Accumulation of religious merit in building TEMPLES & the Borobudur

Temple
Dr Uday Dokras

The temples built during in the ancient times were beautifully constructed. Many large temples
were constructed by the kings.

Many a times, temple communicate the importance of a king. By building a temple, the ruler
tried to assert his position as the most powerful and divine. People considered the temples as
miniature models of the world ruled by the kings and its allies. By worshipping in the temples, it
was supposed that the kings who built them had brought the just rule of the gods on the earth.
Temples were not only religious places rather had extreme socio-economic-political significance.

Through out ancient and medieval ages building of temples was seen as a form of proclaiming
might by ruler. A King would often build a temple in the newly conquered territory or after
victory in a battle to display his valor. It was also a way of socially legitimizing the sovereignty
of a new king.

The temples were also economic and cultural centres. With the rise of pilgrimages various other
occupations grew around the temples.The king would often use them as public platforms to
convey his orders.Temples were often useful as places of refuge during natural calamities or
invasions. Many temples were in fact walled cities. The citizenary was protected from aggression
within the walls as well as under the watch of the Diety or God image.

Thus, temples in ancient period served a number of purposes and were patronaged by kings. In
the past or during ancient Indian era, trade was the primary occupation for most kings.
Also, on some occasion if a King finds some statue hidden deep in his land, he would order his
minister to build a temple to host that statue. Kings have always focussed on winning the hearts
of his people and he will do everything to support that.

In a story its said that the King of Mysore dreamt of the Chamundeswari goddess and she
exholted him to built a palace in Mysore and the maharaja migrated there to live in ited in
Mysore. There are lots of instances even in todays generation that people get God or Goddess in
their dream and this makes them do such auspicious things. There in one such temple in
Thirupamburam that priest would make the Goddess wears an anklet and its been a practice even
today, though this is not an Agama practice. It is said that in the Bronze Age the first cities
emerged in the Indus Valley Civilization. Archaeology has unearthed urbanization phase from
early Harappan in Kalibangan to the late Harappan phase when urbanization declined but was
preserved in few pockets. The urbanization in the Gangetic plains began as early as 1200 BC
with the emergence of fortified cities and appearance of Northern Black polished ware." The
Mahajanapada period was characterized by Indian coins and use of stone in the Indian
architecture. The Mauryan period is considered as the beginning of the classical period of Indian
architecture. Nagara and Dravidian architectural styles developed in the early medieval period
with the rise of Hindu revivalism and predominant role of Hindu temple architecture in the
Indian Subcontinent.

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One of the earliest planned cities of modern times, Jaipur is considered a fine example of
planned architecture. Designed by Pandit Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, the city is divided into nine
squares or grids based on the tenets of Vedic architecture. The grid pattern is also seen in the
bazaars, which open onto chaupars or squares as well as the streets which cut each other at right
angles.

The grid pattern of Jaipur Walled City. Pic: Jaipur Tourism

Jaipur’s Walled City has two distinct architectural styles.

1. The 18th-century style is typified by Rajput architecture dominated by chhatris (dome-
shaped pavilions) and arches.
2. The 19th century blended Rajput and European styles and is seen in the Town Hall
building, the Mubarak Mahal, Albert Hall and the Maharaja Library.

The Walled City is dotted with scores of beautifully designed buildings and bazaars, all painted
in the pink colour that has given Jaipur the moniker of ‘Pink City.  Legend has it that before the
Prince of Wales visited Jaipur in 1876, since pink is the colour of hospitality, Maharaja Ram
Singh II ordered that all buildings on the main roads be given a wash of the pale terracotta hue
that came to be known as Jaipur Pink.The material used in the construction of the buildings was
sourced locally and is mainly random rubble masonry with a finishing of lime plaster. The
visitors can walk through the beautifully painted Dhundubi Pol or the Naqqar Khana – from
where the sounds of shehnai (clarinet) and dhol (drum) would announce the King’s daily
schedule. 
The buffer between the two gates houses the sheds, which house the ‘Indra Vimaan’ – a chariot
pulled by elephants. From the Sireh Deorhi Darwaza, the group moves on to the loftily sited
Kalki Mandir, dedicated to the tenth incarnation of Vishnu. It is the only one in the world
consecrated in the name of Kalki.

