doors to the mosque and the doors to a temple will lead us to the one and only one God who is the creator of all..Allaah Maalik!! [Click on the below pictures to see the beautiful view]
Pura Taman Saraswati-These 2 pictures are the panoromic view of Pura Saraswati Temple (next to Cafe Lotus) in Ubud, Bali Indonesia – a large lotus pond framed by ancient flowering trees with one of Ubud’s main temple complex, Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati in the background. The royal family commissioned this temple and water garden, dedicated to the Hindu goddess of art and learning, at the end of the 19th century. The main shrine is covered in fine carvings, and the bale houses (small pavilions) and giant barong masks are interesting. The restaurant Cafe Lotus (above) is situated at the front, on the main street, so that diners can look out over the lovely grounds. One of the most beautiful temples in Bali! The lotus blossoms sway gently in the breeze as you look down the walkway carving a swath through the pink blooms . They almost seem to be bowing towards the temple.Waters from the temple at the rear of the site feed the pond in the front which overflows with pretty lotus blossoms. There are weekly dance performances. Beautiful Pura (Temple) Saraswati, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia----, famous for its lotus ponds (and the Lotus Cafe restaurant next door to it). Inside Pura (Temple) Saraswati, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia .There are carvings that honour Devi Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and the arts, who has clearly given her blessing to Ubud. Ubud is known for its strict observance of everything Balinese. Whether its be painting, carving, dance or ceremony, the Ubud version is usually the top of the line Pura Saraswati was built by stone carver and architect Gusti Nyoman Lempad (also an artist), who was hired by the Sukawati royal family. Visiting the temple is easy, just walk through the restaurant and down the center of the lotus pond. Be sure to wear a sarong and sash in observance of the religious significance.My Heartfelt pranams to Maa Saraswati in the temple of Bali , Indonesia . [If you want to check out Pura Saraswati, its located on Jl. Raya Ubud, at the top of Monkey Forest Rd to the right.And to see the actual panormic view Keep reading- Its a site u do not wanna miss.] ----- Saraswati Temple is a well known mythological landmark in Pushkar, Rajasthan. Saraswati Temple Pushkar Rajasthan is a temple dedicated to goddess Saraswati, the wife of Brahma. Literally the name Saraswati means 'the flowing one'. In the Rig Veda Saraswati symbolizes a river deity and is connected with fruitfulness and refinement. She is considered to be the epitome of all understanding - arts, sciences, crafts and skills. She stands as the goddess of the creative inclination, the source of music, beauty and articulacy. Many artists, writers and other individuals involved in creative activities have since ages come on pilgrimage to Pushkar to ask for the inspiration of Brahma and Saraswati. About Pushkar:Pushkar in Rajasthan is a sacred place for Hindus and has 400 astounding temples. The most important of them is the one dedicated to Lord Brahma. According to the famous and ruling legend in Rajasthan, every year for five days all the gods visit Pushkar and bless the devotees. That is why every year, an incredible number of devotees flock to the lake to wash away their sins. These five vital days also correspond to the biggest cattle fair of the country. A visit to the Pushkar fair is in fact a lifetime experience. -------- Saraswati temple in BITS campus, Pilani-- The Sharda temple at Pilani, Rajasthan is a twentieth century modern temple, built by the Birla family of industrialists - philanthropists. It is a temple dedicated solely to Saraswathi and is located in the heart of the Vidya Vihar campus at Birla Institute of Technology and Science.Its architecture is inspired from the breath-taking architecture of Khajuraho temple. The entire structure is situated on a 7 feet high basement and is about 25000 sq feet in area. The marble used in construction was brought from Makrana, also in Rajasthan. The basement of the sanctum is covered with rows of figures sculptured in relief. The shikhara or the pyramidal tower above the sanctum rises to a height of 110 feet. The ceiling of the sanctum is adorned with magnificient carvings. The shikharas are crowned with kalashas, made of copper, plated with gold. The exterior of the temple is also decorated with designs, and figures of philosophers, saints and scientists thereby reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of the monument and the vision of the builders to bridge the gulf between spirituality and modern scientific thought and technological advances. ----- Message from the teachings of Saibaba for 25th September Well-Protected Spiritual Home-- We always wish that our life should go smoother and safer. But we should strive for it. We alone reap the fruits of our actions. A beautiful and well-protected house is a pre-requisite to live happily without any tensions and agitations. In the spiritual life, we should treat the four thoughts viz, faith in Baba, confidence, love and obedience as the four walls of the house. We should raise the sturdy roof of deep devotion over it. A house built like this will be able to withstand any inclement weather, be it furious gales, torrential rains or floods so that it remains strong and stable. It gets the strength of soul to boldly face any hardship or problem. We, who walk in the light of Baba's blessings, go ahead fearlessly.We, who drink the nectarine devotion for Baba, will never get fatigued or feel hungry. As we think that all are the children of Baba, we treat everyone as our kith and kin. Living together in love and concord, we experience the sweetness of the company of the good souls. Gradually, Baba will spiritually energise our hearts. Devotees will lose charm of worldly desires and realize that the purpose of life is to reach the presence of Baba. We enjoy Baba's love in full measure. We attain a state of mind where we remain cool-headed and poised in any situation. Our hearts rejoice when we cast our burdens on God, completely. ..............................If u have reached till here, then u surely deserve to watch this breath taking actual panoromic view of Pura Saraswati temple in Bali -- http://www.samrohn.com/360-panorama/pura-saraswati-ubud-bali/ click on the picture and u will see what I mean
