the giant gods

The Giant Gods

The Giant Gods

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The Giant GodsBy Rhony Laigo

When Jodie Foster was about to “travel” to what she thought would be in outer space in the movie “Contact”, her co-star “Reverend” Matthew McConaughey asked her if she would be representing humankind who believes in a Creator

as she might be facing an intelligent life. Of course, the scientist Foster couldn’t say yes. For those who didn’t see it, Foster, who played Dr. Ellie Arroway, was an atheist in the movie. And in spite of being informed that 90 percent of human beings believed in some form of a Supreme Being, Foster just couldn’t turn her back on her godless principles. Needless to say, she stood her ground and testifi ed that she would travel as a human being seeking to understand science beyond what’s on Earth without any regard to the possibility of any god. It was the wrong answer though and so she missed her initial “fl ight.” But this essay is not about the movie. This is about faith and why people would go to great lengths or, in this case, heights as the following photographs would show to profess this faith.

Be it God, Yahweh, Allah, Buddha or Brahma, the majority of the peoples of the world practice some form of religion that identify them as either Christian, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists or Hindus and call their own Supreme Being with their own unique name. Still many others form their own type of religion and may gather in any place to worship and pay homage to their Divine Provider. The place may be a church, mosque, temple or wherever people can possibly congregate and pray individually or collectively. This prac-tice has been in place even when Jesus Christ wasn’t even born yet, in which case the sun, fi re, wind, water, trees, rocks or mountains, or idols served as symbols for which our ancestors offered prayers, sacrifi ces, words of thanks, petitions or do acts of contrition.

In the Philippines where I was born, the older the church the more revered that house of worship is. From Bathala – our ancestral term for the Creator – Filipinos came to know the Holy Trinity after the Spaniards colonized the Philippines in the 1500s and ruled them for 333 years, converting what were once known as pagans to Christians. It is only in this part of Asia where centuries-old Baroque-inspired churches still stand and where parish priests still celebrate mass. While they have become tourist attractions, they still serve as places of solace in times of calamities and tragedies and in some cases fortresses during confl icts and where armed hostilities exist.

The same is true for the temples and mosques in neighboring countries, some of which have served their faithfuls for hundreds of years and, because of the tremendous size of their gods and goddesses, are testaments to man’s unwavering belief that there is some-thing out there that watches over them and at the same time punish them for their trans-gressions, but with a universal belief that anyone can be forgiven if they ask for it.

As with all other Christians, Filipinos are taught that the only way through the gates of heaven is through Jesus Christ. But seeing how other people of other faiths in Thailand and Malaysia pay respect to their Supreme Beings as you will see in the following pages – be they in mosques in the cities, temples by the roadsides or caves high up in the mountains – I see a universal belief in the Supernatural that transcends race or creed and in their profession of love, peace and harmony.

(Rhony Laigo is a Filipino journalist based in Los Angeles. All photographs were taken by Rhony in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. He can be reached at rhonylaigo@aol.com )

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Wat Phra Kaeo - Temple of the Emerald Buddha

at The Grand Palace(Bangkok, Thailand)

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Young Buddhist monks on the streets of Bangkok, near Wat Phra Kaew, the Tem-

ple of the Emerald Buddha.

The Grand Palace of the King and Queen of Thailand in Bangkok, which was in-spired by three different architectures

– Burma, Cambodia and India – as shown by each of the three towers.

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The Grand Palace complex is huge. It occupies an area of more than 218,000 square meters. One can get lost. Directions might be needed...

that is if you can read Thai script.

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Up ahead is the Wat Phra Kaew or theTemple of the Emerald Buddha

(shown in photo on the right) in Bangkok, Thailand. The small Buddha, just 26 inches tall, was said to have been carved out from a single block of jade stone.

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Wat Phra Yai TempleThailand

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Father and son enjoy a morning of being together oblivious to the the hordes of tourists who visit the Wat Phra Yai Temple, which sits on Patramnak Hill in Pattaya, overlooking the scenic Gulf of

Thailand, where these bells are found at the base of the temple.

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Tourists can pick up one of the many pieces of wood to ring the bells of the Big Buddha at the Wat Phra Yai Temple, where they hope that it

would bring them good fortune.

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The Wat Phra Yai Temple is surrounded by several Buddhas. There is one

Buddha for each day, like this Reclining Buddha , who you should pray to on Tuesdays...only.

Beware, the Seven-Headed Dragons at the entrance of the Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai) Temple on Patramnak Hill in Pattaya.

B th S H d d D t th t f

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There are actually 14 dragon heads that watch over the entrance of the Wat Phra Yai Temple. But tourists don't mind them and just go about their ways.

