Saturday Magazine - 03.09.2019

SACRED

WONDERS

Wed 9pm

BBC

NEW

These places

are heavenly...

A new series shows us awe-inspiring locations that

are spectacular to look at and spiritually meaningful

• plus the people who live, work and worship there

M

any of the world’s most admired landmarks are linked

to faith, and more people than ever before are

travelling to see these sacred places. Some are

sites where the devout simply come for quiet

contemplation. Others inspire incredible acts of worship

and life-threatening challenges.

Now a fascinating new series visits many of these legendary

attractions, including Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the largest religious site in the world,

and the Sikh community’s unique Golden Temple at Amritsar. But they’re not all

buildings constructed to show their creators’ devotion. Some are part of the natural

world, such as the Nachi Falls in Japan, a draw for followers of Shinto.

Originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, the complex became a Buddhist
temple in the 12th century. Two million visitors see the attraction annually and
it appears on the Cambodian national flag. In this programme, after saplings are
spotted growing on the five stone towers at the centre of it, brave souls undertake a
heart-stopping mission. Climbing 200ft barefoot and with no safety equipment, they
cut back the plants while the scorching stone burns their feet – fearing that if they
don’t remove the foliage, the towers could fall down...

Built using traditional materials and

methods, this special place has

been called Britain’s first authentic

Hindu temple.

In 2000 it made it into the

Guinness Book of Records as the

largest Hindu temple outside India.

In the same year, it also broke a

record by offering 1,247 vegetarian

dishes during the Annakut festival

(Hindu New Year). And it seems

they’ve upped the ante, as Sacred

Wonders shows worshippers

preparing 1,400 dishes for the

annual offering to the Gods.

It’s a major undertaking. The

spread includes 10,000 biscuits and

30,000 sweets, which can’t just be

plonked on plates. Each dish has to

look as good as it tastes. Intricate

arrangement of the delicacies is a

crucial part of the act of devotion.

NEASDEN, LONDON

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BAPS SHRI

SWAMINARAYAN

MANDIR TEMPLE

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ANGKOR WAT

HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA

Of the 400 monks at the 5th century

Buddhist monastery, 100 are elite warrior

monks. Sacred Wonders shows a would-be

warrior, who has spent more than a decade

training with his mentor, before he faces the

gruelling tests that will decide his fate. As well

as studying Buddhist teachings, hopefuls have to

be accomplished at kung fu and master props

such as the Monkey Stick, performing the most

demanding moves perfectly for the elder

monks judging. If our hopeful fails, he’ll

have to wait three years

before he can try

again.

THE SHAOLIN

MONASTERY

8 SATURDAY MAGAZINE