Religious places in Asia

The Golden Rock at Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is one the most holy places in Myanmar. The gold leaf covered rock is natural balancing right on the edge at the top of Mt Kyaiktiyo (1100m). Buddhist believe the rock is perched on a hair of Buddha, given some explanation why this gravity-defying boulder isn't rolling off its base and straight into the valley deep below. At the top there are also other pagodas, Buddhist shrines, and viewing platforms. To get here, you can either take the bus-truck up to the parking lot and then walk the last bit through the cluster of Buddhist kiosks, natural remedies shops and even a guest house, or you can do as many pilgrims, walk all the way from Kinpun village at the base. The trek is a beautiful 16km up-hill walk that have magnificent views over the Kelasa Hills and. There are small kiosks, to rest your feet and get a drink, all the way up.

The Golden Rock was unfortunately behind scaffold being cleaned when this picture was taken.

This amazing gold covered stupa stands 98 meters high and has become the iconic national symbol of Myanmar. It enshrines, among other things, eight hairs of the Buddha, and contains more than 1100 diamonds, where the top one is of 76-carat, and more than 1300 other stones. So it's no surprise that this is the most sacred Buddhist site in the country. At the base there are many smaller stupas, temples, and statues and you can easily spend hours just watching the local pilgrims doing rituals like the symbolic broom sweeping.

The Hmwe Paya pagoda near the ancient cities (Amarapura, Inwa, and Sagaing) could be just one among many in temple-packed Myanmar if it wasn't for the unusual hosts. In 1974 three pythons zigzagged into the temple and curled up around the Buddha statue. Ever since they have been considered holy and are treated as sacred snakes with all that involves of bathing, feeding, and the occasional photo session with locals pilgrims. You hardly notice them when you first arrive to the temple, but after a while you figure out that the curled up things next to the statue are the snakes.

The Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist stupas (shrines) in the world. This ancient stupa is found in Kathmandu city centre, where it is surrounded by small shops and street vendors. To enjoy its view, you must go through a small side street where it will suddenly appear, towering before you, among many small temples with distinctive Buddhist prayer wheels. You can even walk on it, while watching the numerous visiting Buddhist monks. There really isn't any good restaurant here, but it is recommended to find one of the restaurants that have a roof terrace, so you can sit and have lunch overlooking the enormous stupa.

Just outside of Kathmandu city centre is Pashupatinath, where Hindu cremations take place along the river. Pashupatinath is composed of a large area with a lot of temples and so-called holy men in orange robes who sit and meditate. You can take pictures of the latter - but only against payment. As a tourist, it is more appropriate to be on the opposite side of the river and observe the cremation from a distance. For Westerners, it may be an overwhelming experience to see the locals burn their fellow man in public, but even stranger is to see people swim in the same river the ashes and the body remains are dumped in.

Just outside of Kathmandu city centre, you will find Swayanabath Stupa, also known as 'The Monkey Temple'. There are plenty of sacred monkeys everywhere, and the temple complex is located on a hill overlooking the capital. Colourful prayer flags hang from the treetops to the temple tops, and nearby street vendors sell fruits and souvenirs. The area itself consists of a strange mix of different types of temples and shrines, and in one of the temples, you can see praying / meditating monks who sit and chant. Between the temples lie sleeping dogs, and Buddhists come here to sacrifice different kinds of food to Buddha by burning them.

On a trek in the Everest region in the Himalayas, you may pass through Thyangboche, an isolated village at an altitude of 3860 m. This small settlement consists of only a few small tea houses, a bakery and an important relatively large Buddhist monastery, where around 30 monks live. As a tourist, it is possible to attend the monks’ morning mass, that is, if you are fresh at 5.30am! However interesting, it is a freezing experience to sit quietly on the floor at the back of the colourful temple and attend the 45-minute mass. The monks (some of which are as young as 10 years old) shake from the cold and sit with blankets and hot tea while chanting along with the head lama to the tones of little bells and cymbals.

Sufism is an ancient practice of Islamic mysticism, which involves smoking of hashish and dancing to hypnotic drumbeats. The sufis will get into a state of trance before getting up and dance. Some will even spin at high speed, including the drummer that will tap in sync. It's an absolutely mind blowing experience to watch, but can be hard to find on your own. "Sufi nights" usually take place on Thursday nights from 9pm to midnight at one of the Sufi shrines, like Baba Shah Jamal, and it can get very crowded.
The picture is from a sufi event in Greater Iqbal Park, Lahore.

This four stories temple was built in 2007 in traditional Tang dynasty architectural style and costed S$62 million. There is several halls and Buddhas everywhere, but the main sight is the tooth relic of the historical Buddha on the 4th floor. It is kept inside a two-metre stupa made of 320 kg of pure gold. Only monks are allowed inside the chamber, but there is a public viewing area. Continuing up to the roof, there is a pagoda with a large prayer wheel. The entrance is free.

At the summit of this mountain peak is a rock with a huge "footprint" in it. The legend goes that it was Adam's when he was kicked out of heaven. Others believe it belongs to Buddha or Shiva, but in any case it's a major sacred site that many, old and young, visit at least once in their lifetime. It's a 7 km (normally about 3-4 hours) ascent on stairs with several fellow pilgrims. Many choose to do it at night, so they can experience the famous sunrise from the summit. Though the sunrise is nice and anticipated after a very cold night, the shadow the mountain casts in the early morning light is even more spectacular and so is the view over a good chunk of Sri Lanka. It's a magnificent experience, especially on Poya (holy) days, where the number of pilgrims can exceed 20,000 and extend the journey by several hours.