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 Kalki Mandir in the
Jaipur Walled City is the only one dedicated to the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Pic: Jaipur
Uncharted Govind Devji Temple, Jaipur. Govindji is the patron deity of the city. 
All temples in the Walled City are on the first floor and there are shops below. When Jaipur was
a princely state, the shop-owners used to provide the revenue for the upkeep of the temple.

Seven Gates Of Walled City

Although the construction of the city started in 1727, it took 4 years to complete the construction
of major palaces, roads, and square. Maharaja Jai Singh was extremely particular about ensuring
maximum security for the city and that is why he utilized all his scientific and cultural skills to
design it in a well-protected manner. This was done by constructing huge fortified
walls with seven strong gates around the city. There were a total of eight city gates as per the
original plan and another one was added in the middle of the twentieth century.
Architecture of Walled City of Jaipur

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Map of Walled City of Jaipur

The seven gates with a 6-meter high and 3-meter thick wall marks the boundary of the Pink City.
These gates which provide access to the old city also acts as a security feature, protecting the
city & its residents from enemies or any outside threats. Earlier, these gates would close at dusk
and open only after dawn. To announce the impending closure of gates to all citizens in the
evening, a small cannon would be fired as an alarm. The closing the gates at dusk was later
discontinued after 1940 as the city extended and new areas got developed beyond these gates and
the walled city.
Let us know more about the prominent gates of the walled city of jaipur. The seven primary
gates or pols of Jaipur are:
Surajpole

The Surajpole or the Sun gate derives its name from Suraj or the Sun as the sun rises from the

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east and the gate is also located at the eastern end of the walled city of jaipur in the direction of
the rising sun. It also paves the way to the famous sun temple towards Galta Ji. The gate can be
identified by the illustration of two suns painted on its wall. It has only one secondary gate
beside it.
Chandpole

Diagonally opposite to the Surajpole lies the ChandPole which means the Moon Gate. This gate

is located on the western side of the walled city of Jaipur situated along the east-west axis. The
significant feature of this gate is the Chandpole Hanumanji temple adjoining it. It is an ancient
Hanuman Ji temple with 25 feet high Shikhar above its structure. Surrounding this gate is a
popular bazaar of Jaipur, named Chandpole Bazar which is a very busy and active market. It
has two small secondary gates on either side.
Dhruv Pole

This gate is named after the Dhruv Tara (pole star) which always shines in the north direction.
This gate is also situated in the North Direction and is the first gate that was built for this walled
city of Jaipur. The gate was initially called Dhruv Pole and now is called the Zorawar Singh
Darwaza. It is the widest among all old city gates. The secondary gates on both sides are also
quite wide. This gate is connected to the Amer town and you have to pass through this gate while
you drive from Delhi to Jaipur.
Ajmeri Gate

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Ajmeri Darwaza or Kishan Pole is the first of the four southern gates. This gate signifies to the
westerly road towards the Ajmer city. This gate leads the road inside the city towards Kishanpole
bazar which is especially known for tie and dye fabrics. Also known as Kishan Pol, this gate
leads the way to the famous Kishanpole bazar. It is a large size primary door with small
secondary doors on both sides.

Naya Pole

Naya pole or the New gate derives its name after the fact that this was the ninth gate that was not
in the original plan of the gates that were constructed for the walled city of jaipur. It
was constructed in the middle of the twentieth century, replacing a small gate. Earlier it was
known as the Chor Darwaza or secret gateway and was later increased in size by Sawai Ram
Singh II. The road from the Naya pole connects to the Tripolia gate of the City Palace. You can
spot Albert Hall through this gate. It lies on the southern end of the Chaura Rasta and is
the second gate of the southern rampart. This gate follows the design of the European and
Mughal architecture blend. There is a large primary door in the center and smaller secondary
doors on either side.
Sanganeri Gate

Sanganeri Gate is the third Gate of the southern rampart of the walled city of jaipur. This gate
leads to the southern route which takes you to the Sanganer town. It is also called Shivpole after
the Shiv Mandir situated in its vicinity. The royal family used to visit this temple
during Mahashivratri. This gate also takes you to the very popular Johri Bazaar of Jaipur. The
design of Shiv Pole and Kishan Pole are quite similar which includes a large primary door with
secondary doors on either side.

