Along Jalan Sungai Tua, from Ulu Yam to Batang Kali, lies a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. It's entrance is mysterious and you have to drive on a stoney road for quite a distance before you reach the temple.
Intriguing but bumpy!
Upon arrival, there is a cemetery on the right and the monastery is on the left. We dropped by the cemetery first as the stupas caught my attention.
Each stupa acts like a tombstone in this cemetery.
Historical facts: A stupa was based on burial mounds which were built in India before the time of Buddha. Stupas were built to house the remains of the Buddha which were divided and given to many regions. The most common use of a stupa is as a place for sacred relics and as a focus for the devotions of a Buddhist community. Walking around a stupa clockwise is considered an act of merit.
Today in some countries like China and Japan, and even in Malaysia, the style of a stupa has changed into a pagoda.
The temple and monastery
Beautiful murals on the walls
The main prayer hall
This is a Tibetan chanting rotating drum which a believer is supposed to chant while pushing it round and round to ward of evil or bad vibes.
This is a model of His Holiness the Sakya Trichen, head of the Sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism. The reigning Sakya Trichen at the moment is Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, the 42nd Sakya Trizin, formerly addressed as His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin Rinpoche.
The grounds
Muscovy duck
Interesting place, eh?
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