Mandir


Unfortunately you can't take photos inside Hindu temples, so all I have are outdoor shots of the Shri Swaminarayan temple. It's an absolutely amazing work of architecture. The temple was assembled from numerous pieces, fit together much like a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces were all hand-carved by artisans in India and transported by sea containers to Toronto. 

The building is modeled on ancient architectural standards and stands today without a single piece of steel or any kind of internal reinforcement. I only wish the sky had been bluer that day to provide more contrast to the white stone, but I did get some lovely tulips. And if you'd like to see more flowers, visit Floral Fridays.

PS: Coincidentally, I've visited another temple built by the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. It's not quite as grand as this one, but still beautiful. You can see it here.

19 comments:

Paul in Powell River said...

Great buuilding, and a pretty nice shot of it too!

Cezar and Léia said...

The temple is wonderful but I'm really enchanted by the flowers! ;)
I love this composition, I'm always trying to include flowers in my pictures, just the way you did in this shot.Very well done , you are so talented!
Happy weekend,
Léia

Tanya Breese said...

beautiful image! that building is so impressive!

Kate said...

I love the blending of the art of nature and the art of mankind. Lovely photo.

Vores have said...

Beautiful picture you show.
Wishing you a good weekend.
Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk

Unknown said...

Another gorgeous piece of India! The contrast to the tulips is fantastic. Great shot!

Btw, have you watched 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'? It's a delightful movie. And so India! :-)

Unknown said...

the temple looks like a jewel in the middle of this garden. absolutely gorgeous photo.

Lowell said...

Great composition. And I learned a few things about Hindu temples. It's a truly gorgeous building.

Halcyon said...

@JM - have not seen the movie, but it looks funny. I'll have to check it out!

Lowell said...

Hi Hal...re your question on Florida Fotos: Neon Leon's is just an old biker bar type restaurant/lounge in a swampy jungle area along the west coast. We didn't go in. Maybe if we get back that way. But probably not.

RedPat said...

Great shot - the temple looks fabulous!

Libby said...

Amazing that that is in Canada! The red tulips in front do look great!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Amazing construction of this fabulous temple. The tulips set it off wonderfully!

Thank you for participating in Floral Friday Fotos.

Chattahoochee Valley Daily said...

Impressive structure. The tulips are the finishing touch.

Regina K said...

Wow I didn't expect such magnitude! This is fabulous!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What an amazing work of architecture -- awestruck!

Randy said...

I love all the colorful flowers.

Birdman said...

A striking shot even without the blue sky... thanks to the two-lips!

EG CameraGirl said...

I've never been inside a Hindu temple but judging from the outside it must be amazingly beautiful.

Post a Comment

I hate the new word verification. Since I have trouble reading those "words", I am assuming others do too.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...