11 Gorgeous Buddhist Temples That Will Make You Peaceful At Once

Buddhist temples and monasteries have certain peculiar structural features that are very pleasing to the eye. Pagoda, wat and stupa, are some of the specific forms that add that peculiarity quotient to the Buddhist temples.

Following are some of the many beautiful Buddhist temples and monasteries from around the world that are breathtaking by all means. Merely glancing through the images of these peaceful and picturesque homes of the Buddha will give you a ‘clean’ high.

1. Wat Rong Khun, Thailand

It is actually an art exhibit built in the style of a very unconventional, albeit gorgeous Buddhist temple.

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2. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

This temple was originally constructed as a Hindu temple by Khmer civilization, but gradually towards the end of 12th century, it was transformed into a Buddhist temple.

Today, it is not only one of the most beautiful in the world, but it is also the world’s largest religious monument.

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3. Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

Also known as the Great Dragon Pagoda or Golden Pagoda, Shwedagon seems like a single structure encompassing the entire world’s beauty.

Housing the relics of 4 previous Buddhas, specifically, Kakusandha’s staff, Gautama’s 8 hair strands, Kassapa’s robe piece, and Koṇāgamana’s water filter, Shwedagon is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar.

According to a legend, Shwedagon Pagoda was constructed over 2,600 years ago, which makes it the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world.

With all that bling on it, does it even look that old?

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4. Paro Taktsang, Bhutan

More popularly known as the Tiger’s Nest, it is an iconic cultural beauty in Bhutan nestling perfectly on the cliff side of the Paro valley.

They say that Guru Padmasambhava (who is regarded as the second Buddha) meditated here for three years, three months, three weeks, three days and three hours in the 8th century.

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5. Key monastery, India

Sitting in all its glory at an altitude of 13,668 ft above sea level, Key monastery is located close to the Spiti river, Himachal Pradesh.

The monastery has endured many damages over the centuries but stays picturesque as ever till date.

It is also pretty huge, at least the largest in the Spiti Valley and thus, also serves as the religious training centre for the Lamas.

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6. Borobudur, Indonesia

This intricate gigantic structure precisely constitutes of nine stacked platforms (six square and three circular), with a central dome on the top. The temple has a total of a whopping 504 Buddha statues!

The central dome of the temple itself is surrounded by as many as 72 Buddha statues.

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

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7. Xuankong Temple, China

More popularly known as the Hanging Temple, this structure is held in place at such a trivial location with oak crossbeams attached to the holes in the cliffs. The chief supportive structure, however, is inside the bedrock.

The Hanging Temple is unique in that it is a fusion of three major Chinese religions, which are: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

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8. Popa Taungkalat Monastery, Myanmar

Taungkalat is basically a pedestal hill (a volcanic plug) on top of which, at an altitude of 2,417 ft, resides a beautiful monastery. The hill has a total of 777 steps that guide tourists to this heaven.

The view from the Taungkalat, unsurprisingly, is breathtaking. One can even see the ancient and majestic Myanmar city of Bagan from the top.

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9. Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand

The most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew is also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha housed in this temple is carved from just a single jade stone.

The statue is a palladium of Thai society. It is also seen as a religiopolitical symbol of the Thais.

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10. Pha That Luang, Laos

Regarded as the national symbol of Laos, Pha That Luang is a large, gold-covered stupa whose establishment dates back to 3rd century. Due to the many foreign invasions it has endured, the stupa has undergone numerous reconstructions, with the latest one being in the 1930s.

Also, according to the Lao people, it was originally built as a Hindu temple.

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11. Boudhanath, Kathmandu

Dominating the skyline, Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world.

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Now, who wouldn’t want to go on such a soul-soothing tour of the Buddhist temples in Asia?

Well, I sure do! 🙂

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