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Ghat Pole

This gate is the last of the four Gates of the southern rampart of the walled city. The Ghat
Pol derived its named after the easterly road which connects Jaipur with the Ghat known as Ghat
ki Ghuni. This gate paves its way towards the Ramchandra Ji Chowkri and Ramganj Bazar.
Hence it is also known as Ram Pole. This Ghat Darwaza has a single secondary gate.
Besides these primary gates, there are many more smaller gates spread across the city like
the Samrat Pole, Char Darwaza, Ganga Pole, Ganesh Pole, Tripolia, etc. Although those are the
internal gates, each carries a unique story to enthrall you. All these gates have a common design
of floral motifs  and  color. These gates are great reminders of the rich architectural legacy of the
bygone era. https://www.jaipurstuff.com/places-to-visit/seven-gates-of-walled-city-of-jaipur/

Jaipur Town Hall- a later British era creation The world-famous Hawa Mahal is an ode to Jaipur
being known as Lord Krishna’s city because the design of the monument is in the shape of
Krishna’s mukut or crown

The ancient land of India is blessed with the holy sojourn of many exceptional saints, religious
and Spiritual Leaders. Some of the predominant pilgrim destinations in India are Vaishno Devi,
Char dhams comprising of Dwarka, Puri, Rameswaram and Badrinath, twelve Jyotirlingas, etc
among others. These pilgrim places attract a huge amount of pilgrims from various parts of the
country and abroad. Due to its reverence, there is a rapid increase in the floating population and
the activities of pilgrims during pilgrimages each year which has a high potential to impact the
built environment in these sacred sites. In pilgrimage, effects are influenced by seasonality and
are limited over time and space. Urban conservation undertakes the highest priority in the case of
pilgrim cities because of the philosophy and values of design it demonstrates, not just in its place
of workshop be it temple, church etc., built heritage associated and in the layout of the cities, but
also in the regional setting in which the cities are placed and its relationship with other features.
This paper outlines the issues and challenges in the core of pilgrim cities which is justified as the
surrounding place of worships or preferably the temple core that signifies changes in frequency
and character of the pilgrims over the past few decades which reflect new pressures on the built
environment of sacred sites based on literature study and case study approach. It also illustrates

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and raises instances to stress on the importance of the coherent heritage conservation policies
according to the character of the city.

Undertaking the Journey: ‘Tirthayatra’, Pilgrimage in Indian essence, is ‘undertaking a

journey to a religious area, or a sacred place that usually illustrates four implications: a path,
riverbank, sacred site and religious territory related to divine activities. In India, a majority of
religious places are extensively associated with nature, their physical setting being near hilltops,
flowing water or forests. Tourist and pilgrims visit these areas for two broad categories of
thoughts: spiritual pursuits and reasons of mundane existence. Pilgrimage as a form provides
travel opportunities for people to visit sacred places which are blessed with strong historical
background and a mesmerizing cultural heritage which are a feature common to almost all
classes. Pilgrimage travel to these spirituality epitomes is reported to have substantially increased
in the past few decades due to increased accessibility

Shrines are important as they contain a statue or image of the Buddha or a Bodhisattva .
These statues and images help Buddhists to focus their devotion and meditation. The statues and
images are not worshipped, but they do assist Buddhists in their search for enlightenment . On
full moon days and festivals, Buddhists may visit a vihara or temple in order to worship with
others.

Temples are centres for study and worship for the whole community. Any place where an image
of the Buddha is used in worship is known as a shrine and many Buddhists also have shrines at
home. Temples are centres for study and worship for the whole community. Worship in the
temple includes chanting the Three Refuges and Precepts and the scriptures, giving offerings in
front of an image of the Buddha, lighting candles, burning incense, meditating and listening
to sermons.

The most important part of a Buddhist temple is the shrine room, which contains one or
more Buddharupas. Any place where an image of the Buddha is used in worship is known as
a shrine, and many Buddhists also have shrines at home.

Before entering the shrine room, people take off their shoes as a sign of respect and also to keep
the shrine room floor clean. They also dress modestly, often in white in Theravada countries.
They bow in front of the Buddharupa, and sit with their feet tucked under, as it is rude to point
the soles of one's feet towards someone. Worship usually begins with reciting the Three Refuges.