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A woman offers her prayers at one of the Buddhas surround-

ing the Big Buddha at the Wat Phra Yai Temple in Pattaya, Thailand.

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The Big Buddha at the Wat Phra Yai Temple in Pattaya, Thailand

is 12 meters high.

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One of the Buddhas at the Wat Phra Yai Temple is an emaciated statue

(opposite page) to signify that fasting as a religious rite could mean cleansing one’s self.

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And if it’s Monday...

well, you get the idea.

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If a visit to a temple doesn’t answer your prayers, maybe a life-size Bud-dhist monk may be just what you need

just like these statues for sale at the Pat-taya Floating Market.

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Not only are giant Buddhas located at the Wat Phra Yai Temple, worshippers

may also stick a gold leaf on these Buddhas for good luck as the lady in this photo does.

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A Thai Buddhist prayer begins with hands clasped together in a Wai position. The Wai is to show respect for the Lord Buddha.

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Kuan Yin Teng (Temple of the

Goddess of Mercy)Malaysia

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A woman with a wad of incense offers her prayers outside the Kuan Yin Teng (Temple of the Goddess of Mercy) in George Town,

Penang, Malaysia.

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A young woman (above) burns paper money in

a furnace outside the Kuan Yin Teng Temple

in George Town, while Filipino Press pub-

lisher Susan delos Santos of San Diego releases a

bird for a good measure of her own luck.

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Incense stick anyone?: A caretaker places incense sticks in a large bronze vase inside the Kuan Yin Teng Temple in George Town. The Temple of the

Goddess of Mercy is the oldest in Penang, which serves as the patron saint of seafarers.

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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House

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The Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan

House in Penang, Ma-laysia.

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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, better known as Khoo Kongsi, belongs to one of the “distinctive” Chinese clan associations in Malaysia, who built these highly intricate

structures in Penang, where they congregate. Each of the mag-nifi cent set of illustrations tell a story as the lineage of these clans is said to be 650 years old.

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The walls of the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House has “permanent draperies” of artwork that speak of historical epics.

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Handcrafted with intricate designs, the Le-

ong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House

in Penang, Malaysia is a showcase of Chi-

nese art, architecture and culture that is more

than 650 years old.

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Tourism Malaysia Vice President for Western United States and Latin America Mazlan Ara-ju (right) gets a fi rst hand information from a

guide on the history of the Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House.

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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Clan House inside and out.L

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Wat Chayamangkalaram

Temple

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Home to the third largest Reclining Buddha in the world, the Wat Chaya-mangkalaram Temple in Penang, Malaysia is a

must see for all those who get the chance to travel to the island “Pearl of the Orient.”

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At 33-meters long, the Wat Chayamangka-laram is the third largest Reclining Bud-dha in the world “lying” awake 24/7 in

Penang, Malaysia.

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Several Buddhas also surround the Reclining Bud-dha at the Temple. People also leave their urn con-taining the ashes of their loved ones on the wall

behind the third largest Reclining Buddha in the world.

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Dhammikarama

Burmese Buddhist

Temple inPenang, Malaysia

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Although not as gigantic as its

neighbor in the Wat Chayamangkalaram Hindu temple, the statue in the Dham-mikarama Burmese Temple is all marble, however.

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Located just across the Wat Chayamangkalaram Thai Temple, the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple is the

oldest Burmese Temple in Penang, Malaysia and is home to this huge all-marble Buddha statue.

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Kek Lok Si Temple

Air Itam, Penang

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This way to Kek Lok Si Temple, says the sign

(opposite photo), which is nestled all the way to the top of Air Itam in Penang, Malaysia, where a gi-ant 30.2-meter bronze statue is located. The temple also has differ-ent other Buddha stat-ues of various “de-nomimations” – from Chinese, Burmese to Thai. The upward trek is an adventure in it-self as well as a maze and can be exhaust-ing. A funicular ride (opposite photo) aids those who can’t bear another step to reach the Goddess of Mercy on top.

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Visitors who will themselves up the stairs of Kek Lok Si Temple

are treated a bird’s eye view of Penang, Malaysia.

Live turtles in this pond give panting visitors a short respite while going up the stairs of the Kek Lok Si Temple, where other statues (oppo-

site photo) are also scattered all around the pagoda.

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The Goddess of Mercy at the Kek Lok

Si Temple in Air Itam, Penang is a giant 30.2-meter bronze statue.

