Temples, Papeete

Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple is the famous Hindu temple situated in Nadi, Fiji. It is also a largest Hindu temple in the Southern hemisphere and the main deity is Lord Subramanya Swamy. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi and his brother is Lord Ganesan. The main statue is specially curved and brought from South India. There are three parts in Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple: Lord Muruga, is the main temple; Lord Ganesh is the second part of the complex; Lord Shiva and Goddess Meenakshi Amman is the third section of the temple. The original Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple of Nadi was founded by Ramaswami Pillai in 1913 on the land leased from the native Fijians. https://templesinindiainfo.com/nadi-sri-siva-subramaniya-swami-temple-timings-festivals-and-address/

Visit or stay at Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere. Nan Tien is very different from most tourist attractions because there is so much on offer. The visual delights of grandeur architecture, art and culture including unique exhibitions and festivals, Buddhist festivals, vegetarian culinary delights, educational and healthy lifestyle classes and retreats, accommodation, top class conference and auditorium facilities. There is also the spiritual and religious experience that is unforgettable, and even life changing for some. Pilgrim Lodge, Wollongong's most unique accommodation setting is a 100 room facility, which is open all year round and located in the grounds of the Temple. The lodge overlooks the lotus pond, the peaceful Temple, splendid gardens, the beautiful rolling hills, and famous escarpment of the Illawarra. https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/wollongong-and-surrounds/wollongong/attractions/nan-tien-temple

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, considered the most beautiful cathedral in northwestern Mexico. Admire its facade while appreciating the exceptional baroque decoration in its interior. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-activities/mazatlan/experience-the-historical-wealth-of-mazatlan

Cosala is a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) that retains a unique cultural and historic identity. Its picturesque landscapes and charming colonial past distinguish the town. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-activities/mazatlan/discover-the-cultural-wealth-of-cosala

Sikh temple in San Jose area and one of the largest temple in California. It was founded in the Early Eighties by former President late Jit Singh Bainiwal, Teja Singh, and late Baba Pyara Singh Obhi. http://www.sanjosegurdwara.org/

The Chinese Temple was built in 1940 by the shire's Chinese population who were drawn to the agricultural industry and the gold rushes of the region. Far North Queensland is a very special part of Australia. It is lush and Tropical with green intrusive mountains complementing the adjoining blue-water Great Barrier Reef. Innisfail is situated in the heart of Far North Queensland, and it is to this area that peoples from across the globe migrated, to share in Nature's bounty. The Chinese were one such small group and contributed to the community with their industrious ways and a subtle spiritual and cultural centre, referred to as the "Joss House", but now more appropriately named as the "Innisfail Temple". https://www.innisfailtemple.com/

At Km 2.7 of the Puerto Juárez - Punta Sam highway north of Cancun, is El Meco. On the site you can see 14 structures with a main temple: El Castillo, which is a pyramid of five levels. http://cancun.travel/en/mayan-culture/El-Meco

The Arequipa Peru Temple site is located just three miles north of the city center near the entrance to the quiet village of Carmen Alto. The land stands on a bluff rising from the Chili River and surrounded by breathtaking pastures and mountain views including the prominent volcano Misti. http://ldschurchtemples.org/arequipa/

The origins of the Cathedral Metropolitan Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary date back to 1927, when the French architect Julien Auguste Polti was entrusted to rebuild it after a fire in 1926. Construction began in 1928 and ended in 1939, after work was interrupted due to the Great Depression of the 30s. The Cathedral measures 25,833 square feet and can accommodate 5,000 people. http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/andean/manizales/activities/cathedral-metropolitan-basilica-our-lady-rosary?language=es

One of the largest mosaic collections in the western hemisphere; museum and shop. Daily for Masses and tours. https://explorestlouis.com/partner/cathedral-basilica-of-saint-louis/?see_do_category=attractions

Lovers’ Park (also called Santander Park) was built in the early 20th century and is characterized by a statue of General Francisco de Paula Santander and a bust of former President Manuel Murillo Toro in the centre. http://www.colombia.travel/en/where-to-go/caribbean/santa-marta/activities/lovers-park

The worlds only full-scale reproduction of the famous Greek temple, Nashville's Parthenon stands in Centennial Park and features both the citys art museum and Athena Parthenos. At almost 42 feet in height, Athena Parthenos is the tallest indoor sculpture in the Western world. http://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/thingstodo/listing?bid=3939

Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo. Various events are held throughout the year in the Sensoji Temple area. The biggest of them is the Sanja Matsuri, the annual festival of the Asakusa Shrine, held in May. Other events are the Asakusa Samba Carnival in August and the Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita Market) at which decorated wooden paddles used in the traditional game of hanetsuki are sold. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html

Saifukuji has 500 years of history. Many visit the temple because of Ishikawa Uncho's artwork -- sculpture, paintings, and lacquer craftworks. All of his works are wonderful, especially the colourful sculpture on the ceiling. Please come and see them with your own eyes! https://enjoyniigata.com/en/spot/8332#

Fushimi Inari Shrine (Fushimi Inari Taisha) is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds. Fushimi Inari Shrine has ancient origins, predating the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. While the primary reason most foreign visitors come to Fushimi Inari Shrine is to explore the mountain trails, the shrine buildings themselves are also attractive. At the shrine's entrance stands the Romon Gate, which was donated in 1589 by the famous leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Behind stands the shrine's main hall (honden) where visitors should pay respect to the resident deity by making a small offering. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html

Kiyomizudera ("Pure Water Temple") is one of the most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto, and derives its name from the fall's pure waters. The temple was originally associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest schools within Japanese Buddhism, but formed its own Kita Hosso sect in 1965. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites. Part of the fun of visiting Kiyomizudera is the approach to the temple along the steep and busy lanes of the atmospheric Higashiyama District. The many shops and restaurants in the area have been catering to tourists and pilgrims for centuries, and products on sale range from local specialties such as Kiyomizu-yaki pottery, sweets and pickles to the standard set of souvenirs. The Higashiyama district together with Kiyomizudera, Yasaka Shrine and other temples in the area, have special evening illuminations during the annual Hanatoro event held in mid March. Kiyomizudera also has special illuminations during the autumn leaf season in the second half of November. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3901.html

The image of the temple richly adorned in gold leaf reflects beautifully in the water of Kyokochi, the mirror pond. It is perhaps the most widely-recognized image of Kyoto. Seen reflected in the adjoining "mirror pond" with its small islands of rock and pine, Kinkaku-ji Temple, "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion," is a breathtaking must-see. The building's first purpose was to serve the retiring Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1409) as a residence. The gold-leaf-adorned building was converted into a Zen temple shortly after his death. In an event that was later fictionalized by the renowned author Yukio Mishima, a 21-year-old monk burned Kinkakuji down in 1950. The temple was rebuilt in 1955 and continues to function as a storehouse of sacred relics. The temple's garden is also a scenic delight and contains in its grounds a charming teahouse. https://kyoto.travel/en/shrine_temple/165

Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺, Ryōanji) is the site of Japan's most famous rock garden, which attracts hundreds of visitors every day. Originally an aristocrat's villa during the Heian Period, the site was converted into a Zen temple in 1450 and belongs to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, whose head temple stands just a kilometer to the south. As for the history of Ryoanji's famous rock garden, the facts are less certain. The garden's date of construction is unknown and there are a number of speculations regarding its designer. The garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by low earthen walls, with 15 rocks laid out in small groups on patches of moss. An interesting feature of the garden's design is that from any vantage point at least one of the rocks is always hidden from the viewer. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3909.html

Kibune (貴船) is a small town in a forested valley in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, which developed around Kifune Shrine. According to legend, a goddess traveled in a boat from Osaka all the way up the river into the mountains north of Kyoto, and Kifune Shrine was built at the site where her boat journey had come to an end. Kifune Shrine is dedicated to the god of water and rain and believed to be the protector of those at sea. Here you can obtain a unique type of fortune written on paper slips (omikuji) that reveal their messages when dipped into water. Okunomiya, the inner sanctum and original site of Kifune Shrine, lies about one kilometer further up the valley. It has a large rock, known as the boat stone, which is said to be where the goddess' yellow boat is buried. The rest of the town is made up by traditional styled ryokan and restaurants that line the narrow road for a few hundred meters parallel to Kibune River. It is a popular retreat from Kyoto's famed summer heat, but is also well visited in autumn when the leaves change. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3967.html