Bhikkhus or Bhikshunis may read or recite sutras, or give a sermon that explains their relevance
to daily life. Buddhists bring offerings of candles, flowers, rosaries and
incense. Mahayana Buddhists also bring gifts but show devotion to bodhisattas as well. Bowls of
water and other food offerings are placed before the Buddharupa on a raised platform or altar.

Traditionally in Mahayana Buddhism, the laity were not expected to meditate or know the

scriptures. That was the job of the monks and nuns in the Sangha. The laity gain merit by
supporting the Sangha and living a life of reverence and devotion which they express through
worship and ethical living. Another feature of worship involves visiting stupas. While there,
Buddhists often circumambulate the stupa, reciting a mantra or a prayer, and concentrate on the

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importance of the Buddha for their lives. Mahayana practices may include meditation; mantras,
or the repetition of sacred words; visualizations; and vegetarianism.Hence Buddhist aymen
and novices visited STUPAS to learn and discover their inner self. Hence the purpose of building
Stupas was ofcourse to facilitate this practice and also to underline to the Buddhist of the King
who commissioned the erection.

Yogjakarta city is also known simply as Jogja or Yogya. This word is actually a corruption of
Ayodhya, the famed city of Rama in India. Names from the Ramayana abound in this island.
Sometimes even without their knowing it many of the names used by the Indonesians are
Sanskrit in origin but of course most of them are so distorted that it takes a while to find out the
actual source.  The Special Region where Yogyakarta is situated is the smallest province of
Indonesia (excluding Jakarta). It is located on the island of Java. The word Java has such a
special flavor that I was really glad that I had come here instead of one of the big cities. On a
clear day one can see the famed volcano Mt. Merapi, which is still alive and the history of which
is closely connected with

This 300 hundred year old city is the cultural center not only of Java, but of the whole of
Indonesia. This is in part due to the variety of religious influences found here like, Buddhist,
Hindu, and other indigenous beliefs, which resulted in the construction of the impressive temples
of Borobudur, Prambanan and the Dieng temple complex.

Indonesia's oldest palace 'The Kraton,' is situated here. This is still the home of Jogya's royalty. It
is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a Sultanate, the Sultanate of
Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. Even now the current Sultan of Yogyakarta retains remarkable
political prestige. Yogyakarta offers an abundance of Javanese art, painting, silverwork, batik
handcraft, traditional Javanese dances, as well as contemporary-art.

Religious merit of the royal zealot did increase to a great extent from the building of a stupa.
Indeed for every spectator the sacred construction work would be an incentive to join the creed
while it would help the initiate in his meditations aiming at the attainment of the Bodhi.
Furthermore, the “accumulation of religious merit” which the monarch earned through the
construction of a magnificent temple would also benefit his realm — “the thriving State of the
Shailendras” as it is designated in the inscriptions of the period. Obviously, the magnitude of
such a “punya-sambhara” was in proportion to that of the construction work or of the renovations
and extensions of an existing temple. This explains the additions or extensions at Barabudur and
Mendut by successive Shailendra rulers, possibly without exception, which have come to light
during restoration activities at those temples.

For centuries, Borobudur was a major pilgrimage site, attracting the faithful from as far away as
India and China. It seems to have been very popular, but then was inexplicably abandoned in the
15th century. We don't know why Borobudur was left to be reclaimed by the jungle, but it
remained lost for roughly 400 years before the colonial governor of British Java decided to have
it excavated. Hiuen Tsang, ( 602 – 664),  a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar,
traveler, and translator, known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the
travelogue of his journey to India in 629–645 CE, his efforts to bring over 657 Indian texts to

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China, and his translations of some of these texts may have visited Borobudur such was the
extent of his journeys though no written record exists of my assertion.

