Religious places in Asia

Sumtseling Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province. Initiated more than 300 years ago by the fifth Dalai Lama, it is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace. It was heavily damaged during the Culture Revolution, but subsequently rebuilt in the 1980s. Today it's again a massive Buddhism complex with more than 600 monks living and studying there. In the morning you can sometimes catch the debating lessons outside on the square, where the novices in lotus position are tested in their ability to answer philosophical questions delivered in a clapping manner by their friends. It's not in the province of Tibet (TAR), so no special permission is needed to go here.

In Dege, the last town before Tibet province, lies the red-walled printing monastery Bakong. It is a sacred place where pilgrims supposedly circle the outer walls a thousand times. Inside, Tibetan scriptures are printed by hand and put to dry, as they have been done for centuries. The store rooms are filled from floor to ceiling with almost 300,000 engraved woodblocks with Tibetan texts. You can watch the printing process in the printing hall, where printers in almost trance turn out pages at an incredible speed. The majority of the Tibetan monasteries still get their textbooks from this printing monastery, and it is considered as one of the most important cultural center for Tibetans along with Potala Palads and Sakya monastery, both in Tibet.

The Ganges River is a pretty important feature of the Indian landscape. This is certainly true when talking about the Hindu religion. The Ganges is where people comes to ensure long, healthy lives of babies, it's where adults come to wash away their sins and it's where the dead comes to enter the next life. The ghats at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar are some of the holiest around. Visited by both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu (there's even a footprint to prove it), these ghats attract pilgrims by the throngs; especially around the 12 year Kumbh Mela. Even if you miss it, there are still nightly Aarti (fire ceremonies) attended by the masses. If you want some Ganges blessings, Har Ki Pauri is the place to do it.

In the heart of New Delhi, the important Sikh temple Gurudwaras Bangla Sahib is located. It is open both day and evening, and there are not that many tourists here. You cannot wear shoes, and both outside and inside the temple you have to wear a headscarf covering your hair. (This applies to both men and women). At the entrance there is a very efficient system/wardrobe, where you put your shoes and get back a wardrobe number. At the foot of the stairs to the temple, there is a low basin with holy water, where you have to wash your feet before entering. Inside the temple there is a chanting priest, who is surrounded by an audience, who sit quietly on the floor. Behind the priest people queue to offer sacrifices to the gods. Even though it is a sikh temple, it seems almost muslim in some ways.

Christians have St. Peter's Basilica. Muslims have the Kaaba. So what about Sikhs? Well, in the northern state of Punjab in the holy city of Amritsar, lies the stunning Golden Temple. The centre of the Sikh religion, it is a centre of pilgrimage and tourism alike. As if the golden facade was not enough, the entire building is surrounding by a reflecting pool used for the faithful to wash away their sins. Constant chants, prayers and song fill the air. The clang of pots and pans echo through the massive feeding halls. And there's even a museum in the complex. This is certainly the one-stop-shop for insight into the 9th target religion in the world.

Pura Besakih is the most important and mind-blowing Hindu temple of all temples on Bali. It is actually a temple complex consisting of 22 different temples and is the one that is pictured in travel brochures and postcards, so it doesn't become more Balinese-iconic than this. The main temple, Pura Penataran Agung, has the usual row of shrines, but many with multi-roofs making the main square look really imposing. Pura Besakih sits on the slope of the highest mountain on Bali, Mt. Agung (3140 m) which is an active volcano, and was close to be destroyed during the 1963 eruption when lava flows missed the temples by literally a few meters.
As with any other temples in Bali, try to visit if there is a ceremony going on when it all comes alive - and it doesn't get more grand than at Besakih. At quiet times, it can turn into a bit of a tourist trap with persistent local guides and imaginary fees. To escape the hassle, try to park as high up as possible next to the temples.

From the outside this huge concrete mosque doesn't like much, but the inside is kept in a 70s Sci-Fi style, all shinny and metallic. It was built in 1978 and can hold up to 200,000 worshippers, making it the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. You are welcome, also as a none-Muslim, to go inside and have a look at the courtyard and the praying hall from the upper deck. The praying hall is for Muslim only. They visitor center will provide a cloak if you're not dressed properly free of charge, but a donation is strongly encouraged.

A small Hindu temple in Balinese style built on a rocky outcrop between two bays. The black temple faces Bali and legend tells that virgins were once sacrificed to the sea from the outermost slab of rock. Beside the full and dark moon ceremonies, the only drama today is the crashing waves that can easily cover the whole temple in a mist of sticky sea water. Pura Batu Bolong can easily be reached from Sengigi.

This outdoor ancient religious site is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes other historical sites on Okinawa from the Gusuku period (12th-15th century). It served as a place of worship, religious ceremonies and rituals for the Ryukyuan people (also way after the 15th century), but was later used as a Shinto shrine. The area is a densely forested hillside with an ancient stone path leading to a couple of simple platforms under some cliff overhangs. It's a very tranquil site with plenty of shade.

Another temple belonging to the famous pilgrimage Shikoku 88 is Daihou-ji, Temple 44. Its name means "Temple of Great Treasure", though the temple probably doesn't have such, but there is a life size statue of a clearly aged verdigris green Buddha resting on lotus leaves and crowned with figures of mini Buddhas. The temple sits among tall cypress trees and giant bamboos, but is less impressive than Temple 45, 11 kilometres away. However, Temple 44 is easier accessible with a road leading right up to the temple gates, if that's important.