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.All Trips / Alberta / Central Canada / North America
The Mormon Temple, Cardston, Alberta
Besides being home to a world-class carriage museum, the small Alberta town of Cardston also has an impressive Mormon temple—the first built in Canada, as well as the first built outside the USA. Mormon settlers came to the region in late 19th century and settled here, some 15 miles north of the USA-Canada Border.
The temple site was dedicated on 27 July 1913 by Joseph F. Smith, with groundbreaking later that year. Construction was delayed because of World War I and the building was not completed until 1923, when the temple was dedicated. Cardston’s is just one of eight Mormon temples that do not have an angel Moroni statue.
The temple sits atop a small hill — the high …
Tagged Alberta Temple, Cardston, Mormon, Temple
“Pic of the Week”, January 27, 2023: Sri Pathrakali Amman Temple, Trincomalee
Trincomalee is best known for its beautiful natural harbor and spectacular diving. But there are some diversions in the town that are worth stopping to see.
The Patrakali Amman Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Kali. It has an elaborate and colorful facade filled with hundreds of statues.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)
Jan 26, 2023
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.All Trips / Asia / Sri Lanka
Seema Malaka Temple, Colombo
One of the most beautiful temples in Colombo — even all of Sri Lanka — is Seema Malaka. It’s a Buddhist temple situated on calm and peaceful Beira Lake, not far from Gangaramaya Temple. Seema Malaka was designed to be a place for meditation and rest, rather than worship. It’s a quiet spot from which to retreat from the hustle and bustle of Colombo.
The temple you see today is a replacement for one constructed in the late 19th century which sank into the lake in the 1970s. In 1976, famed Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa (the father of “tropical modernism” style), was hired to redesign and construct the temple. Bawa’s design was said to be influenced …
Tagged Beira Lake, Buddha, Buddhist, Colombo, Seema Malaka, Temple
.All Trips / Asia / Sri Lanka
Gangaramaya Temple: One of Colombo’s top Attractions
Sri Lanka is a country of many traditions and faiths, but most of its residents are Sinhalese Buddhists. As such, exploring the Buddhist temples of the country offers a gateway to understanding the culture and traditions of most of its people. Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo and one of the city’s more interesting sites.
This Buddhist temple is encompassed by several buildings and is situated in the heart of Colombo, not far from Beira Lake. It includes a Vihara (temple), a Bodhi tree, an Image house, and an assembly hall for monks. The complex also has an eclectic museum, library, residential hall and an educational hall. The beautiful Simamalaka Shrine is nearby and a satellite …
Tagged Buddha, Buddhist, Colombo, Gangaramaya, Temple
.All Trips / Europe / Italy
Exploring Historic Segesta, Sicily
When we visited Sicily a few aspects of our time there surprised me. 1) The food was even more delicious than I expected. 2) The landscape was far more hilly and mountainous than I thought it would be. 3) The large assortment and general good state of preservation of the country’s archaeologic sites.
Segesta (also known as Egesta) is close to the island’s most populous city, Palermo, and is even closer to its airport. It is easily accessible by car, the Autostrada only minutes away, so a car rental is the easiest way to get there (bus connections are said to be slow and difficult). Unlike Agrigento in southern Sicily, there is no modern city nearby — just beautiful hills, farms …
.All Trips / Asia / Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 7) Kandy
The Sinhalese name for this city is Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura), impossible for the British to pronounce so they just called it Kandy. Located in the forested foothills of the central mountains, about 1500 feet above sea level, Kandy is appealing to Sri Lankans as well as to visitors. The weather is cooler and less humid than on the coast, especially at night. Kandy is the second largest city in Sri Lanka and the gateway to the Hill Country and Cultural Triangle, so there’s lots to see and do. It’s easily accessible by road and train from Colombo, offering scenic journeys through coconut and rubber plantations and rice paddies. I’ve visited Kandy four times and enjoyed each visit.
Like Polonnaruwa …