The excavations freed Borobudur from the jungle, but also left it open to looters. Finally, in the
1960s a massive campaign was launched by the Indonesian government and UNESCO to save
and restore the site. Statues were taken out of private collections, stones were returned, and
piece-by-piece Borobudur was cleaned, rebuilt, and reopened to the public. It is currently a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and a stunning example of Indonesian architecture, but it has also
reclaimed its role as a Buddhist pilgrimage site. Although worshipping in a temple is not essential for
worship, Buddhists do visit shrines and temples to pay their respects to Buddha and to meditate with other
Buddhists. Going to a worship space is not essential because Buddhism is a way of life, a way to act all of the
time. Some Buddhists also have shrines in their homes, allowing practitioners to pray at the most convenient
times for them.

Buddhist shrines and temples take many different forms depending on where they are built. The first Buddhist
shrines were ten dome-shaped mounds, or studpas, which were built to hold Buddha's ashes. Then more
stupas were built to hold sacred items. Some stupas are bell-shaped. Visitors walk around the stupas as a way of
paying their respects to the Buddha.

In Japan and China, Buddhists built pagodas as sacred temples. These are towers with various numbers of
tiers, usually five. The five tiers represent the five basic elements of the Universe -- earth, water, fire, wind, and
emptiness. The height represents reaching out of the physical world towards wisdom. 

Sacred Places

Buddhists go on pilgrimages to places associated with Buddha's life. These places include his birthplace,
Lumbini Grove, the place of enlightenment, Bodh Gaya, the place of his first sermon, Sarnarth, and the place
he died, Kusinara.

In addition there are other sacred places, special to the various branches of Buddhism. For example, since the
Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, was exiled from Tibet when the Chinese army invaded
in 1959, he has been livng in Dharamsala, India. This has become a special place for his followers who go there
to study and hope for an audience with the Dalai Lama.

Some Buddhists want to practice Buddhism more strictly and with less distraction. These monks and nuns
form communities and live in monasteries. A religious community of Buddhists is called a Sangha. In some
countries, young boys and girls spend part of their education living as monks. Buddhists use monasteries as
places of refuge for meditation and to refocus on a simpler, less worldly life. Monasteries are important places to
Buddhists.

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Highlighting the importance of religious harmony in Indonesia, the Indonesian
government has drawn up an initiative to promote the ancient Mahayana Buddhist
temple Borobudur as a global Buddhist tourism destination. The project is aimed
at attract domestic and international visitors, with the objective of promoting a more
moderate face for religion in Indonesia, and possibly avoiding a similar fate to
Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Buddhas, which were destroyed by Taliban extremists in
March 2001.

Borobudur, located on the island of Java, is one of the world’s largest Buddhist
structures. Built in the ninth century, during the Sailendra dynasty, the structure
exhibits many conventions of Gupta-influenced architecture and serves as an
example of India’s influence in the region. The temple is situated on a hilltop, with

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sweeping views of the lush, green plains below and distant hills. Borobudur was
designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

During a large-scale restoration project undertaken in 1985, Islamic extremists

detonated 11 bombs on the historic site, destroying nine stupas. Archaeologist
Chaidir Ashari from the University of Indonesia  said the local community was
concerned that Borobudur might once again become a target for extremists. In June
2021, Minister for Religious Affairs  Yaqut Cholil Qoumas stated that, as an
important site respected by Buddhists, the Indonesian government was studying how
to promote Buddhist ceremonies at Borobudur “which can be attended by Buddhists
[from] all over the world,” as part of efforts by the authorities to improve religious
moderatism in the country. 
Today, Yogyakarta contains multitudes. The Indonesian city is a tumult of culture shot through
with rich veins of history – it’s still ruled by a functional monarchy; it has been home to storied,
spectacular Buddhist and Hindu holy sites for well over a millennium; and is internationally
renowned for everything from literature to silversmithing.

All the same, the city is now better known for being an education hub. Besides its four state
universities, Yogyakarta is home to more than a dozen private institutions and so many niche
academies that it has more than 60 institutes of higher learning, according to some estimates.
And it’s a reputation the Indonesian government is trying to change.

The archipelagic nation drew 15.8 million tourists last year,( 2018) and in a bid to boost those
numbers for 2019, the Ministry of Tourism is turning its attention to travellers from China,
where a growing middle class is constantly in pursuit of new holiday destinations. In 2018,
Indonesia had 2.7 million visitors from China, and the ministry is hoping for 3.5 million this year
– all part of a tourism-boosting initiative launched by the administration of President Joko
Widodo to create “10 new Balis”.

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