Shitennoji (四天王寺, Shitennōji) is one of Japan's oldest temples and the first-ever to be built by the state. It was founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, who supported the introduction of Buddhism into Japan. Although the temple's buildings burned down several times throughout the centuries, they were always carefully reconstructed to reflect the original 6th-century design. The outer temple grounds are free to enter, but admission to the inner precinct, the Gokuraku-Jodo Garden and the treasure house is paid. In the pebble covered courtyard of the inner precinct stand a five-storied pagoda that can be entered and ascended and the Main Hall (Kondo) in which Prince Shotoku is enshrined as a statue of Kannon. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4011.html

In Osaka, the shrine is known affectionately as "Sumiyossan." Every year, from January 1st to 3rd, the shrine welcomes more than 2 million people for Hatsumode, the traditional first shrine visit of the year. The head shrine for Japan's approximately 2,300 Sumiyoshi shrines, Sumiyoshi Taisha is the most important shrine in the Osaka area. Praying to the gods here is believed to ensure maritime safety, as well as good luck in farming, waka poetry, martial arts, and sumo wrestling, and to ward off disasters of all kinds. Built more than 1,800 years ago, the buildings are arranged to resemble a fleet of ships headed out to sea. The shrine was built in an architectural style known as Sumiyoshi-zukuri, the oldest style used in shrine construction, and is registered as a national treasure. Sumiyoshi Taisha has more than 30 auxiliary shrines, as well as a number of festivals and rituals, including Sumiyoshi Matsuri. The grounds of the shrine are carefully preserved as a national treasure and important cultural property for their architectural and cultural value. https://osaka-info.jp/en/page/sumiyoshitaisha

Tenryuji (天龍寺, Tenryūji) is the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese Buddhism. Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who had just passed away. The two important historical figures used to be allies until Takauji turned against the emperor in a struggle for supremacy over Japan. By building the temple, Takauji intended to appease the former emperor's spirits. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3913.html

The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is one of Kyoto’s top sights and for good reason: standing amid these soaring stalks of bamboo is like being in another world. If you’ve been planning a trip to Kyoto, you’ve probably seen pictures of the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – along with the torii tunnels of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji Temple, it’s one of the most photographed sights in the city. But no picture can capture the feeling of standing in the midst of this sprawling bamboo grove – the whole thing has a palpable sense of otherness that is quite unlike that of any normal forest we know of. The best way to explore the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is by following our Arashiyama Bamboo Grove Walking Tour, which outlines the best route to follow. https://www.insidekyoto.com/arashiyama-bamboo-grove

The ancient temple of Saidaiji Kannon-in was built around 1,200 years ago. Walking along the approach, visitors will pass by rows of traditional shops before entering the shrine’s gate and arriving at the main hall. https://www.okayama-japan.jp/en/spot/797

Iyama Hofuku-ji Temple was built in 1232 as a Zen temple. The temple is famous as the childhood training grounds for the painter Sesshu—the most prominent Japanese master of ink wash painting, which employs shading from a single-color inkstick. A popular attraction at the temple is the Buddhist practice of zazen, where worshippers sit in meditation for spiritual unity. Visitors can join early morning zazen sessions on the second Sunday of every month with no reservations required, and tea and sweets provided after the meditation offer a chance to experience the hospitality of Japanese culture. The temple’s fresh green of spring and vibrant foliage in autumn also make for beautiful sights. https://www.okayama-japan.jp/en/spot/933

Tana Toraja is safely protected beyond the lofty mountains and rugged granite cliffs of the central highlands of the island of Sulawesi and the home of the Toraja people. 'Discovered' and opened to the world from their long isolation only since the beginning of the last century, the Toraja today still adhere to their age-old beliefs, rituals and traditions. The nobility of Toraja are believed to be descendants of heavenly beings who came down by a heavenly stairway to live here on earth in this beautiful landscape. To keep up the energy of the land and its people, the Toraja people believe that these must be sustained through rituals that celebrate both life and death, which are attached to the agricultural seasons. Tourists to Toraja, therefore, are either attracted by its unique culture and rituals, most of which are mostly centered around graves and death ceremonies. While others prefer to avoid the morbid images and go trekking through the spectacular, almost untouched Toraja countryside visiting remote villages, or exhilarate in rafting the Sa'dan river rapids. https://www.indonesia.travel/au/en/destinations/sulawesi/tana-toraja