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While going up the stairs

are encouraged, just like how the monks and a friend got there, the Kek Lok Si Temple is acces-sible by car (op-posite photo) all the way to the top. But remem-ber, a litle sacri-fi ce may do you good, not to men-tion getting some exercise.

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Hindu Temples in Batu CavesKuala Lumpur

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Dwarfed by this giant 42.7 meter-high statue called Muru-gan, a Hindu deity, people from all walks of life who visit Batu Caves, located north of Kuala Lumpur in Ma-

laysia, may need all the energy they have (and the patience to deal with pesky macaque monkeyss along the stairs) in order to visit the Hindu temples found inside the caves that were carved out by dripping water inside the 400-million-year old limestone mountain.

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Barefooted, some Hindu faithfuls endure hundreds of steps and wet

fl oors inside the Batu Caves not wear-ing any shoes at all while they pay homage to their God.

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These breathtaking limestone cathedrals inside the Batu Caves were formed some 400 million years ago and serve

as some of the best places of worship for the Hindus of Malaysia.

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Manned by Hindu

priests, temples inside the Batu Caves, including this Lord Muru-gan Temple, of-fer worshippers blessings of fer-tility and other good fortunes.

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Maybe its the gods and god-desses that adorn the entrance of the Batu Caves leading the

temple that Hindus come for. But this family (opposite photo) professes that after a visit to the caves that they’ve been blessed with a child after doc-tors had “told us that we won’t have any children.” Or, maybe, just maybe, the phallic-looking stalactite that jour-nalist Nick Winfrey is caressing has something to do with them becoming fertile.

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The Batu Caves have holes (inset) on top of the cathedrals the provide

sunlight and “rays of hope” to some parts of the Batu Caves.

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These children are probably enjoying burning materials more than praying with their parents

at the foot of one of the temples inside the Batu Caves.

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After 272 steps going up, a colorful stat-ue welcomes visitors at the entrance of

the Batu Caves, located a few miles north of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

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Christian Churches

& Mosques

trikes donning fl ower garlands are among the

tourist attractions in the Christ Church of Melaka plaza, where centuries-old can-nons are strategi-cally posted to “pro-tect the city from invaders.”

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Tourists fl ock the Christ Church of Melaka Square,

which was built in the 18th Century after the Dutch conquest of the Portuguese invaders in Malacca.

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Locally-known as Masjid Putra, the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia is not only massive,

but the architecture in and out of the mosque is astounding. What’s interesting is that while it’s so huge, there’s nothing inside the structure and just walls, which is not unusual for all the mosques anywhere else in the world.

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The awesome structure that is Putra

Mosque with its high semi-sphere ceiling. Unlike most other places of worship, Mus-lims don’t get to sit on pews and they just sit on the fl oor, kneel and even kiss the car-pet when praying fi ve times a day.

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The picturesque Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia sits on a man-made lake as seen here from one of the many bridges dotting

Putrajaya, located some 15 miles south of Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a Muslim nation, but other re-ligions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism as well as Christianity, are practiced freely in the country.

The sun peers behind the St. Sebastian Cathedral in Ba-colod City, the capital city of the province of Negros, Occidental, popularly known as land of the sugar bar-

ons, who because of their association to the Spaniards, the colonizers who Christianized the Philippines, became some the richest people in the Philippines.

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A towering Archangel Michael

statue slaying Sa-tan as the Dragon in front of San Miguel Church near Malacañang Palance, home of the president of the Philippines and where the late dictator Fer-dinand Edralin Marcos lived and reigned for 20 years.

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Amid newly-constructed buildings

around it, heavy traffi c and urban development, the Binondo Church (opposite page) on Juan Luna in Bi-nondo, Manila has stood the test of time. Established in 1596, the church has been renovat-ed several times, the most notable of which were after the British bomb-ing in 1762 and during the Second World War.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of Manila: First cathedral built in 1581. Damaged by a typhoon, 1582 and destroyed by fi re, 1583. Second cathedral built of stone in 1592 and partially destroyed by earthquake, 1600. Third cathedral built in 1614 and destroyed by the

earthquake of 1645. Fourth cathedral magnifi ciently built in 1654-1671 by Archbishop Miguel Poblete and destroyed by the earthquake of 3 June 1863. Fifth cathedral built in 1870-1879 under Architects Luciano Oliver, Vicente Serrano Salaverria and Educardo Lopez Navarro and solemnly blessed in December 1879. The center of the cross on the dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago. Destroyed during the battle of Manila in 1945. Sixth cathedral reconstructed, 1954-1958, under the direction of Archbishop Rufi no J. Santos of Manila mainly with the support of the people. Fernando Ocampo, architect.