“Veteran photographer Sondeep Shankar presents Buddhism In India, an exhibition of works that explore how the religion lives on in 21st century India.” — Hindustan Times
It is said to be one of the largest monasteries outside of Lhasa in Tibet with a a richly guilded statute of Lord Buddha. The monastery belongs to Gelugpa School and has a capacity of housing almost seven hundred monks.
Monk performs the task of upkeep at a Buddhist temple. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha. When a monk is ordained he is said to be reborn into a new life and the past no longer counts.
The tranquil image of Gautama Buddha meditating has been sculpted time and again by master craftsmen. Buddha statues always evoke a feeling of faith and splendour. It is no wonder, then, that the sculptures of Buddha are often used for meditative purpose.
Vishwa Shanti Stupa or the Peace Pagoda is constructed at the Millenium Park in New Delhi. One of the newest Stupa, this is the 74th in the series of stupas or pagodas around the world. It is dedicated to spreading the message of peace and ahimsa given by Nishidatsu Fuji, who in the year 1931 came to India and became a close associate of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.
Prostrating before Buddha is one way of accumulating merit in the life after. Prostrating is believed to have multiple benefits for practitioners including
• an experience of giving or veneration
• an act to purify defilements, especially conceit
• a preparatory act for meditation
• an act that accumulates merit (karma)
A man walks past Chotens at Lamayuru Gompa in Ladakh. Prayer and meditation is intrinsic in the lives of Buddhists. Whether it is morning or evening, at work or leisure, there is always a prayer on their lips.
Meditation too is a way of living. The main emphasis in Buddhist meditation is to practice what is called the "Super-normal Eight-fold Way" which goes as following:
• Harmonious Perspective
• Harmonious goal visualization
• Harmonious speech
• Harmonious action
• Harmonious lifestyle
• Harmonious practice
• Harmonious attentiveness
• Harmonious equilibrium
A Tibetan Buddhist carry his prayer wheel while going around the 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi, the oldest stone structure in India originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha.
Monks listen to sermons in Sarnath, near the ancient city of Varanasi which explains all the salient features of Buddhism, such as the middle way, the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the origin and cessation of suffering, and how right living leads to knowledge, peace and nirvana.
Student Lamas at the famous Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, popularly known as Tawang Monastry. The monastery stands on the spur of a hill, about 10,000 feet above sea level. Monastry houses the three-storied Parkhang library which has a collection of 400-year-old Kangyur scriptures in addition to many other invaluable manuscripts.
Students go up the steps at Thiksey Monastry. The Thiksey monastery community has a school which is run by the monastery management. It not only includes the knowledge of Buddhism but also other subjects including the computer operation are taught. Children from poor families are provided free education. The Monastery also take care that the children and other lamas have food as well as medical assistance.
Masked dance during annual festival at Hemis monastery in Ladakh. Elaborate costumes with masks and with typically slow dance movements, unfurl story of the age-old fight between good and evil, ending with the eventual victory of the good. A large tankha is unfolded in the background. Monks wear colourful masks and dance to the rhythm of cymbals, flutes and trumpets.
Masked dancers in Ladakh stand around a fire to keep themselves warm. Monks wear colourful masks and dance to the rhythm of cymbals, flutes and trumpets.
A ladakhi villager rests in a gallery along the courtyard at Hemis Gompa, 45km from Leh.
A monk stands in a doorway as a painting adorn wall of Tiksey Monastry, Ladakh. Thiksey Monastery, an outstanding specimen of Ladakhi architecture, located near Leh. The Monastery is a part of Gelukpa order in Buddhism and is beautifully located in the picturesque hill top. It encloses numerous stupas, Thangkas, statues, swords, wonderful wall paintings and a large pillar carved with Buddha’s ideas and preaching, all in a mammoth 12 storied building complex.
Mani Stones inscribed with the six syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara: Om Mani Padme Hum (hail the jewel in the Lotus, the jewel being a symbol of the Buddha) symbolising self realization are prominent feature of the Tibetan Buddhism. The term Mani stone may also be used in a loose sense to refer to stones on which any mantra or devotional designs (such as ashtamangala) are inscribed. Mani stones are intentionally placed along the roadsides and rivers or placed together to form mounds or cairns or sometimes long walls, as an offering to spirits of place or genius loci. Creating and carving mani stones as devotional or intentional process art is a traditional sadhana of piety.
A group of Buddhist monks in their ceremonial attire during a procession in the streets of Leh.
Among the more visible expressions of Buddhism in Ladakh are the chess pawn shaped Chortens at the entrance to villages and monasteries. These are the Tibetan equivalent of the Indian Stupa- large hemispherical burial mounds cum devotional objects, prominent in Buddhist ritual since the 3rd century BC. Made of mud, stone and now also concrete, many Chortens were erected as acts of piety by Ladakhi nobles. Some contain sacred manuscripts that, like the chortens itself, wither and decay in time, illustrating the central Buddhist doctrine of impermanence.
Monks gather around a statue of Lord Budha in a temple in New Delhi.
Prayers in progess at Mahabodhi Temple in the temple town Bodhgaya, Bihar.