Kosan Wajo of Kosanji Temple became a Buddhist priest after the death of his mother, and the temple belonging to the Honganji sect of the Jodo Shinshu sect was built as a memorial to her. Various pagodas that had been built over more than 30 years since 1936 were reproduced with representative styles and methods of Buddhist architecture from the Asuka to Edo Periods. The Koyo no Mon gate that took 10 years to build and is a reproduction of the Yomei Gate in Nikko, excellent art works exhibited in the new treasure hall, and the approximately 50,000 square meter location with its seasonal beauty reminds you of heaven. The temple is also famous for cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. http://visithiroshima.net/things_to_do/attractions/shrines_and_temples/kosanji_temple.html

Rakanji Temple (羅漢寺) is one of the 3 largest Gohyakurakan (五百羅漢) in Japan. It is said that Rakanji Temple began with the religious training of the Hodo mountain hermits in year 645. https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/shritemp/rankanjitemple.html

Tanah Lot is one of Bali’s directional temples, and is situated on a rock in the ocean, just offshore. From all the beautiful temples on Bali, Tanah Lot is quite special and for many one of the "must-things-to-do". It is said that Pura Tanah Lot has been built on the recommendation of an important Hindu priest Danghyang Nirartha in the 16th century, who has shaped Bali's Hinduism and religious architecture for the centuries to come. Tanah Lot is a very important site for pilgrimages and plays an important role in Balinese spiritualism and mythology. The rock that the temple sits on has been eroded by the ocean over the centuries, and is now undergoing a process of restoration. https://www.bali.com/temple_Tanah-Lot_Pura-Tanah-Lot_81.html

Not much remains of the once powerful 13th century East Java kingdom of Singosari. An unfinished temple and two giant statues that once stood guard in front of the palace are the only traces left of this great kingdom. http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/point-of-interest/singosari-temple

Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple, commonly known as the Dadaocheng Mazu (meaning "Mother-Ancestor") Temple, dedicated to the Tianshang Shengmu (meaning "Heavenly Holy Mother"), the guardian of sailors and also known as Mazu or Tianhou (meaning "Empress of Heaven"), is one of the three main temples in Daodaocheng, along with the Fazhu Temple and the Xia Hai City God Temple. "The first door opens to display the beauty of Guanyin Mountain; thousands of ships have navigated over the running waters" is written on the front gate, pointing out the change of its location over the years. Cisheng Temple was originally located at the intersection of Xining North Road and Minsheng West Road back in 1866, across the trading port, with the Bali Guanyin Mountain to its front right, looking onto the bay of the Tamshui River flowing north. In 1910, the Japanese government tore the temple down to re-plot the urban streets. The locals funded the temple relocation to its current address on Yanping North Road, using the original pillars and stones and preserving its appearance since the reconstruction finished in 1914, until today. https://www.travel.taipei/en/attraction/details/717

Hsinchu City god Temple (Chenghuang Temple) is regarded as the highest-ranking of all City God temples in Taiwan, due to the superior spiritual power of its City God in protecting the town. In front of the temple is a market with a lot of small stalls selling delicious Taiwanese snacks, including rice noodles, meat balls, thick cuttlefish broth, and Zhuqian Biscuit (Zhuqian is the original name of Hsinchu). Hsinchu is famous for a number of specialty foods, especially Hsinchu rice noodles, which are produced in Nanshr Village, Hsinchu City. Another famous product of Hsinchu is shiangfen, a traditional cosmetic powder which was used by women throughout Taiwan before the arrival of foreign-style cosmetic products. The powder is also used in offerings to Qiniangma, the guardian spirit of children. Only one store, run by the Tsai Family in Julian Street, still produces this powder. Although there are many stalls from which Hsinchu meatballs can be purchased, many are concentrated around the Chenghuang Temple. http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002109&id=447

Settled on a hillside plateau, overlooking Prambanan temple complex and with a view to Mount Merapi behind Prambanan Temple complex, lie the remains of a once grand palace. The palace (kraton) is named Ratu Boko after a King Boko of local folklore, but the real owner of the palace is more likely to have been a king of a local dynasty. http://indonesia-tourism.com/blog/ratu-boko-temple-yogyakarta/